Andrew Goddard writes at Fulcrum:
The result of Scotland’s Independence Referendum on Thursday still looks too close to call. On Friday we will know and, whatever happens, things cannot and should not ever be the same again for Scotland or the rest of the United Kingdom. Whatever the outcome, three major challenges are already obvious.
First, whichever way Scotland as a whole votes, there are going to be many people who, following the result, will be disappointed, deeply upset, perhaps angry and bitter. We need to be thankful that, unlike so many places in the world – Ukraine, Sudan, former Yugoslavia – questions about national identity and structures of governance have been addressed here peacefully and with agreement as to the democratic processes which will determine the outcome. The recent death of Ian Paisley is a stark reminder that even in the British Isles in the recent past such questions have led to major conflict and violence. It seems, however, that the Scottish people are split almost down the middle on whether the best way forward for Scotland is within the UK or not.
Image: Canongate Kirk by Charles Klegg, via Flickr
