As the Scottish Independence Referendum approaches, I’ve been keeping my distance, watching from the back seat. It’s not my shout, of course, but it will obviously have repercussions on my native homeland. Namely, that if the ‘Yes’ campaign wins, we’ll have to bail them out when things go horribly wrong (as they inevitably will) in the next few decades.
With a binary vote and with things being so tight, these tweets from Simon Schama could be worryingly prophetic:
what no-one, understandably, is talking about is how alienated half of Scotland will feel should a yes prevail and their lives change
— Simon Schama (@simon_schama) September 12, 2014
will they rally loyally and accept the slimmest majority as a mandate. Very very unlikely. Massive trouble ahead. — Simon Schama (@simon_schama) September 12, 2014
And while the “other” 50% might also feel alienated if the no vote wins this week, the status quo prevails. Yes, they can be disappointed or annoyed that nothing changes, but nothing changes. If the yes vote wins, everything changes, despite half the population not wanting it to.
Interesting times ahead.