Scotland voted against splitting from the United Kingdom in a historic referendum that could have granted the country independence.
55.3 percent of voters, just over two million, voted no to independence, while 44.7 percent, 1.6 million, voted yes.
The referendum inspired a voter turnout of 85 percent and fervent debate between Scots who wanted independence and those who were nervous about its implications.
The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland. Scotland has been part of the U.K. since 1707, when it joined with England and Wales to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. Ireland joined the coalition of nations in 1801, but most of the country later split to form the Republic of Ireland in 1922, leaving Northern Ireland in the U.K.
Scots have a strong national identity, which led to a call for greater autonomy in the late 20th century. Scotland established its own parliament in Edinburgh in 1999 to govern areas including health, education and transportation, among others.
Scottish independence would have had a drastic effect on its economic and trading infrastructure. It also would have affected its currency—England’s political leaders said it would have been impossible for Scots to continue using the British pound.
United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron also made an emotional appeal prior to the vote, pleading with Scottish voters to remain in Great Britain. “Let the message be this: We want you to stay,” Cameron said in February.
The voting age for this referendum was lowered from 18 to 16, and any citizen of the European Union living in Scotland could vote. It inspired civic engagement among younger voters, many of whom participated in an election for the first time.
Both sides agree that another vote for independence is not likely to happen soon.
Warm up questions
-
Where is the United Kingdom? What four countries make up the United Kingdom?
-
Why might a country or a population within a country wish to become independent?
Critical thinking questions
-
Although we know that Scottish voters chose not to split from the United Kingdom, imagine what might have happened if they had voted for independence. What do you think would have been the benefits and the risks of choosing that path?
-
The voting age was lowered to 16 for this referendum. Why do you think this happened? Which way do you think the younger Scots voted? Explain your answer. Imagine that you were a Scottish citizen of voting age, which way would you have voted?
-
In this specific situation a referendum was used to decide whether Scotland would become independent of the United Kingdom, but this is not always the case. Think about history, and give examples of other ways that countries have become independent. What were the processes? Do you think one method is better than others? Explain your answer.
