My mother's comment yesterday (parents are English but have live on Skye for thirty years): "I'm not voting for anyone who looks like a toad."

Wasn't the Edinburgh trams fiasco courtesy of Edinburgh council, which appears to be made up primarily of Labour, SNP and Tory councillors (I have a feeling it was more Labour when the original decision was made)?


It's funny that some 'commentators' call Yes voters immature when at the same time plenty of No voters won't vote for Salmond because he looks a bit odd.
Voting (or not) for someone because of how they look isn't a good basis for making such a serious decision, especially when the person in question is already quite old or could easily go under a bus/have a heart attack/some other misfortune tomorrow.

To be fair, I don't think his appearance is my parents' *only* reason for voting to stay as part of the UK.

Are his looks a matter of concern in the polls? I haven't seen anything suggesting so.

With a bit of makeup on, he looks perfectly normal

It seems that the independent minded people world over are winning support for their argument. People do seem more self interest focussed today and fall for all the go it alone propoganda. I feel the people of Scotland will probably follow the trend and vote for the same.

People in England really need to accept that many of them are voting to get away from Europe and giving support to single issue parties like UKIP.

The only real difference is that the Scots are looking to the left whilst the rest of the UK is looking to the right.

I think that if the Scots do leave the move of the rest of the UK to the right could force further fractures.

There was a really interesting piece of R4 last night. A prof from Edinburgh university had done a study on social attitudes in England, Scotland and Wales. There were two really interesting findings:
1. There was remarkably little difference between the 3 on these attitudes.
2. When asked both the Scots and Welsh thought that they were very different from the English on these same attitudes (despite there being almost no difference in reality)

I think this is really telling in the debate. The prof said that this resulted in the Scots being offered policies for the people they thought they were rather than who they actually are.

Unless I misunderstood the SNP line, aren't they pro Europe?

I'm reading & hearing practically on a daily basis some professor, expert or other, about the good & bad or indifferent for both the yes or no's in equal measures. Stating the obvious if you asked practically anyone in the UK what would they want from their government in not a lot of words, back would come the reply.. a fair deal for all.

Indeed a bit obvious & simplistic. Now, your average person on the street in Scotland has been given a chance to make a change (or not) as they see it. It really is as simple as that. Again I'm simplifying things, but that's how some are seeing this.

The don't knows will indeed hold the key as I see it.The 16&17 year olds are another key holder, Salmon ain't daft.

There is far more to this than most realise, but I'm on the street & in my neck of the woods some view this as an English government against Scotland's way of life.

This is just what I come across from time to time on the corridors that I tramp.

The latest "panic" concessions have at last been wheeled out. Although I've cast myself as a no-change voter I think it's appalling behaviour by the Westminster government to handle this issue hitherto in such a cavalier way.

Now Gordon Brown, a back-bencher, is coming into the fray to apparently con Scots folk that he is going to become lovey-dovey with his hated opposition parties - that'll be the day!

I do have a lot of sympathy with a country that simply isn't given the respect it deserves having lived in one and experienced another and this is exactly the sort of fuel the Yes voters will thrive on.

The economic question is the crunch one and since no-one can agree about the treasure trove or lack of one underneath the North Sea or how economical it is to extract it - not helped by the conspiracy theories of hushing up - we are still not armed with proper substance for a vote which is fast becoming an emotional issue.

We had lunch with some dear friends at the weekend who are English but have lived up here for probably half their lives and I was dismayed at the perceived attitude that Scots were in some way less able.

I feel that the way the Westminster politicians have behaved over the last few days it will have the effect of persuading no voters to vote yes! It has come across as patronising and smug, and these "gifts" should have been proffered years ago if they were sincerely meant.

Snap!

You mean now offering "Devo-Max", which the SNP wanted on the ballot paper from day one, but the powers in Westminster refused to sanction......?

If ever there was a way of how NOT to persuade the people of Scotland to stay in the Union, I think we are living through it.

Presumably, if they Scots do vote YES, Cameron will be bundled into a van by Tory central office and shot through the head in a dark alley....his corpse left among the bins.

So it's not all bad.

