Scottish Referendum

[whiskeryron]

Does anyone agree with me that denying born Scots the ability to vote because at present they live elsewhere other than in Scotland should be declared illegal ?

[ludwig]

No. Is that's what's happening? Seriously I didn't know, but if that's what's been decided by the people deciding how the vote works, then it seems ok to me.

Why should you get a say in Scotland's future just because you were pushed through a vagina somewhere in Scotland, but subsequently chose to go and live somewhere else.

On the other hand, if independence will affect things like your pension rights etc, then I suppose you should have a say.

[Quizmonster]

Well, whilst I would not normally talk of my beloved mother in such terms, I was "pushed through a vagina somewhere in Scotland" and virtually all of my relatives - sister, son, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, in-laws - still live there. I visit them every year and still feel totally 'Scottish' as well as 'part-British'.
I'd love to have had an opportunity to vote in the referendum. However, WR, have you any concept of the vast administrative task that would have been necessary in order to 'discover' Scottish people still with a 'live' connection to that land, so that they might vote? Given the diaspora of Scots over the generations, the cost would probably have dwarfed the National Debt!
Accordingly, the way it IS being done is probably the only rational way in which it COULD be done.

[ToraToraTora]

no, if the country is not good enough to live in why do you think they should have a say in independence or indeed how it is run at all. Expats should have no rights and no benefits from the nation they choose to leave.

[Peter Pedant]

No Ron it is a land thing - Scotland the area is gonna be independent ( or not ) and not the Scots people.

It is like saying any Jew should be able to vote in Israeli elections.

Altho the Froggies have members of parliament ( that would be the french parliament ) for outre-mer ( overseas )

[anneasquith]

anyone who '' puts up '' with the Scottish weather for any length of time deserves a vote. :)

[ladybirder]

No.

[THECORBYLOON]

" It is like saying any Jew should be able to vote in Israeli elections." not all Israelis are Jewish and not all Jewish folk are Israeli so that is not a valid argument.

[zebo]

Off topic but here goes. If the Yes vote wins, what happens after next year's General election to MPs of Scottish constituencies after Independence? If there's a Labour victory next year, will the MPs for Scottish constituencies lose their seats? In that case, a Labour Government could lose their overall majority at Westminster, what then? Another GE?

[Skyline D]

Absolutely not, no.

I appreciate that is a little unfortunate on those who are temporarily elsewhere and intend to return to spend their lives in Scotland soon but I don't really know how you would find a fair way to include them. I absolutely do not think that Scots born people who have chosen to make their lives elsewhere with no imminent return likely should have any input whatsoever on the country they've left behind.

[THECORBYLOON]

Britons living abroad can vote in a UK election as long as they were registered within the previous fifteen years.

[craft1948]

Sean Connery must be gutted he can't vote.......

[ladybirder]

I know hee hee!

[EDDIE51]

It would never have been allowed to happen as Salmond knows very well it would have resulted in a 'No' landslide with them getting around 95% of the vote. As I said here a day or so ago there are far more people who consider themselves 'Scots' but live outside Scotland than actually live there. Practically it would been almost impossible to arrange as well as massively expensive.
It has all been arranged to suit Salmond's idea as to the way to get the best chance of a 'Yes' vote. Including 16 year olds and foreign students at Scottish Universities in the vote for example..