2014 Scottish independence referendum

2014 Scottish independence referendum
沁水湾 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Country	Scotland
Flag year	2014
Title	Should Scotland be an independent country?
Date	18 September 2014
Yes	1,617,989
No	2,001,926
Total	3,619,915
Electorate	4,283,392
Turnout	84.59%
Mapcaption	Results by council area

2014 Scottish independence referendum. The 2014 Scottish independence referendum was a direct democratic vote held across Scotland on 18 September 2014. The electorate was asked to answer "Yes" or "No" to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" The referendum was authorized by the Edinburgh Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Government of the United Kingdom. The final result saw 55.3% vote against independence, with a record-high turnout of 84.6%.

Background

The drive for a referendum was a key policy of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) following its victory in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. After the SNP won a majority in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, First Minister Alex Salmond and the Scottish Government sought a legal mandate for a vote. The Prime Minister David Cameron and the UK Parliament ultimately granted a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998, temporarily devolving the necessary power. This political process was formalized in the Edinburgh Agreement, signed by Salmond and Cameron in October 2012. The referendum was legislated for by the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013, passed by the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood.

Campaign

The official campaign for independence was led by Yes Scotland, a broad coalition including the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Green Party, and various civic groups. The principal campaign against independence was Better Together, led by Alistair Darling and supported by the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrats. Key debates centered on Scotland's future currency, its membership in the European Union, the future of North Sea oil revenues, and the viability of its public finances. High-profile figures like Gordon Brown and David Cameron campaigned for the union, while Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon led the nationalist effort. A pivotal televised debate between Salmond and Darling was held on STV.

Opinion polling

Throughout the two-year campaign, most opinion polls showed a lead for the "No" side. However, following the second televised debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling in August 2014, several polls from firms like YouGov and Ipsos MORI showed a significant narrowing of the gap, with one survey even putting "Yes" ahead. This surge for the pro-independence side prompted a concerted final effort by the Better Together campaign and a last-minute promise of further devolution, known as "The Vow", published on the front page of the Daily Record and signed by David Cameron, Ed Miliband, and Nick Clegg.

Results

The referendum was held on 18 September 2014. The count was overseen by the Electoral Commission and administered by local authorities across 32 council areas. The final result was announced by Chief Counting Officer Mary Pitcaithly at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, Edinburgh. A total of 2,001,926 votes (55.3%) were cast for "No", and 1,617,989 votes (44.7%) were cast for "Yes". Turnout was a historic 84.6%. Four council areas—Dundee, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire—voted in favor of independence, while areas such as Edinburgh, Aberdeenshire, and the Scottish Borders voted against.

Aftermath

In his concession speech, Alex Salmond stated that he accepted the "verdict of the people" and announced his intention to resign as First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party. The UK Government, led by David Cameron, established the Smith Commission to formulate the promised further devolution of powers, leading to the Scotland Act 2016. The referendum result did not settle the constitutional question, however, as the SNP, under new leader Nicola Sturgeon, saw a massive surge in membership and went on to win 56 of 59 Scottish seats in the 2015 United Kingdom general election. The issue of a potential second referendum has remained a dominant feature of Scottish politics and relations with Westminster ever since.

Category:2014 referendums Category:History of Scotland Category:Scottish independence