14 September 2014

Is it all over?


An opinion poll in The Observer has the No campaign ahead by 53% to 47% (excluding don't knows).

If that proves to be the result, it may be significantly less than the Yes campaign would have wished for.  But the nationalists can console themselves with the thought that they had the UK authorities seriously worried for a while and that support for independence turned out to be far greater than many people thought when the referendum was first agreed.  They may also prepare themselves for another go at the question in a few years time when (with experience of dealing with devo plus) they will be better able to address the big questions of the currency and EU membership.

Meanwhile the UK parties have to implement their promises of devo-plus.  I would not describe it as devo-max because it is not entirely clear what they have signed up to, particularly but not exclusively in relation to English devolution.  Nevertheless, something will have to be done, not least because unfulfilled promises would lead to a refusal on the part of the electorate to ever believe them again and to a hastening of another independence referendum.  Some of their backbenchers, however, in all parties, may be less than happy about increasing the influence of non-Westminster institutions with the inevitable reduction of powers for the UK Parliament.

But I am skipping ahead of myself.  Let us see what Friday morning brings.

   

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