Scotland, a last minute plea from the rest of the world

Their opinions matter even less than yours


You’ve been bombarded with more opinions on the referendum than flyers on the Royal Mile during the Fringe Festival. But before the polls close, consider the opinions of some impartial observers. Here are the views of people around the world.

 Joel Agius, Paris, France

“I already consider Scotland to be a separate country anyway, why does it need to waste all that money for an expensive ‘label’ of independence?”

Nicole Smith, Germany

“I think the referendum is ludicrous. What currency are they going to trade in? Haggis? Great Britain doesn’t produce anything as it is. It would be a lot worse off without Scotland and visa versa. Truth is- London has never invested in Scotland. But the same applies to anything north of Milton Keyes- look at Sheffield for example.”

Jacques Garcia-Robin, Rouen France

“The fact that the Scottish people are able to vote for the fate of their land appears to me as a sign that democracy is really working in modern Europe. However, I do not think that it will be good economically and politically for Scotland to separate from the UK so quickly.”

Javier Heikki, Madrid, Spain

“Personally I don’t consider myself as a nationalist or a patriotic person. I believe that in the 21st century we should get rid off borders instead of creating new ones. However, thats my opinion and I think that this point of view shouldnt be imposed to others. For that reason, I believe that it is a good democratic effort to allow scottish people to decide their own future. This issue has been of special interest for Spanish people as we have a similar situation in our country, with catalonians seeking for a referendum that the central government refuses to permit.”

Jon, Sydney, Australia

“I think it’s time they had a chance to run their own affairs and extol their culture. I believe they can do this within an overall European environment.”

Jasmine Mingo, New York

“Although I haven’t been following the referendum much, I believe that Scotland should be independent if they want, every country should be able to have its right to rule autonomously and independently.”

Stephannie, Ottowa, Canada


“I heard that there’s more people in London than Scotland alone. Isn’t it just like trying to make a very big city separate from the rest? I don’t think that it is worth the money.”