Voting breakdown causes divisions (Alistair Brown)
We can now breathe a sigh of relief and get on with the rest of our lives following the independence referendum.
A couple of thoughts spring to mind. The turnout was excellent and a credit to all. The majority was quite conclusive at 55.3 per cent for the no campaign.
However, we were led to believe that 97 per cent of the eligible electorate registered to vote, with about 85 per cent actually doing so. The remaining 12 per cent either could not or did not bother to move themselves.
I contend that most of these folk were content with the status quo and could perhaps have been added to the no vote. This gives a much more conclusive result of 67 per cent rejecting independence with 33 per cent for.
For such an important and clear-cut election, I think all the ballot boxes should have been collected in one central venue. Counting should start at 7am the following morning and the on going totals announced every hour or so.
No reference to any geographical area should be made and the final result would be straight numbers for and against. Referring to regions only causes criticism and division and the inevitable comparing rich and poor areas with political party affiliations.
Although the SNP promoted this campaign each side was represented by many smaller parties. The end result, which I actually agreed with, leaves a rather sour taste and belittles it with petty and divisive politics. It was too important an election for this and we can well do without this legacy.
I fear that the yes lobby will not take the democratic will of Scotland lying down. Look out for more sniping, griping and trouble-making from them.
Alistair Brown
Millhill Road,
Lochmaben,
Lockerbie.
John Tulloch
I take your point about the post-result carping, however, Shetland’s (and Orkney’s) vital interests are at stake e.g. Fishing, and an historic legal anomaly exists which, at the very least, adds moral weight to claims by Orkney/Shetland for local autonomy should local politicians and residents ever acquire the gumption to go after it and/or which country, if any,mthey wish to be associated with, in future.
Shetland and Orkney both voted heavily against Scottish independence because of their vital interests and if the vote was counted as you recommend, we would never have known which would have been, potentially, highly disadvantageous for the isles.
Heather M Stewart
Erm excuse me, why added to the No vote??? I don’t think so.. Many people chose not to vote because they didn’t want to have to be forced to make a decision either way.
A vote for No is still a vote and you can’t choose how someone else should vote.. It would be illegal, and we already know how badly the Better Together campaign has acted in this referendum. All the trouble making came from the Better Together camp, and media organisations like the BBC who showed biased reports and whom didn’t really reflect on what was going on.. As well as fearmongering and scare tactics to sway the way people chose to vote..
I also think it is important to know how Geographical areas voted, I live in the Highlands, and I’m glad I could see that there was a balanced vote in our area, which suggests that people here are willing to look forwards, not backwards, they look to a fairer Scotland.. I would even like to know how Sutherland voted compared to Caithness.. Finding out that Orkney and Shetland both chose to vote No in this referendum has changed my view on Shetland a little bit, I’m sorry to say.. But I’d rather know the truth than be lied to..
As a Yes voter, I can tell you, we haven’t given up this campaign, there are now more SNP and Green Party members since the referendum result.. And we won’t give up until Scotland is an Independent nation once more..
Steven Jarmson
You Yes voters really at paranoid. The BBC was actually pretty balanced, if anything, it was the BBC that whipped up the false notion that the Yip campaign was on top.
There were many, suppressed, stories from areas all across Scotland of intimidation from the Yip people at the polling stations.
You’ve not given up, that’s cute, very well done, that’s the spirit, keep your chin up and all that. But, as time goes on and the world gets even more integrated I think you’ll find the noisy minority gets less and less.
This campaign turned out pretty much as I always expected. The poorest areas voted for what they saw as more benefits opportunities, the wealthy areas voted outright no because we have too much to lose and the yip lot just wont shut up!!!
To the main point, it is actually fairly usual to expect those who don’t vote are happy as things are, so the original point of counting them as no votes is logical, even I the math’s was a bit off.
Bill Adams
Steven, if you think that the BBC was “balanced” you must have been listening to different radio programmes to the ones I heard. Far from being impartial, they were clearly biased which is not really
surprising given that they themselves are part and parcel of the UK Establishment.
Charlie Gallagher
Alistair,
Of course I will take the diametrically opposed view and say that they were all ‘YES’ voters that did not bother to vote because they thought it was in the bag. But as most undecided’s voted 3 to 1 for ‘YES’ these adjust the 12% of votes accordingly then this gives ‘YES’ = 54% and ‘no’ 46%, which is a more likely outcome. Alistair you have only won the first skirmish the WAR goes on for your beloved Three Stooges have still to deliver and as I don’t think that they could deliver a pizza either collectively or singularly then as they say GAME ON. Oh aye, how you going to deal with Farrage and his bunch of BNP, Orange Order thugs?
Charlie G
Steven Jarmson
Where do you get 3 to 1 from? The last polls showed approx 46 no, 42 yip and 12% undecided. The final resounding NO vote opened up from a 4% lead to a 10% hammering.
Is this more of your dodgy maths Charlie??
I suppose you think 45% was a victory!!
Also, how is it that the yip people had confidence that people of Scotland would make the right decision when they thought they going to win, but when they lost (heavily) then the people got it all wrong??
How is that?
Is it your ball and you’re going home now to tell mummy the big boys were bad to you??
Robert Sim
So expression of an opinion with which you don’t agree is “…sniping, griping and trouble-making…”? Luckily, freedom of expression is guaranteed by law in this country.
joe johnson
Heather M Stewart, you say the no campaign has acted badly. I could say the same thing about the yes campaign. After the votes were counted and shetland voted no, I saw nasty comments on the shetland times facebook page like “shetland you traitors, you have let your country down! Also folk saying “as a shetlander im ashamed!” Also during the campaigning the Yes campaign resorted to childish name calling like “project fear, bitter together, scaremongering” etc if anyone questioned independence. I’m not saying the no campaign are completely innocent as I know there has been abuse from both sides on social media. You have to respect the fact heather that everyone has the right to their political views. I voted no but don’t hate folk who voted yes because its their right to choose what they vote for. I was also disgusted with the abuse Andy Murray got when he tweeted he was for Scottish independence. He did nothing wrong and his tweet was not nasty or offensive and he has the rights to his views. But now its time to move on. Lets aim towards reconciliation and move on and show respect to each other weather we voted yes or no. Life’s too short for bitterness.
Johan Adamson
I think its perfectly normal for there to be a percentage of people who dont vote. Some are infirm, in hospital, ill or otherwise unable to vote.