WORLD_ SCOTLAND_ Will they stay or go? Scotland votes on independence

USA TODAY

Will they stay or go? Scotland votes on independence

Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY 4:08 p.m. EDT September 18, 2014

USA TODAY’s Yamiche Alcindor heads to one of Manhattan's most popular Scottish bars - St. Andrews - to see what patrons are saying about this historic vote.



(Photo: Mark Runnacles, Getty Images)

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Voters across Scotland went to the polls Thursday in a historic vote to decide whether Great Britain should be a little less great: without Scotland.

The northern region's 307-year-old marriage with England hangs in the balance, as polls show a tight race between unionists and nationalists, who argue Scotland would be better off with a divorce.

A massive turnout of around 4.2 million Scots, about 97% of eligible voters, is expected, and residents as young as 16 have been granted permission to vote in the referendum.

A poll from YouGov, a market research firm, puts those backing independence at 48% and those against at 52%. However, with 4% of voters undecided not much separates the two campaigns.

Those arguing for a continued union say Scotland would be better off economically and better protected militarily, while those for independence say traditionally left-leaning Scotland would benefit from breaking away from the conservative economic policies of the parliament in London.

On the streets of Scotland's capital city, supporters of both campaigns were knocking on doors, making calls and offering whatever assistance they could to get voters to the polls.

Outside a polling center just off of Edinburgh's Royal Mile — the cluster of cobbled and twisting streets that form the heart of the city's Old Town — visible signs of Yes voters (flags, lapel pins and balloons) far outnumbered campaigners brandishing ornaments indicating support for the no vote.

Conor Matchett, 19, a philosophy student at the University of Edinburgh, said he was both nervous and optimistic about the outcome after voting Yes.

"I want change. It's as simple as that," he said. "I believe a Yes vote is the only way to do that."

Matchett, originally from York, in Northern England, but granted a vote in Scotland's referendum on the grounds of his residency here, said he was voting to counter what he felt was the continuing politics of austerity from British politicians down south in Westminster.

"They are attacking the welfare state and many other things that people in Scotland hold really dear," he said.

Standing next to Matchett was Alex Luetchford, also 19, a Yes voter and a student at Edinburgh University.

"Scotland is ruled by a government it didn't vote for and that it doesn't want," Luetchford said. "Power needs to be spread closer to local people affected by it and that is what this referendum is about."

In Edinburgh, Aberdeen-raised Emma Hodcroft, a researcher studying the evolution of HIV, said she is voting No. One of her major concerns is the research money she receives from organizations south of the border.

"All of our money comes from London," she said. "Scotland gets more money than it puts in for research funding and that allows it to punch above its weight."

"The SNP has not answered this question of where this money will come from if we leave the U.K.," Hodcroft added.

Money, in general, is a big concern if Scots opt for independence, Hodcroft said.

"We have so many things that we would need to set up: new tax system, new passport system, new defense system, a new system for drivers' licenses — all these things that no one even thinks about and that we rely on every single day."

If Scotland breaks away from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, hundreds of international treaties including with the European Union and NATO may need to be renegotiated and there is likely to be major political fallout for Prime Minister David Cameron.



Team Great Britain. Pictured here in 2012, the Olympic team is made up of athletes from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. (Photo: Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images)


Late Wednesday, politicians on both sides of the vote issued their final pleas. At a rally in Perth, Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond described Scotland's referendum on independence as a "precious chance to leave our mark in the pages of history."

At a separate rally in Glasgow, former British prime minister Gordon Brown urged anti-independence voters and those still wavering in their allegiances to "say to your friends, for reasons of solidarity, sharing, pride in Scotland, the only answer is vote No."

In recent days Brown has come to play a central role in galvanizing support for the "Better Together" campaign that has struggled to match the levels of vibrancy and enthusiasm displayed by the Yes campaign.

"Scotland belongs to all of us," Brown said.

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