Todays blog: Scottish expats ‘should vote in independence referendum For Scotland, September 18th 2014 will be a very important date. For starters, it could be the beginning of Scots needing to head to the currency exchange counter every time they arrive in Euston. But for tens of thousands of Scottish expats living across Europe, the referendum on separating from the rest of the UK will be something to observe from afar and not take part in. Voting rules for the referendum mean that only those people residing in Scotland at the time off the poll will be eligible to vote. Many say this is unfair, however, and calls are being made for the thousands of Scots living outside the country to be allowed their say come September. Aidan O’Neill QC, an expert in European law, believes the franchise limits could be in breach of European Union (EU) laws. He told the Sunday Times that the rules as they stand punish expats for choosing to live in another EU member state and therefore act as a barrier to free movement within the bloc. If the current system were to be overturned, there could be more than one million additional voters, including around 750,000 living in England. A petition to amend the rules has already garnered over 3,000 signatures. James Wallace, who is behind the campaign, says the enfranchisement is “undemocratic”. “Scotland needs to encourage its workforce to be international, to learn, and to bring this knowledge back to improve our nation,” he said. “In its history Scots have explored, ventured to new areas in the world and then improved our country. They should not be denied a vote on their future.” But the Scottish government has rejected any calls for the vote to be extended beyond Scotland. It comes as doubts about whether Scotland would keep the pound begin to take centre stage in the debate on independence. While the Scottish government would prefer to keep the pound or some kind of exchange rate peg at the very least, Westminster has made it clear this will not be allowed.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:57:57 +0000
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