So far I haven’t commented in this blog on the current debate in this country about the possible secession from the UK of Scotland. I’ve seen my main purpose in the blog as being to share idea about (or relating to) art. With the referendum actually taking place tomorrow, however, it has become hard to think of anything else, even here in England.
Incidentally, I know that a number of my readers are not from the UK, and I wonder how much coverage of this issue you will have had in your press.
This is a question of enormous interest to me, for several reasons. I have family members and good friends who live in Scotland, and I know that the question of how they ought to vote is of tremendous concern to them. Additionally, however, as the campaign has progressed I have become increasingly aware of how Scottish secession will necessarily have an impact on the rest of the union …. with or without Scotland. The trouble is, the extent of that impact has only become more clear in the last days of the campaign, so that only now are the majority of English people beginning to realise that it is not just a matter for the Scots to decide. We need to face the question of what kind of country we might create either without the Scots, or with a Scotland in which a strong pro-independence movement has only narrowly been defeated.
It will be a narrow decision either way. The opinion polls put the Scottish public as very evenly divided. Thousands of people (for one reason or another) have never voted before, and a large proportion of the electorate will have reasons to be pulled in both directions. For example, the Scottish Nationalists are socially very conservative, and have a terrible record on green issues. Left-wing Scots who otherwise favour independence will need to swallow hard to vote “Yes”.
I too am pulled in contradictory directions in my hopes. I really do think that secession might be a healthy kick in the pants for a very complacent British politics. It might mean that the British government is compelled to abandon its support for nuclear weapons. It would almost certainly result in greater regionalisation of politics. All good things. On the other hand, Scottish secession (and potentially Welsh secession also) could well deliver a semi-permanent parliamentary majority to the Conservatives …. certainly not a good thing! It could make the English even more introverted that they are anyway.
I could go on at great length about this problem, but won’t. It is worth noting, however, that at the back of my mind is the experience of the former Yugoslavia, with which I had a great deal to do in my former career. (My current lively interest in Italy also leads me to realise just how important strong regional differences can be.) I don’t anticipate the kind of genocidal conflict we saw there; but we could face a period of growing intolerance and ethnocentrism, making both sides of the border less agreeable places in which to live. We shall see!