A 2023 independence referendum needs to be failsafe to prevent a repeat of the Unionist abuse of 2014

The 2014 Referendum

In the Scottish Independence referendum, the voter list included anyone entered on the current electoral roll, over the age of 16,, whose place of residence was in Scotland, regardless of nationality. The usual caveats about Service personnel also applied.

Voter turnout was 84.59%.

The result:

Yes, 1,617,989, 44.70%.

No, 2,001,926, 55.30%

There is an acceptance that a majority of the 240,000 immigrant voters and many voters of Scottish birth and residence had been forced to vote “no” frightened into submission by a Westminster Unionist politically directed campaign of disinformation.

Indeed not long after the referendum Unionists “screamed from the rooftops” fighting each other for media space each claiming it was their disinformation output that had been the most influential in gaining the “no” vote.

But an award went to a covert Civil Service anti-independence team, funded by the Scottish taxpayers who worked out of Downing Street under the guidance of the late Sir Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

Postal Voting

790,000 postal voting forms were issued, completed and returned within the notified time period.

But the novel and as yet unproven voting procedure, heavily promoted by the governing authority, was sullied when, just after voting closed, Ruth Davidson, and other influential supporters of the “no” campaign boasted they had known well before 18 September 2014 that postal votes indicated a win for their campaign.

There was a police investigation into the matter but the findings were never notified to the Scottish public who are still waiting for answers, with the result that many Scot’s believe the outcome of the referendum had been fixed ensuring a win for the “no” campaign.

No Country in History has ever rejected Independence – Until Scotland in 2014

Christian Wright – DYSTOPIA wrote:

“On 18th September 2014, for the first time in the long history of the world, a country committed national suicide in front of a live global audience. The voters of Scotland, a land with a thousand years provenance, and seven centuries a nation, declined to take responsibility for their own governance, and instead, entrusted it to a cabal of elitists from whom they can expect naught but sneering contempt.”

Edinburgh University 2014 Referendum Analysis

The largest study of how Scotland made its historic decision on 18 September 2014 found that the votes of people born outside Scotland were crucial to the result.

52.7 percent of native-born Scots voted Yes.

72.1 percent of voters from England, Wales or Northern Ireland backed the Union.

There were more than 420,000 Britons from elsewhere in the UK living in Scotland when the last census was taken and if they cast their ballots in line with the findings of the Edinburgh University study, more than 300,000 of them will have voted No.

That’s a significant number in a contest that ended with 2,001,926 no votes and 1,617,989 for yes.

Voters born outside the UK also rejected independence, with 57.1 percent voting no.

Political scientist Professor Ailsa Henderson, who wrote the study said it showed the influence of “Britishness” among voters born elsewhere in the UK in deciding the result.

She said: “Scottish-born people were more likely to vote Yes and those born outside Scotland were more likely to vote No. But the least sympathetic to Yes were the people born in the UK, but outside Scotland. We think they are more likely to feel British. They are more likely to feel a continued tie to the UK as a whole – because that’s where they are from.”

How the electorate voted (by place of birth) – [Blue = YES] [Green = NO]

52.7 percent of native-born Scots voted Yes

72.1 percent of voters from England, Wales or Northern Ireland voted No.

There were more than 420,000 Britons from elsewhere in the UK living in Scotland when the last census was taken. And if they cast their ballots in line with the findings of the Edinburgh University study, more than 300,000 of them will have voted No.

How the electorate voted (by sex) – [Blue = YES] [Green = NO]

56.6 percent of women voted No

53.2 percent of men voted Yes.

How the electorate voted (by age) – [Blue = YES] [Green = NO]

62 percent of voters aged 16-19 voted Yes.

A majority of voters aged 20-39 voted Yes.

Voters aged 40-49 were split 50/50.

Voters aged 50-70 or older primarily voted No with the majority increasing by age.

How the electorate voted (by social status) – [Blue = YES] [Green = NO]

Yes had majorities among people who classed themselves as working class, people at the bottom of the earnings scale and people in rented social housing.

The highest earners, homeowners, and people who described themselves as middle class were more likely to vote No.

Recommendations for the next referendum

Westminster will use every trick in the book and many not yet identified to deny Scots an independence referendum free of external influences and the Scottish government will need to be alert to state-sponsored shenanigans. Experience before, during and after the 2014 referendum supports the need for major changes to procedures in any future referendum. To ensure a level playing field the following changes are recommended:

Voting is to be restricted to Scottish income taxpayers whose main place of residence is and has been in Scotland continuously from the beginning of January 2015.

Voting rights are to be extended to persons aged sixteen on the date of the referendum.

Voting papers are to be bar coded and checked for authenticity before counting.

Proxy voting is to be restricted to applicants who are able to provide verifiable justifiable reason. eg infirmity or other qualifying illness.

Completed proxy returns are to be retained, unopened, in secure locations in Scotland possibly under the control of the Scottish Police Force.

Proxy votes are to be delivered to counting officers between 2000-2200 on the day of voting, to be opened from 2200 hours, verified for correctness and counted.

Exit polling at voter venues is to be permitted.

State-funded (Westminster or Scottish governments) production or distribution of literature to households, in the course of the campaign is to be deprecated.

The Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, Scottish public authorities and the UK Government are to strictly observe a 28 day, “pre-vote period” of restriction on publications, (including those which might be published on their behalf, by public media outlets by proxy) relating to the referendum.

A media monitoring panel is to be appointed and authorized to review and instruct amendments to BBC and independent radio and television content before broadcasting. It is to comprise two “Yes”, two “no” supporters and an independent chair and vice-chair, (recruited from The Republic of Ireland and Iceland. The panel’s decisions are final.