What Is an Independent Failure?

The Scottish Independence Referendum means that on March 21, 2013, the British Scottish Government Chief Minister Sammond announced that Scotland will hold an independent referendum on September 18, 2014 to determine whether Scotland is independent of the UK. Sammond announced the date of the referendum in the Scottish Parliament the same day. According to the Scottish Election Commission's recommendation, the question of the referendum is designed as "Should Scotland become an independent country" and the answer option is "Yes / No". "The future of Scotland will be determined by the Scottish people," said Sammond. The Scottish government submitted an independent referendum bill to the Scottish Parliament on the same day, which involved specific arrangements for the referendum, including the date of the referendum and expenditures. The referendum bill needs to be approved by the Scottish Parliament. Because the Scottish National Party, led by Sammond, has the majority in parliament, analysts believe that the bill will definitely be passed.

Scottish Independence Referendum

Scottish Independence Referendum refers to the Chief Minister of the Scottish Government of the United Kingdom on March 21, 2013

Scottish Independence Referendum ^[29]

The days of the Scottish independence referendum are getting closer, and anxiety is spreading in Britain. The British Prime Minister, Cameron, frankly stated that his views on the Scottish independence referendum are "emotional" and "tensed" because this fact is "important". However, Cameron also said that he believes that the people of Scotland will save the United Kingdom and will not vote for independence. Is Cameron's "emotional" and "nervous" redundant? Or is his confidence too blind? It all depends on what historical choices the Scottish people will make. ^[30]

It's no doubt a difficult time for Cameron and the UK as a whole. As the British liberal magazine The Economist wrote, the significance of the United Kingdom lies in the idea of "unification." People and individuals of different historical backgrounds can coexist peacefully, and this diversity of properties perfects their cultural, economic, and political systems. If Britain is divided, it will not only be the self-esteem of the British, but it will also weaken Britain's voice and influence in the international organizations and on the international stage, and the world will suffer. Scotland is so important to Britain that the British certainly cannot afford to take it lightly. ^[30]

And for the Scots, it was a difficult decision.

Scottish Independence Referendum

From an economic perspective, the North Sea Oilfield is the main card for the Scottish National Party, which promotes independence. The North Sea oil field in the Scottish waters has high production and good oil quality, and has so far generated 160 billion pounds for the British government. Salmond, the chief minister of the Scottish government and the leader of the Scottish National Party, said that with only one tenth of the oil and gas resources, about 1 billion pounds, a petroleum fund like Norway can be established and created in a generation. With 30 billion pounds of sovereign wealth, Scotland will become one of the richest countries in the world. But opponents believe that Scotland's future should not be pinned on resources that will be exhausted, and that as oil and gas resources become increasingly difficult to extract, Scotland needs the support of the entire British power. More importantly, as British Prime Minister Cameron said, the UK has a huge domestic market, common currency, common taxation, and common rules, so that there is no obstacle to the flow of goods, investments and people between Scotland and the rest of the UK. 90% of Scotland's financial services customers are from England. In addition, on currency issues, as HSBC Group Chairman Fan Zhilian said, if you choose to be independent and separated from the pound system, Scotland's financial system may be in danger, triggering capital flight, and even endangering Scotland's financial stability. ^[30]

From the perspective of public service, the Scottish National Party s independent white paper released last year clearly promised that if it were to be independent, Scotland would be built into a more democratic, more prosperous and fairer society. In terms of education, the White Paper promises to establish a new education system to eliminate poverty in the UK; in terms of pensions, the White Paper promises to adjust annual pensions, personal care and long-term care services at a higher rate than in England; free of charge in social security On the other hand, the Conservative Party has called off the "universal benefits" measures for forcing the unemployed to return to the labor market, and the housing benefit reduction measures that have been ridiculed as "bedroom taxes." Opponents point out that to build such a Nordic welfare system requires huge public expenditures. But the reality is that Scotland s current public expenditure is already an average of 1,200 pounds higher than the rest of the UK. If you leave the UK, Scotland s budget deficit for 2017 and 2018 will be 2.2 percentage points higher than the UK as a whole. To fill this gap, the Scottish government will have to increase taxes or cut expenditures. ^[30]

From the perspective of international influence, as an independent country, Scotland will have more autonomy and can also

Make your voice heard on the international stage. But on the issue of EU membership, independent Scotland will face challenges. Whether Britain agrees or not, Spain, which also faces separatist forces, will probably not let Scotland pass the border easily. ^[30]

Like a gamble, before the results were announced, everyone was hanging on the line. Whether it was the "emotional" and "tension" of the British, or the conflicts and entanglements of the Scottish people, the dust was settled after half a month. However, for the Scots who have control over the fate of Scotland and Britain, it may not be easy to say "break up". ^[30]

Scotland merged with England primarily for economic reasons: in 1707 Scotland encountered rare unusual weather and a famine. Now, it is also economic incentives to push Scotland out of the central government. Whether Scotland's and England's more than 300 years of political alliance will disintegrate as a result of the referendum is unclear. ^[31]