Scottish Referendum: Yes Campaign Takes Lead

[pakdefender]

The Yes campaign has taken the lead ahead of the Scottish Referendum, according to the results of a new poll.

The YouGov survey commissioned by the Sunday Times suggests the Yes campaign now leads by 51% to 49%.

It means the Yes campaign has overturned a 22-point lead for the Better Together campaign within the past month.

The lead is the first for the independence camp registered by YouGov - or by any polling company - since regular polling began in the run-up to the vote.

The results are the latest evidence of a dramatic surge for the Yes camp
Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the poll is a wake-up call for the No campaign.

"If Westminster was complacent about what was going to happen in the Scottish referendum, it's been shocked very rudely out of that relaxation with this poll," she said.

"Only months ago the No campaign was enjoying double-digit leads. Well, there has been this shortening showing in the polls and this ... is the first time that Yes has nosed ahead."

Opposing supporters carry banners in East Kilbride, Scotland
Responding to the poll, Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the results as "exceptionally positive" but added that the Yes campaign "still has a lot of work to do to win".

Better Together leader Alistair Darling said: "The polls may conflict, but the message I take from them is clear.

"If you want Scotland to remain part of the UK family you have to vote for it on 18 September.

"Separation is forever. These polls can and must now serve as a wake-up call to anyone who thought the referendum result was a foregone conclusion.

"It never was. It will go down to the wire. Now is the time to speak up and speak out."

The results came as Gordon Brown made another appeal for a successful No vote.

In an article for the Sunday Mirror, the former Prime Minister described the union as a "living partnership".

The YouGov poll was commissioned by the Sunday Times
"Our union is not out of date or an anachronism or a museum piece but a unique, unparalleled, multinational living partnership that Europe and America cannot match or mirror," he wrote.

"And what our ancestors built up, no nationalist should be allowed to split asunder."

Mr Brown said the referendum battle had been tougher than many people expected, adding that he believed Conservative policies were to blame.

"Why has it been difficult to win Scottish votes in support of this principle of sharing that most Scots hold dear?" he wrote.

"Many are angry that the Bedroom Tax was imposed upon Scots against their will while at the same time the very wealthy received tax cuts.

Voters will decide on independence in the referendum on September 18
"The SNP also claim that the ramifications of any Tory privatisation of the NHS in England will cut budgets in Scotland.

"But English and Welsh people have already given an answer to the SNP claims.

"The answer is that 90% of English people want to keep the NHS public and retain it free at the point of need.

"And the vast majority across the whole UK dislike the Bedroom Tax and would even consider more taxes to make our NHS better."

Mr Brown will appear on Sky's Murnaghan programme from 10am on Sunday

Scottish Referendum: Yes Campaign Takes Lead

Looks like the Scots will be going their own way

and the Queen must be like .........

 

[Aepsilons]

@mike2000 , can you elaborate for us ?

 

[UKBengali]

@Nihonjin1051 :

Here is my view on the situation:

The Scots are different in mentality to the English. Most Scots are left of centre and they would like a country that is more akin to the model as seen in countries like Denmark and Sweden, that mixes private enterprise but with good public services as regards pensions and healthcare.

The English by contrast seem to have drifted to the US model somewhat where the onus of welfare is more on the individual citizen. Low taxes and relatively lower social welfare spending is the system that most English people want.

The card that opponents of independence have been successfully playing till recently is that Scotland cannot maintain the same standard of living if it went independent. The supporters of independence have recently managed to convince many Scots that Scotland can not only maintain its living standards if it gets independence but may even become more prosperous.

Even if Scotland votes no now, the momentum for independence is so great that independence may be inevitable a decade or two down the line.

 

[livingdead]

shit .. never thought this will happen..
scotland plz dont go... plz.plzplz

 

[UKBengali]

shit .. never thought this will happen..
scotland plz dont go... plz.plzplz

Cameron and Osbourne rule is enough to persuade many Scots to go for independence.

 

[livingdead]

Cameron and Osbourne rule is enough to persuade many Scots to go for independence.

if scots go alone.. next will be wales... who will balance right wing England then..

 

[UKBengali]

if scots go alone.. next will be wales... who will balance right wing England then..

Nah - Welsh know that they cannot maintain anything near their standard of living alone.

The rest of the UK massively subsidises the Welsh. Without the UK, they would need to deeply cut public services like pensions, education and healthcare.

 

[DejanSRB]

If Scotland votes for indepedence,it will destroy all leftovers of British power(regional power) and maybe permanent UN seat will be questioned.

 

[UKBengali]

If Scotland votes for indepedence,it will destroy all leftovers of British power(regional power) and maybe permanent UN seat will be questioned.

The remaining UK will just be England with 5 million Welsh and Northern Irish who will be a permanent drain on the English taxpayer.

Both Scottish(Blair and Brown) and English(Cameron and Osbourne) politicians will be to blame if Scotland becomes independent

 

[Green Arrow]

It is going to be very close referendum . Chances of Scottish independence is looking quite high.

 

[DejanSRB]

The remaining UK will just be England with 5 million Welsh and Northern Irish who will be a permanent drain on the English taxpayer.

Both Scottish(Blair and Brown) and English(Cameron and Osbourne) politicians will be to blame if Scotland becomes independent

Yeah I know about it.
But do you remember when Russians and Chinese call UK "ex great power".

Next day Cameroon appears on TV and he says "We still have ability to project its power regionally,and globally with US help".
It will be so hard for him to meet English people with reality.That UK without Scotland would be on the Italy level of power,and it will close doors to "equal talks with Germany and other European and World powers"

 

[Green Arrow]

if scots go alone.. next will be wales... who will balance right wing England then..[/
Wales is highly dependent on England money. Chances of Wales go independent is zero.

 

[UKBengali]

Yeah I know about it.
But do you remember when Russians and Chinese call UK "ex great power".

Next day Cameroon appears on TV and he says "We still have ability to project its power regionally,and globally with US help".
It will be so hard for him to meet English people with reality.That UK without Scotland would be on the Italy level of power,and it will close doors to "equal talks with Germany and other European and World powers"

The UK has been so badly run over the last 20 years that it could even end up destroying the Union.

It is so corrupt right from the top to bottom that very little hope is left for it anymore.

 

[livingdead]

The UK has been so badly run over the last 20 years that it could even end up destroying the Union.

It is so corrupt right from the top to bottom that very little hope is left for it anymore.

badly run? really? Compared to which country?
the independence is due to emotions not for better governance...

 

[UKBengali]

badly run? really? Compared to which country?
the independence is due to emotions not for better governance...

Not comparing to any other country but there is a pervasive corruption that runs deep here. One of the reasons that the economy is such a mess despite the housing boom and other dodgy tactics that are showing an "economic boom" when in reality there is not much actual real growth that is sustainable.

Scots will vote for independence to get rid of Tory right-wing politics for good. Yes there is emotions also but a better run UK would have meant that the SNP would have no chance of breaking up the UK.