Scotland has taken a step forward to a referendum on
independence that could break the United Kingdom into fragments.
The governments in Westminster and Edinburgh have come to an
agreement on what will happen. It has been agreed that the timing, the wording
of the question and the franchise will all be decided in the Scottish
parliament. David Cameron will meet with Alex Salmond tomorrow to sign the deal
that could end this country.
Although polling still shows Scots rejecting independence by
around 2:1, a lot can happen in two years. With the UK economy still in
recession, Salmond offers Scotland some hope. If the UK economy continues to
drag on as it is, then many people may flock to the pro-independence side. If Scotland
does reject independence it will cause problems for the SNP and could do
irreparable damage. The base would be demotivated and in reality, it would
become just another left wing party. Yet the margin of defeat is important, if
it is defeated by a large margin then Scotland will remain safely in the UK for
a long time. If it is only defeated by a small margin then there would be a
legitimate argument for calling another referendum five years later!
The debate over the coming months in the Scottish parliament
will be an intense one as the opposing sides clash; for once the Lib Dems, Conservatives
and Labour will be arguing for the same thing. The SNP was already dealt a blow
earlier this year when the Green Party withdrew from the Yes campaign, saying
the SNP was excluding other parties from participation in the movement. What
happens next is key to the survival of what was once, the world’s most powerful
nation.
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