Professional Documents
Culture Documents
uk
S
cottish voters have rejected
independence by 55 percent to 45
percent. But they gave the British
ruling class the fright of its lifeand
Scotland will never be the same again.
Te genie is out of the bottle, and
there is a new movement that can
change Scotlandand help inspire
people across England and Wales too.
Tis was the highest turnout ever for a
British vote. People have proved they are
not apathetic.
Tey go to the polls when they feel
they have a choice and their vote makes
a dierence. People suddenly felt politics
was for them. Tey came to meetings,
argued and campaigned.
Marvels
Te Yes movement achieved marvels.
All the main parties except the Scottish
National Party (SNP) organised Project
Fear to win a No vote. Te vast majority
of the mediaand in particular the
BBCrubbished independence.
Big business, bankers and billionaires
unleashed a campaign of threats to jobs
and pensions in an eort to stop a Yes
vote.
Te Tory, Labour and Lib Dem
leaders were forced to promise new
powers for the Scottish government and
upheaval in the British constitution. Te
Tories need to be held to the promises
they made and not allowed to renege on
them.
Over 100 Labour MPs were sent
to argue for No, and Gordon Brown
wheeled out to persuade Labour
supporters that it was right to reject
change.
Yet still 45 percentover 1.5 million
peoplevoted Yes. It was much more
than a nationalist vote.
Te areas of the highest Yes vote
follow the map of unemployment and
social deprivation. It was a vote for a
dierent Scotland, and a judgment on
Labour.
Labour has saved the British state.
But it has lost tens of thousands of its
usual supporters.
Yes
campaign has
created a new movement