Three weeks today and the voting will all be over up here in the Scttish Independence Referendum. I don't know how big an issue it is to most of you guys, but obviously it's of huge importance to us up here.
What are your feelings on the issue? From the point of view from the other side of the border, do you think the UK would be better off with or without Scotland? If Scotland voted Yes, do you think it would make much difference to your daily lives? Do you think it would drive a wedge between the countries, or as Alex Salmond claims, actually bring the people closer together? Would you miss us? (Be honest!!!) And if we were to vote No, what do you think should happen....should Scotland get more power to govern itself, extra tax-raising powers etc or should it be made to toe the line and just accept exactly the same as the rest of the UK gets? Should there be incentives to encourage people to vote No and keep Scotland in the UK, or should there be an attitude of "Just be happy with your lot, what you have is all you're going to get...take it or leave it"?
I'm firmly in the No camp myself, basically if it's not broken why change it? I mean, I'm not particularly happy with the way the Government has been running the country (but let's face it, the last lot weren't that great either) but if enough people feel the same, just vote them out next year. If we, the public, feel we've made a mistake then we can just vote for a change in the next General Election. Not so in the Independence vote, though. If there's a Yes vote and a few years down the line we realise that we've made a huge mistake, we're stuck with it. There's no going back, regardless of the consequences.
I don't feel that Alex Salmond and co are being very clear on what they want. They say they want independence, which to me basically means cutting all ties and going out on your own, yet at the same time his preferred currency option is a 'Currency Union' with the rest of the UK? Even though all the other parties have ruled it out, he just says they're bluffing. But that's not independence, not when the Bank Of England would have such a huge influence on Scottish finances. A truly independent Scotland would have it's own new currency, possibly a Scottish pound initially pegged alongside Sterling, or join the Euro; Salmond knows though that neither of these options are as secure as staying with the pound along with the rest of the UK. If it's the best option, why try to change it?
That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. A campaign full of contradictions and negativity on both sides. But what are your feelings on the subject?