BBC reported yesterday that Scottish independence will not be happening, for more citizens have voted against the separation of Scotland into its own sovereign state. An analysis of the vote and views of British citizens revealed that independence is too unrealistic and that there are too many factors at stake.
The British Parliament revealed that 55.3 percent of all voters expressed that they were against Scottish separation, whereas only 44.7 percent showed consent. Only last week, when the government hosted a poll concerning the issue, around 53 percent of all participants expressed that Scotland should be its own sovereign state. However, it is evident there are just too many factors that play against Scotland and its separation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Over 80 percent of Britain’s citizens were reported to have taken part in this vote. However, this vote left a strong impression on both the British and the international community regarding the attitude of this small nation with limited-self-government. The Celtic people that comprise most of Scotland’s population had opted to vote for more realistic economic needs rather than Celtic pride or nationalism.
The main issues that circled around the votes against Scottish independence were possession of the resources from the North Sea, use of the British pound, and European Union (EU) and NATO membership. If Scotland leaves the United Kingdom, then the newly established government would have to make careful decisions regarding all of these major economic factors. Perhaps the most sensitive issue was in the case that Scotland does become independent then how much of the British government’s debts should they take responsibility for.
Scotland’s economy, by itself only comprises around 10 percent of the U.K.’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In fact, many British politicians have expressed that the Parliament has granted Scotland’s autonomous government too many benefits despite the fact the small state does not “contribute” much to Great Britain as a whole. Since they already had too many rights such as their own legislative power, representatives from England, Northern Ireland and Wales have expressed that Scotland should be taken out of the British-Irish Council.
Meanwhile, Alex Salmond the head of Scotland’s autonomous government announced at a press conference after the vote that he will resign to take responsibility for not being able to turn his nation independent. On the other hand, the British government expressed that now is the time for all members of the U.K. to unite to fulfill what they called true democracy in the British Isles.