All looks a bit fishy to me. I think Tory Central Office will be taking Cameron to a private Mayfair club and fêting him to the highest. The cunning plan to enrage the Scots with a patronising gesture of the worst kind will guarantee a yes vote - and Tory rule of England for the foreseeable future...

Probably.

Or the other option is that the Eurosceptic right depart en-masse to UKIP, or a rebranded Tories, the left of centre Tories defect to a reborn SDP with the rump of the wiberwals, and Labour return to their leftist roots.

And there will have to be a devo-max option to Wales, Norn Iron and probably the regions apart from the Home Counties.

Whatever, these are very interesting times for British/English politics.

It's showing the real faces, thoughts and attitudes of our government. It shows just how weak, narrow minded and crap they are! Proper politicians would have a proper weighted debate with real numbers and facts and plans for the result of A,B, C etc.
This lot are fire fighting, trying to piss on a burning building, which is not only useless but pretty annoying for the buildings owners.

It's a sham of a mockery of a mockery of a sham.

You won't get far in a political party if you are principles any more.

The only way to get anywhere if a PPE degree, an internship with an MP or as a researcher, a couple of years in a think tank, another as a SPAD, then via a shot at a seat, the safeness decided by the amount of sexual favours you are willing to do for the Party Hierachy.

Still, at least they aren't out of touch with "hard-working families"...

The No campaign has tried relying on common sense appealing to people's heads and wallets. This was a mistake. The Yes campaign are selling nothing more than a dream and writing blank cheques because no-one can or will hold them accountable. The No campaign struggles to match it.

I don't think the Welsh are strong enough to go it alone, but I think the Scottish are if the vote goes that way.

The Welsh have an Assembly that make some of their own decisions, such as free prescriptions, the 5p carrier bag charge, etc., but other than that, I think we're grateful for the Government back up should we need it.

There's a strong divide between South and North Wales and if we were to vote to break away from the rest of the Uk, it would spell disaster for North Wales, as all the money is/will be spent in South Wales

I think Scotland is a stronger country and if the vote is a Yes vote, then I'm sure they will survive and will do well

I worry about the Highlands in an independent Scotland. As I think I've said before, even in the UK, the Highlands struggles to attract the skills needed for business and public services (doctors, police and teachers to name a few). I certainly wouldn't have moved up here if Scotland had been an independent country and, at the moment, I have no clue if I'll stay - it seems a big risk. If I left, so would my wife (a teacher). I'd sell my house (god knows who to) and take the income we spend in the local economy. I can think of quite a few people in exactly the same situation as me.

One of my lads years ago was explaining what a "choockta" (no idea on spelling) is. Apparently it's an English lackey with a Scots accent. Or to us English a Lowlander.

Whoever it was has no idea what they're talking about. A "teuchter" is a Lowland Scots word for a Highlander, now commonly used to mean a countryside dweller, what the English would call a yokel.

Keeping directly out of the debate with a Glaswegian Father-in-Law...... Its up to the Scots really. Would the Union Jack be changed though with a YES vote?

The Union flag and jack would need to change, would that impact other flags of the common wealth who display the union flag as part of their flag?

Would give the Aussies and Kiwis the opportunity to drop the Union flag from their national flag.

As for the Independence issue, I have no feelings either way. If they vote to go, then all the best and thanks for everything. If they vote to remain in the Union then I think devo-max should be introduced asap.

So 30+ Scottish MPs are Labour or Labour (Co-op) whatever that means, to 1 Conservative.

Not so sure devolution will be a bad thing after all.

Blimey, RK, you've really been keeping your finger on the pulse of this one, haven't you...?!

Anyone would think that the No campaign doesn't want to win the vote, or is that the whole point?

I'm not sure what will happen to the SNP with a Yes vote - it kinda loses its USP.

Senior guy at Raigmore hospital (Highland hospital) predicting a crisis of recruitment with a Yes vote.

I'm still not sure who will become a citizen of this new state either. I've lived here nearly 10 years: does that qualify me? I assume I'll be allowed to have a non-Scottish passport. Can I decide who keeps my pension?

Sorry if it has already been raised, but what will UKIP call themselves following a yes vote? LUKIP for instance?
Less United!