Scottish Independence

[Duque de Bragança]

If you were registered at a parents' address, then easy enough. No one checks if you really live at an address. I was eligible to vote in two constituencies in 2010. 

Bodes well for recounting issues if the result is tight.

[Grey Fox]

You guys take this awfully lightly. 300 years old country destroyed (yes, destroyed) because people dislike the "bedroom tax"

Also, if based on this, City of London would decide that they'd rather suffocate in their piles of cash instead of financing the rest of the UK's existence and opted for independence or some sort of city state status, would that be also fine to decide on a 50% vote? Where does this thing stop?

Countries come & go.

You will still enjoy the freedom of London when Scotland is an independant country.

[sbr]

48 hours to save the Union. 

Indeed, this is getting kind of scary, eh? The breakup of the UK? 

Primary feeling for me is oddness, it'll be very odd if this goes through.

Perhaps a bit like if Washington, Oregon, Idaho and the Dakotas all have a vote on exiting the USA?

Cascadia4Life

[sbr]

No need to get worked into a lather over that kind of cheese.

[Jacob]

You guys take this awfully lightly. 300 years old country destroyed (yes, destroyed) because people dislike the "bedroom tax"

Also, if based on this, City of London would decide that they'd rather suffocate in their piles of cash instead of financing the rest of the UK's existence and opted for independence or some sort of city state status, would that be also fine to decide on a 50% vote? Where does this thing stop?

If it got to the point where Londoners had developed their own governing institutions, political boundaries and such a strong identity to the point where they felt it necessary to dissolve their bonds with the rest of England, then yes I don't see why not.

I think - no matter the outcome - that this is a testament to British character and democracy. It's how it's supposed to work.

[derspiess]

I'm guessing there aren't any exit polls being published before the voting finishes?

[Richard Hakluyt]

The general election next year is certainly going to be rather interesting, regardless of the referendum vote.

I'm hoping that the referendum will prove to be the catalyst that moves us on from a rather stale period in British politics.

[garbon]

You guys take this awfully lightly. 300 years old country destroyed (yes, destroyed) because people dislike the "bedroom tax"

Also, if based on this, City of London would decide that they'd rather suffocate in their piles of cash instead of financing the rest of the UK's existence and opted for independence or some sort of city state status, would that be also fine to decide on a 50% vote? Where does this thing stop?

If it got to the point where Londoners had developed their own governing institutions, political boundaries and such a strong identity to the point where they felt it necessary to dissolve their bonds with the rest of England, then yes I don't see why not.

I think - no matter the outcome - that this is a testament to British character and democracy. It's how it's supposed to work.

Sure but then I also see it as a testament that the UK failed at establishing a solid British identity. I guess that's also a testament to British character but not in a good vein.

[Tamas]

IDK. when 50% of the 10% of the country's population can drastically alter the country at a whim, well, that doesn't reflect that positively.

[Syt]

[Warspite]

You guys take this awfully lightly. 300 years old country destroyed (yes, destroyed) because people dislike the "bedroom tax"

Also, if based on this, City of London would decide that they'd rather suffocate in their piles of cash instead of financing the rest of the UK's existence and opted for independence or some sort of city state status, would that be also fine to decide on a 50% vote? Where does this thing stop?

If it got to the point where Londoners had developed their own governing institutions, political boundaries and such a strong identity to the point where they felt it necessary to dissolve their bonds with the rest of England, then yes I don't see why not.

I think - no matter the outcome - that this is a testament to British character and democracy. It's how it's supposed to work.

Sure but then I also see it as a testament that the UK failed at establishing a solid British identity. I guess that's also a testament to British character but not in a good vein.

Scotland and England will continue to exist, with free movement of people and capital and goods across the border. In that sense, there will be little reason for British identity to not exist. We will continue to speak a common language, share a common intellectual heritage, and hold broadly common political views.

[Syt]

We will continue to speak a common language

[Warspite]

IDK. when 50% of the 10% of the country's population can drastically alter the country at a whim, well, that doesn't reflect that positively.

I don't see how the Scots are drastically altering England.

[The Brain]

Scotland and England will continue to exist, with free movement of people and capital and goods across the border.

Sure about that?

[Martinus]

You guys take this awfully lightly. 300 years old country destroyed (yes, destroyed) because people dislike the "bedroom tax"

Also, if based on this, City of London would decide that they'd rather suffocate in their piles of cash instead of financing the rest of the UK's existence and opted for independence or some sort of city state status, would that be also fine to decide on a 50% vote? Where does this thing stop?

Countries come & go.

You will still enjoy the freedom of London when Scotland is an independant country.

That is actually highly uncertain. With Scotland being much more pro-EU than the rest of Britain, with Scotland gone, it is quite likely that the UK will vote to leave the EU in the referendum planned for 2016 (or was it 2017). Since Tamas's stay in London is based on the EU treaty's free movement of workers (something that is quite resented in Britain, especially when it comes to CEE migrants), it is quite possible that he will be told to leave once the UK leaves the EU.