Independence, Nay

By Freddy Gray,

Where does Scotland think it’s going?

Great Britain could soon be finished. If, in the referendum this September, a majority of Scots answers “yes” to the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?” the Act of Union (1707) will be dissolved, a veil will be drawn over three centuries of shared history, and one of the most potent nation states ever to have existed will come to an end. The Union Jack, our flag, will have to be redrawn. The country will have to be renamed.This should be a big deal, and not only for the Scots. Yet here in the south of England, apathy reigns. Studies suggest that 60 percent of the English would prefer Scotland to remain part of the UK. Ask a Londoner, however, or someone in Suffolk or Kent, and you’ll probably just get a shrug, or maybe a hesitant guess that the Scots won’t go through with it—and that if they do, well, we might be better off without them.

The commonly held view that the Scots, being a cautious lot, will not dare take the fateful plunge could be wishful thinking. Yes, in the polls, a consistently solid majority seems to oppose independence … 52% – 37%. But the polls tighten as the momentous day approaches.

It’s no coincidence that Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister and the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), pushed for the independence referendum to be held this year. 2014 is the 700th anniversary of Scotland’s greatest victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. (That’s the final scene of Braveheart.)

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