Husband and I have made a bet. Well, not so much a bet, as a guess. He thinks it will be a No vote. I think it will be a Yes. We put percentages on it, but I don't want to say them out loud. Not that it could possibly influence the result, but somehow, it doesn't feel quite right. I'll tell you after the event.
I'm getting up early to vote before taking 10-yo to school, and going to work. No reason to do so, because I could easily vote in the evening. It's just that I know I won't be able to settle to anything all day, until I've voted, so I might as well sacrifice a half-hour in the morning, rather than the whole day.
I hope we stay together, "Better Together", but I think I've also made my peace with the idea that this northern ship will be sailing away on its own, if the Yes vote prevails. I'm not starry-eyed about what that will look like: economic recession, parties fighting, politicians not delivering what they've promised. Why would the politics of Edinburgh be any different to the politics of Westminster, when all is said and done? But I have, in odd minutes, felt myself sprinkled by the occasional splash from the wave of optimism - ill-founded though I believe it to be. Whatever the Yes/No outcome, isn't it time for change of some kind? You'd be a hard person, indeed, if you remained unaffected by the mood of the moment.
If Scotland becomes independent, I will seek to make it a success - for my children and grandchildren. Two of my children have never lived in England, and maybe they never will. Their children may never hold a British passport. I'm grateful for the time I lived in America, because it did prise me away from some deep sense that I never even knew I had, that being English is somehow best. I know I can be at home north or south of whatever kind of border tomorrow's vote forges between the two nations.
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I am betting on a victory for the noes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that expectations have risen way beyond what is realistic.
I am not a nationalist of any sort. I think nationalism divides people, turns them against one another.
Viewing the scene from the US, for me, I think one of the traits that I don't like about the Scots and English is the narrow, inward looking streak that exists. The SNP want to be a new nation, yet there is no foreign policy, everything is focused on the relationship with the English. It is very parochial, almost claustrophobic. All the British nations seem to have this quality to some degree.
Although there has been a political involvement that has obviously been energising, there also seems to be a dark undercurrent to the referendum for me. All the criticism and abuse of journalists - what's that all about? Isn't it reasonable for a BBC journalist to press Alex Salmond for an answer on his economic policies?
Let's hope for a no tomorrow.
It's like everything else that doesn't work in politics - when you vote AGAINST something (in this case UK or England) instead of FOR something, it usually falls flat. Bit like the GOP here making it their goal to thwart Obama, make him a one term president etc. They would have had a lot more success in the second election if they had actually had a manifesto.
DeleteWow Iota - so your two wouldn't be eligible for a British passport through you?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I'm thinking worst case scenario here.
DeleteI missed this post yesterday - it just pinged into my Inbox this evening - a whole day late for some reason. If it's a Yes vote, I wonder whether, as a resident of England now, I will then be British (which my passport says) or Scottish (the land of my birth and growing up).
ReplyDeleteI hope it's a no. Better together indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be a no. Don't worry.
ReplyDelete