‘No’ voters ‘betrayed’ Scotland

‘No’ voters ‘betrayed’ Scotland


Anton McNulty

No voters in the Scottish Independence referendum have betrayed their country and they should rename the country ‘North England’ according to a Scottish man living in Mayo.
The Scottish Independence referendum campaign was one of the most intriguing and emotionally charged elections in many years with the No side eventually emerging victorious by 55 percent to 45 and so keeping the 307 year Union intact.
While Scottish people living outside Scotland could not vote it did not stop them from engaging in the independence debate. Mick Wallace who has lived in Mulranny for the last 20 years told The Mayo News that he was sure Scotland would vote Yes and feels that Scottish people will soon regret voting No.
“To me we have betrayed our own country by voting No. We must be the first country ever to refuse Independence. I seriously did think it would be a Yes result and we would get Independence and able to go on our own,” said Mick who is originally from the former mining village of Bowill in Fife.
“People do not realise that Scotland is a relatively rich country with all the oil fields but much of that money goes down to London. If that money was kept in Scotland it could be invested for our future and it could be better for our kids. It is sickening. They should rename it [Scotland] North England.”
Mick said his cousin was involved in the Yes camp in Fife and was ‘gutted’ when the results became known.
“He was convinced Fife would vote Yes but it ended up voting No. I was talking to him at the weekend and he was gutted and he actually apologised to his daughter. He felt he let down his daughter by promising Independence.”
Mick feels that fear won the election for the No side but feels they have been ‘duped’ by promises of more devolution and many no voters regret their decision.

Fear
Jake Scott who is originally from West Linton in the Scottish Borders but now living in Achill also feels that people’s fears of what Independence will bring pushed people to vote No.
“I was very disappointed with it. I hoped there would be a majority Yes vote mainly because most people are disillusioned with the current politics. The No vote was down to the fear factor which scared people to think they would lose out on their pensions and what currency will be used. The majority of my friends were very much Yes but my own brother who lives in Scotland was on the No side. He was worried about his job and taken by the fear factor,” he said.
Jake fears that because of the No vote, politics in Britain will carry on as it was and the political establishment will think they can do what they want.