Scotland will make history, says leader

EDINBURGH, Thursday
The eyes of the world are on Scotland’s referendum, pro-independence leader Alex Salmond said today as a top bank warned it would re-register in England if the separatists win.

Mr Salmond said the run-up to the September 18 vote was “a process of national empowerment” and promised an independent Scotland would be a “fairer, more profitable” society.

“Scotland is on the cusp of making history. The eyes of the world are upon Scotland,” Salmond said in Edinburgh, a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron also visited the Scottish capital to plead for the preservation of “a family of nations”.

“Scotland will vote ‘Yes’ next Thursday because last-minute... promises from the ‘No’ campaign will not fool anyone,” said First Minister Salmond, who heads up Scotland’s regional government.

“As a country we are rediscovering self-confidence, as a nation we are finding our voice... On September 18, we the people hold our destiny in our own hands,” he added.

Polls show Scottish voters are almost evenly divided between the “Yes” and the “No” although only one survey so far has put the pro-independence camp just ahead of the unionists.

The most recent one, published on Wednesday by Scotland’s Daily Record newspaper, showed 53 percent against independence and 47 percent in favour, without counting undecideds.

NEWEST STATE IN EUROPE

The vote would bring to an abrupt end a 307-year-old union between England and Scotland and create the newest state in Europe since the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

Many countries with separatist movements are following the campaign closely including Spain, where the government has ruled out a referendum for Catalan independence or devolution.

“People in Catalonia don’t necessarily want independence but they want to have the right to vote.

And they see that here it’s possible,” said Carles Costa from TV3 public television in Catalonia, who was at Salmond’s press conference.

“A ‘Yes’ vote would put a huge pressure on Madrid. Scotland is not a remote country somewhere in the world. It’s just next door,” he said.

“Even with a ‘No’, people in Catalonia will say, ‘Why is this not possible in Spain?’”

Olivier Hanrion from RTBF in Belgium, said there was “obvious” interest in his country which is divided between the Flemish, French and German-speaking communities.

“Devolution means something to Belgians and it has affected them for years,” he said, pointing out that a referendum like Scotland’s would be banned in the Belgian constitution. (AFP)