Yes campaigners holding Scottish flags gather for a rally in Glasgow on Wednesday. Paul Hackett / Reuters
Yes campaigners holding Scottish flags gather for a rally in Glasgow on Wednesday. Paul Hackett / Reuters

Scotland decides: independence day or part of the union?



GLASGOW // The Union Jacks flying from the balconies of Edinburgh’s grand New Town declare that it’s possible to be proudly Scottish and British. Around the fields of the Scotland’s border region, huge purple No Thanks signs have sprouted up beside the crops while in Glasgow and Dundee, the working class cities, Yes has won the windows.

What neither side is prepared to concede, however, is ownership of nationality. Both camps identify themselves as ferociously Scottish and say their voting intentions are based on a desire for the best for the nation.

For those unfamiliar with the UK’s political landscape, the alliances thrown up by the referendum are enough to bring on a migraine. Those in favour of independence are the Scottish National Party (SNP), in power at the devolved Scottish parliament since 2011. They are joined in a broad-based coalition with the Green Party, various independent-minded Labour politicians and, crucially, a groundswell of non-affiliated people of all ages and from across the political spectrum.

For the SNP the clue is in the name: independence has been the raison d’être since its formation in 1934. Others have come to Yes from very different positions. Many on the left are openly suspicious of nationalism. They are social democrats, disillusioned by the deindustrialisation of Scotland over the last 30 years, alienated by the austerity agenda instigated by the Conservative government in Westminster in response to fiscal mismanagement by the previous Labour administration. None of the mainstream parties are offering them the type of Scotland they want to live in; the referendum offers an opportunity to set this up, possibly along the Scandinavian model, for themselves.

The No campaign, officially called Better Together, is a different kind of coalition. Fronted by Alistair Darling, chancellor of the exchequer in the last Labour government, it is a marriage of convenience of Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats, backed by deep-pocketed Harry Potter author J K Rowling, HSBC chairman Douglas Flint and oil trader Ian Taylor. It also has high-profile support outwith Scotland: the footballer David Beckham, comedian Eddie Izzard, pop star-turned-campaigner Bob Geldof.

Many Scots who live south of the border are enraged that they have no say in the constitutional future of the country with which they still strongly identify: only people who are resident in Scotland are eligible to vote. There is more to being Scottish than having a particular postcode.

But last-minute joint interventions from the three main political parties, pledging further powers for Scotland in the event of a No vote, congregating in London to love-bomb Scots into staying in the union, have added to the impression that the establishment is panicking. Nothing makes an underdog nation such as Scotland, the UK’s truculent younger sibling with a permanent chip on its shoulder, want something more than the grown-ups saying that it’s strictly forbidden.

Yes voters, whether nationalists or not, argue that the country, which always supports Labour in UK elections, has had a raw deal from a succession of governments for which it did not vote. (There is even a strand of Scottish Conservatives who are convinced that independence will revitalise the party, currently reduced to a rump.) A free Scotland per se is not the heart’s desire of many of those who will vote Yes on Thursday. They want to live in a country that is not ruled from 600 kilometres south, in an economy that is not skewed towards the housing boom and investment banker culture of London. This is a hard point for the No campaign to refute. On a televised debate, Alistair Darling was floored when a young woman asked him: if we are better together, why are we not better together now?

Yet, in the event of a Yes vote, the rest of the world may well ask what all the fuss was about. An independent Scotland will look almost identical to the Scotland that was part of the UK. The queen will still be head of state. English will still be the national language and sterling the national currency, in the short term at least. The Trident nuclear submarines currently based at Faslane on the River Clyde will not be loaded on to flatbed trucks and driven south to England on Friday morning. And while Labour leader Ed Miliband has raised the prospect of border guards, they are unlikely to be deployed immediately.

The job of persuading the Bank of England to enter into a currency union and talking the EU into accepting Scotland as a full member will fall to the SNP government, in power until 2016. Its leader, Alex Salmond, is currently the head of the devolved Scottish government and would become the leader of the new nation state.

Famous for looking smug, if the vote goes in his favour, he will have much to be smug about. Scotland has oil reserves, plus thriving whisky, tourism, biotechnology and gaming sectors. It is in a strategically important position – facing the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Seas, also known as Western Europe’s backdoor – when it’s time to talk about defence. One of Yes’s key campaign claims is that an independent Scotland would be the 14th-richest country in the world, better off than France, China and the rest of the UK.

How will Mr Salmond, an astute politician who nevertheless uses mysterious phrases such as “hee haw” (it means “nothing”), guffaws at inappropriate moments and is seen by many of his own electorate as bumptious, bullying and borderline obnoxious, fare on the global stage? They might just be about to find out.

foreign.desk@thenational.ae

ABU DHABI CARD

5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m​​​​​​​
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Match info

Deccan Gladiators 87-8

Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16

Maratha Arabians 89-2

Chadwick Walton 51 not out

Arabians won the final by eight wickets

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray 

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

MATCH INFO

Day 2 at Mount Maunganui

England 353

Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88

New Zealand 144-4

Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Cracks in the Wall

Ben White, Pluto Press 

Company%20profile
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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  • Duration: Can linger for days
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THE SPECS

BMW X7 xDrive 50i

Engine: 4.4-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission

Power: 462hp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh600,000

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

THREE
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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Series result

1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets

2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets

4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets

5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets

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UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Price: From Dh801,800
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances