A referendum on whether Scotland should become an independent nation, thus breaking away from the United Kingdom, will take place on Thursday, September 18th. The vote is a long time coming as Scotland has been toying with the idea of independence since it first sent 11 members of parliament to Westminster in the 1970s. Were the referendum to be successful, Scotland could expect to be independent from the United Kingdom after a process of negotiations. So what would the Scots gain from such a decision? Ultimately the results would center on economic and political gains for the country. As it stands, Scotland supplies a large amount of oil to the UK and abroad, thus providing it with a profitable economy. Britain, on the other hand, has experienced slow economic growth and a general wage disparity among the masses. Most Scots say that they no longer identify with the idea of ‘being British’ and have therefore given over to the idea of Scottish national independence. While the movement seems to be gaining momentum in Scotland, the rest of the world will have to wait and see what the outcome will be.
For more information about the upcoming referendum, check out the BBC’s interactive article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_8699/index.html
