One thing I have come to enjoy during my time in England is the free newspapers that are handed out morning and evening at every tube station. In contrast to the dwindling culture of reading hard copies of books and print newspapers in the United States, both are clearly thriving in London. This "reading culture" is perpetuated by the necessity of public transportation in the city. It is not unusual to board the rush hour train and see every Londoner on the train engrossed in a text or paper. I have found that I have become much more informed on British culture, economics, and politics as a result of just picking up a paper once a day.
One topic that has almost always appeared in the news over the past few months is the upcoming Scottish independence referendum. The actual vote won't take place until September 18, but the debates on both sides are already heated. I have heard opinions and reactions from overheard tube conversations, over dinner with English friends, and throughout my visits around England and to Edinburgh.
As the situation currently stands, there is clearly a divide even within the United Kingdom, one that is cultural and societal, if not politically defined. Wales, Scotland, and England, all of which compose Britain, are drastically varied. They have differing needs on immigration policies, defense, and economic structure, which some argue would be better addressed through completely independent government structures. Others argue that smaller and less financially stable Scotland benefits from its ties to Westminster. Scotland’s parliament already controls many aspects of their education and health systems, which many residents view as positive and thriving aspects of their society, whereas the taxing still comes from Westminster. One of the largest points of argument in the referendum debate is the issue of currency. As the pound is the official currency of the United Kingdom, it seems likely that an independent Scotland would discontinue use of the pound. Scotland’s likely next move would be to join the European Union and adopt the euro as its official currency, which would in turn affect the makeup of the EU.
It is difficult to say whether the referendum will pass, but various polling techniques have revealed that support for independence has fluctuated between 25 and 35 percent over the past few years. There are prominent political parties on both sides of the debate, and each side has a widely publicized official campaign.
If Scotland votes for independence, the implications of this action are huge. Scotland will receive autonomy in political structure, which will likely lead to changes. Economically, Scotland would likely discontinue use of the pound. Experts suggest that the country would aim to join the EU and adopt the euro. Liquidity of the pound would shrink, and the currency would become less significant, while Scotland's relative stability would only strengthen the euro. Additionally, Britain will shrink by a few million people, which will change the demographics of the union and the politics at Westminster.
If this referendum goes through, is Wales next to demand independence? Not likely. Wales is a province, as opposed to an established country like Scotland. The economy of Wales is too small and weak to make the idea fiscally feasible, and many of the Welsh people identify strongly with the union. Those opposed to remaining in the United Kingdom are generally traditional Welsh speakers, who would like to maintain their unique and separate heritage. There is a small political party supporting Welsh independence, called Plaid Cymru, but the group is largely unsupported even in Wales, with only 11 out of 60 seats in the Assembly.
If the people of Scotland vote for independence, they will aim for mid-2016 full independence from the union and a full transfer of power from Westminster. Contentious issues such as the currency, division of the national debt, and Britain’s hand-off of Scotland’s defense would need to be dealt with. If the people vote against independence, the issue will likely be put to rest, at least for the foreseeable future. However, other options, such as greater fiscal responsibility in the hands of the Scottish parliament, are currently being explored by parties favoring maintaining the union and could become the next debate for Scotland.