Scotland decides

By tomorrow morning we should know if Scotland is to leave the UK or stay as part of the union it has belonged to for 307 years.

Although I hope people there stay in the UK, it is their decision. If they leave, I suspect it will prove hard.  Most results won't be known before breakfast, so I won't be glued to the TV overnight, fun though it might be. Breakfast TV will have all the results probably.

We have some affinity with Scotland. One of my sons was at university in Glasgow for 4 years and then worked there for a year.

Scottish Referendum

The vote tomorrow in which Scotland will decide if it is to leave the UK will be a close call according to the experts. Whatever the outcome, we have to respect the views expressed.

At the moment it looks like the "yes" vote i.e. Scotland votes to leave the UK, may just win. If it does, I suspect that Scotland will find it gets quite hard quite soon.

Personally, I agree with Mr Salmond on Trident: it is a total waste of money and Scotland will be better without it. Mind you, the vote is very important for far more reasons than this. I urge all Scots to think carefully.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29235191 .

 Apparently the .scot domain name will soon be available.  See http://www.lcn.com/dotscot?utm_campaign=dotscotlaunchfb&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=CAsidebar .

UPDATE 1625z:  There are a lot of people in the "don't know" or "undecided" category. A lot will depend on these votes. It could go either way. The latest opinion polls show a narrow lead to the "no" campaign, but there are lots of undecided voters who could swing the result either way.

Scotland independence vote

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29096458 .  The outcome on the vote in Scotland on independence is anyone's guess. What I do know is that the people of Scotland will find it quite hard in the years ahead. There would be many challenges, but ultimately it is their decision.

Personally I hope they vote to stay in the United Kingdom but either way won't matter too much. England and Wales would be fine whatever the outcome.

Darling and Salmon go head-to-head on TV

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-28929057 .

I have no strong opinions on an independent Scotland: it is up to the Scottish people to decide, although I think an independent nation will present all sorts of challenges in the years ahead. They would have the benefit of low energy costs (mainly hydro when the oil runs out) but they will face currency difficulties and their wealth creation sector is small. Tonight's debate could be crucial to sway voters still undecided. An independent Scotland would not be a disaster for England, although such an outcome is likely to leave Scotland much weaker in the end.