UK: Final day of campaigning in Edinburgh on eve of Scottish vote

Record ID: 347205

  • Title: UK: Final day of campaigning in Edinburgh on eve of Scottish vote
  • Date: 17th September 2014
  • Summary: EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 17, 2014) REUTERS) EDINBURGH BUILDINGS / YES CAMPAIGN MESSAGES ON PAVEMENT YES STICKERS ON PAVEMENT YES ACTIVIST HANDING OUT FLIERS YES ACTIVIST TALKING TO VOTER MAN READING FLIER EDINBURGH CASTLE PEOPLE WALKING ON PRINCES STREET PEOPLE WALKING PAST MAN WITH SIGN READING: PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US ACTIVISTS OUTSIDE BETTER TOGETHER CAMPAIG
  • Embargoed: 2nd October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA80YALMLX6OFV952TU3Y5Z3KT8
  • Story Text: On the eve of Scotland's independence referendum, the fate of the United Kingdom rests on hundreds of thousands of wavering Scottish voters as opinion polls showed supporters of the 307-year union just a whisker ahead of secessionists.
    In an intense final day of campaigning, leaders of both sides beseeched Scots to seize the reins of history in a vote that has divided families, friends and lovers but also electrified this country of 5.3 million.
    From the remote Scottish islands of the Atlantic to the toughest city estates of Glasgow, voters will be asked on Thursday to answer "Yes" or "No" to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?".
    Four surveys - from pollsters Panelbase, Survation, Opinium and ICM - showed support for independence at 48 percent compared with 52 percent for the union, while a fifth, from Ipsos MORI, showed it even closer on 49 to 51 percent.
    The surveys also showed as many as 600,000 voters remained undecided with just hours to go before polling stations open at 0600 GMT on Thursday.
    In Edinburgh Better Together activists gathered at a local campaign headquarters before hitting the city's streets to go door to door to persuade undecided voters to chose No.
    Meanwhile Yes supporters canvassed for votes in Edinburgh's main shopping street.
    In such a tight vote, the will of the people could depend on swaying those who even at this late hour have not made up their minds.
    "Yes. I'm happy with the decisions on that. Very well and I'll go all the way and if we get it tomorrow I'll be a very happy man," said Gary Hobbins when asked which way she will vote.
    "Definitely no, no, no because we're better as a team. A team always works better than an individual," said Harriet McKai.
    "I am still undecided. A lot of toing and froing but at the moment it is just the uncertainty of what Scotland has got in store for everyone. It's worrying but it's such a huge decision to make and we all need to take our vote very, very seriously so I still really don't know what I'm going to do," said Karen Wood.
    With a mix of shrewd calculation and nationalist passion, Salmond has hauled the "Yes" campaign from far behind to within a few percentage points of winning his dream of an independent Scotland.
    Facing the biggest internal threat to the United Kingdom since Ireland broke away nearly a century ago, Britain's establishment - from Prime Minister David Cameron to corporate bigwigs and pop-culture celebrities - have united in a last-ditch effort to convince Scots that the United Kingdom is "Better Together".
    Four of the polls showed nationalists had gained ground, but the fact that supporters of the union were slightly ahead prompted investors to buy the pound, extending sterling's gain against the dollar. One poll, from Panelbase, showed support for independence had slipped to 48 percent from 49 percent.
    Electoral officials said the result of the vote is expected by breakfast time on Friday morning, but partial results will give an indication of the trend after the count of major cities such as Glasgow are declared around 0400 GMT.
    Edinburgh and Aberdeen, which with Glasgow make up nearly a quarter of the vote, are also expected round about that time. Helicopters will fly from specially lit landing sites from remote islands.
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