General Chat

Prime Minister David Cameron will not stand down if Scotland votes to go independent. Speaking to reporters during a visit in Fleet, Hampshire, he said he would leave it to voters at next year's general election to decide his future.

He said: "My name is not on the ballot paper. What's on the ballot paper is 'does Scotland want to stay in the United Kingdom, or does Scotland want to separate itself from the United Kingdom?'.

"That's the only question that will be decided on Thursday night. The question about my future will be decided at the British general election coming soon."

I wonder if he will have to eat those words - do you think David Cameron will be forced to resign as Prime Minister if Scotland votes "Yes" for independence?

I would add that as a Scot born in Scotland in 1943, raised in Scotland, and who lived in Scotland until I moved to England in 1988 - I support the "No Campaign"

I think he will find things difficult. He's maybe regretting that he didn't allow the 'devo max' option on the ballot papers and went down the 'all or nothing' route, thinking that the NO vote would be certain. The latest trips up north by the 3 Amigos smack of desperation, but I think they could do little else - would have looked worse if they had sat on their behinds back at Westminster. Unfortunately it is hard to make the NO campaign sound really positive :-)

some of my Scottish friends are voting yes and some no

I wish them all well and hope what ever they decide
I hope its the right thing for them

SheilaWestWilts - the reason I asked the question was that I think it was a serious error of judgement by Westminster and David Cameron not to include the devo-max option on the referendum ballot paper.

Although Westminster has already devolved many powers to the Scottish Parliament, I think I am correct in saying that Westminster retains the powers to decide upon: benefits, social security, immigration, defence, foreign policy, employment, broadcasting, trade and industry, nuclear energy, oil, coal, gas and electricity, consumer rights, data protection, and the Constitution.

If David Cameron and Westminster, offered the option of devo-max (maximum devolution) as a choice on the referendum ballot slip, this would have seen the Scottish Parliament given control of most powers currently retained by Westminster - well except defence and foreign affairs which Westminster would retain.

I hope I am wrong but I agree that the dash North and the peace offerings by the 3 Amigos do smack of desperation, I fear it may be - too little too late :-(

Three Amigos??? More like the three Stooges.

Why should he stand down with a yes vote? Tory mps passed the referendum bill which has a clause that both sides must respect the result. Thus Tory mps have no basis to dump DC. Otoh the 3 leaders are on very thin ice with the recent DevoMax pledge which is a curate's egg. Getting it through parliament may be so contentious that rUk may be better off with a yes vote. My Scottish rellies in Dundee and Galloway are voting NO those in Glasgow yes. Imho a yes vote suggests the voter prefers Braveheart to Adam Smith. An independent Scotland would be nothing of the kind. If the vote is yes many English people will wake up on Friday to discover that one or both of their parents is a non Eu foreigner. Curious.

JoyBoroAngel - I have quite a large family up in Fife and quite a lot of friends, most are from the old coal mining areas, and the majority are voting "Yes" :-(

Merlin - I could not possibly put my description of those 3 Amigos/3 Stooges on here ;-)

I was on holiday, but I saw the news clips with everyone dashing up here.
They were being followed by the Glasgow guy on a rickshaw blasting The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from a boom box !

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/pro-independence-rickshaw-rider-taunts-labour-party-members-with-star-wars-imperial-march-down-glasgow-high-street-4866053/

Only now I'm having doubts. :-S :-S :-S
My head has always firmly said NO... but my heart wants to say YES?
Is this because I think I will be fighting a losing battle?

In a household of 5, we already have one decided YES voter.

As to why should he stand down with a yes vote, two thoughts come to find, firstly the old maxim - the buck stops here, secondly the almighty chaos, administratively & constitutionally, that will ensue from granting devo-max to Scotland if they vote No.

The Scottish electorate did not vote David Cameron into office
More Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo and all that malarky.

However, I'm not certain what would ensue in the event of a NO vote.
As G007 asks: Who would replace him?
It's one reason why my heart wants to say Yes... :-S :-S :-S

( I'm still gonnae vote NAW)

Labour and the LibDems are chiefly responsible for the ill thought DevoMax pledge drafted by Gordon Brown no less. Milliband is one if those insider politicians who haven't got a clue when it comes to reality just like Hollande in France. DevoMax cannot be got through the current parliament. Salmond has to be right about something. GE 2015 the Tories will use it to hold Milliband & Cleggs toes to the fire and turn a probable defeat into a win. Whatever way the vote goes it is going to take awful lot of kindness cup to repair Scottish relations with the redt of the Uk. Some large companies will be moving D south whatever they cannot afford the risk and uncertainty.

GH - as to what would happen if David Cameron resigned and who would replace him, is not an easy question to answer.

David Cameron heads up a coalition government, his resignation could take the whole issue into uncharted waters, and the answer would depend on how events unfolded.

I am still wondering what Alex Salmond's position will be if it is a "NO" vote-sfter all he started all this !

Wee eck will be fine with a no vote devomax is what he wanted in the first place. It is brave Dave who insisted on yes/no question. Contrast with Eu referendum where Dave is determined that exit will not be an option. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

ElizabethK - if it is a No Vote I think there should be an immediate general election called in Scotland to elect a new Scottish government, the voters in Scotland should use their common sense and consign, Alex Salmond and his cronies, to the dustbin of history :-D

I am a Scot, albeit I live in England now, and I support the No Vote, alas no one knows how the vote will go, it is being estimated that the turnout for the referendum could be as high as 80% to 85%, with many young people voting for the first time in this referendum, so the current polls may be way of course with their predictions, the pollsters are dealing with an unknown quantity - they have no similar election models to assist them with their calculations :-(

Presumably a yes vote will mean immediate resignation of all Scotish MP's from Westminster.

The result will be a landslide victory for the Conservatives at the next election with Labour and LibDems pushed out for many years to come.

"Who would take David Cameron's place though ?" - GH (13:14)
Nigel Farage perhaps ? :-D

I noticed something over the last few days in my area of Lanarkshire

Many people are showing their voting intentions visually.
They are displaying car and window stickers, wearing slogan T shirts and are flying flags and banners from their cars, homes and gardens

It's all Saltires and YES/AYE stuff.
To be honest, I have only seen one "No Thanks" sticker, and that was weeks ago, on a car.
Even the electoral posters produced by the Better Together Campaign which are attached to lamp posts etc, seem much smaller than the YES ones!

During the last Quebec campaign the public face of the "oui" campaign suggested a runaway win for independence. The nons won. In Scotland as well many many people intending to vote no will have declared dk and chosen not to display signs. The polling has been 100% phone/online which will skew against older people. Given the high turn out expected and the one off nature of the vote means that the range of polling statistical error is far greater than most people realise.
The yes campaign looks increasingly like the vast enthusiasm for Scottish rugby and football teams which always comes to naught.

InspectorGreenPen - at this precise moment in time, the 2015 general election would take place as normal, the reason being, that until the actual date in 2016 that Scotland becomes an independent sovereign nation, constitutionally the people of Scotland must be represented at Westminster. so in the 2015 general election. Scotland will elect MPs to Westminster and they will represent Scotland until the date of independence.

Having said that, there are various reports doing the rounds, some think the 2015 general election could be delayed until the date in 2016 that Scotland becomes an independent sovereign nation, others predict if the general election in May 2015 goes ahead, this could cause a constitutional crisis, because many MP's are threatening to revolt over whether Scottish MPs, representing a country that would soon be an independent sovereign nation, should still be able to vote on reserved matters, following a Yes Vote.