Scottish Independence

[Jacob]

The yes people are socialist. Taking other people's money for themselves is what they do.

The No campaign is being led by Labour and Gordon Brown quoted Marx in his barnstorming unionist speech

Edit: Meanwhile to repeat it again the only promise the SNP have made for a future Scotland is to cut corporation tax.

The independence movement also has the famed Socialist propagandist Rupert Murdoch in their corner, as I understand it.

[Sheilbh]

The Economist claimed the "bedroom tax" was also mentioned. Plus they always talk about the oil and how independent  Scotland could spend more

Those are things Scotland could do. The only promise they've made is cutting corporation tax. The campaign is left-wing because Scotland's a little more lefty but, more importantly, the swing voters especially during a Tory coalition are discontented Labour voters. Also the Yes campaign was SNP, Scottish Socialists and Scottish Greens.

The SNP's a pretty centrist party that would possibly split apart if they actually won independence. When they were in minority government they tended to get things passed by depending on Tory votes.

[Sheilbh]

The independence movement also has the famed Socialist propagandist Rupert Murdoch in their corner, as I understand it.

Quite.

37 meetings with Salmond, who's also spent a lot of time assiduously charming Donald Trump () for years to get him to invest in Scottish businesses, with some success.

[Sheilbh]

Senior No campaign source - 'this is not over. We are doing badly in Glasgow.'

It may be counter-intuitive but Yes may do better in Labour's heartlands than in their own which tend to be slightly more conservative and vote for the local patriotic, anti-Labour party.

Edit: Also apparently Dumbartonshire (another Labour Clydeside heartland) which was meant to be leaning no is now looking very close.

[jimmy olsen]

 

[Sheilbh]

Orkney and the Highlands. The last remaining habitat of sea eagles, wild cats and Lib Dems. Bless them.

Edit: BBC now estimate overall turnout of 85%

And there are storm clouds gathering over London

[jimmy olsen]

Senior No campaign source - 'this is not over. We are doing badly in Glasgow.'

It may be counter-intuitive but Yes may do better in Labour's heartlands than in their own which tend to be slightly more conservative and vote for the local patriotic, anti-Labour party.

Edit: Also apparently Dumbartonshire (another Labour Clydeside heartland) which was meant to be leaning no is now looking very close.

From the live blog

Alberto Nardelli writes on the turnout figures:

    Overall turnout remains high on 81%. East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Stirling all reported turnout above 90%. Turnout in Glasgow though was "only" 75%. It is worth keeping in mind that Glasgow has historically low turnout in elections. With parts of the city reporting less than 50% turnout at the general election. Either way, on paper at least, the figure isn't good for Ye

[Sheilbh]

They've been talking about that on the BBC. The conventional wisdom was that higher turnout areas would be good for Yes, it may be the opposite is true. The polls may have scared/energised Brown's 'silent majority'.

[jimmy olsen]

From the Press Association.

    Yes sources in West Lothian say their reporting indicates 53% in favour of No.

[Sheilbh]

Reporter in Dundee saying it looks like Yes could've won by about 10 points, maybe higher

But nationally still looks like a no

[CountDeMoney]

This is one boring ass election.  Wallace: disappointed.

[Sheilbh]

This is one boring ass election.  Wallace: disappointed.

Well so far only 1.3% of the vote's been announced

[jimmy olsen]

75% is a big number, but given turnout elsewhere may not be enough

There was huge disappointment among yes campaigners at the count in Glasgow when the turnout in Scotland's biggest city was announced at 364,664 or 75%, reports Libby Brooks.

    "That's the worst news I've had all evening," said one - and it has not been an evening of great news all round.

    Yes had been confident that their work registering voters disillusioned with Westminster politics, and engaging with those who had never voted before, would bring in the crucial votes they needed to balance more no-leaning areas of the country.

    The campaign mounted a huge get-out-the-vote operation on polling day, with people carriers and coaches in some parts of the city. The final turnout seemed the indicate that their efforts had fallen short.

    It's worth noting, though, that this is a low turnout in referendum terms only. It was around 41% for the last Holyrood election and between 50 and 60% depending on constituency in the Westminster election of 2010.

[Admiral Yi]

Do Glaswegians have as much trouble understanding everyone else as we have understanding them?

[Sheilbh]

No think they've lost Glasgow, but not by enough, so they're still happy.

That's a problem for Scottish Labour. Could see an interesting situation where their core vote is being eaten into in England and Scotland by UKIP and the SNP respectively

One No campaigner just unhelpfully compared the turnout to North Korea and Cuba

Edit: And if Labour don't support some sort of English votes for English issues then I think UKIP will go in that very heavily - and it'll work.

Edit: New rumour - Glasgow's back to 50-50