Will Scotland seek independence, now?
During a heated 2014 referendum, Scotland voted against independence from the UK, opting to stay. But now, following the results of the Brexit referendum, in which Her Majesty’s Subjects chose to leave the European Union by a narrow but definitive margin, experts believe Scotland will likely call a second referendum for independence, and then pursue EU membership on its own.
The UK comprises England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, and 62% of Scotland’s people voted to stay in the EU. In addition, the current party in power in Scotland, lead by first minister Nicola Sturgeon, had vowed to revisit the issue of independence in the event their EU status was jeopardized. With such a dramatic socio-economic change looming, the Scotts will want to return to the poles to reevaluate their status as members of the UK.
The remain camp had wide-spread support throughout the nation, particularly among younger voters, but at the end of the day didn’t have quite enough clout to pull off a win. Older voters were much more likely to vote in favor of the leave proposition. National pride, jingoism, and the fear and loathing of immigrants have all been cited by the disappointed opponents to Brexit.
Following the historic vote, droves of UK citizens searched the internet for clues regarding the future under Brexit. Many even googled “What is the EU,” triggering sarcastic swipes at the public’s general competence, by pundits and social media enthusiasts alike.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Crown copyright, released by the Controller of HMSO
