2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

Submission 23,566

Overviews

The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum refers to a vote taking place in September of 2014 in which Scottish citizens will decide if they want to remain a part of the United Kingdom. The referendum in Soctland ended in favor of the UK, with 55% against independence and 45% voting for it.

Background

On September 18th, 2014, citizens of Scotland will vote on whether they will become an independent nation or remain a part of the UK. As of September 16th, 97 percent^[2] of Scottish citizen eligible to vote on the issue have registered to do so. Close polling data has kept interest in the referendum high, as of September 13th, UK newspaper the Telegraph^[3] reported voters are split 54/46 in favor of remaining a part of the UK.

Notable Developments

Twitter Hashtags

In the month leading up to the vote many hashtags related to the vote became popular on Twitter. #BetterTogether,^[11] the slogan of the those against independence was tweeted out over 140,000 times in the month, #ScotDecides^[12] was tweeted out over 100,000 times and #Indyref^[13] was tweeted out over 2.5 million times. Buzzfeed used the hashtags to create lists of humorous reactions to the vote including "24 Times The Internet Responded Hilariously To Scottish Independence"^[1] and "The Internet’s Funniest Responses To The Scottish Independence Debate."^[14]

Celebrity Opinions

On July 11th, 2014, The Telegraph^[4] published a statement from author JK Rowling against Scottish independence, saying:

"The more I have read from a variety of independent and unbiased sources, the more I have come to the conclusion that while independence might give us opportunities – any change brings opportunities – it also carries serious risks.

Rowling reiterated^[5] her opinions on the referendum again on September 6th, when she tweeted^[6] out the hashtag #bettertogether, the slogan of the supporters of voting to remain a part of the UK.

On September 16th, soccer player David Beckham came out^[7] in support of Scotland remaining a part of the United Kingdom, saying:

"We want to let you know how very much we value our relationship and friendship. Of course regardless of your decision that will never change, however, my sincere hope is that you will vote to renew our historic bond which has been such a success over the centuries and the envy of the entire world. What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let’s stay together."

Celebrities who support Scottish independence include Doctor Who actor David Tennant and Susan Boyle.^[8]

Viral Videos

On September 12th, 2014, Fox's Animation Domination YouTube channel^[9] uploaded a video titled "Willie's Views On Scottish Independence" which featured the Scottish The Simpson's character supporting Scottish independance. In less than a week the video gained over 3.2 million views. On September 14th, Last Night With John Oliver's YouTube channel^[10] posted a clip from the show in which Oliver explained the referendum. Within 48 hours, the video gained over 1.3 million views.