Britons vote on paper ballots and they are counted by hand. So the results of the Sept. 18 referendum on Scottish independence are not yet fully known as I write, just past midnight Eastern Time Sept. 19. But it’s pretty clear that Scots have voted against independence and in favor of remaining in the United Kingdom.
Current results show “yes” (for independence) at 46 percent of the votes and “no” at 54 percent. Those results include Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, which voted 53 percent “yes” — not enough to turn the tide. The trend was apparent early on, as tiny (60 square miles, 35,386 votes cast) Clackmananshire, considered certain “yes” country, voted 54 percent “no.”
There is no doubt of the result now, even though the votes have not been announced for Edinburgh, Scotland’s second largest city and historic capital, and the large constituencies of Fife and Aberdeenshire.
It appears for all the high volume enthusiasm — and thuggish suppression of opposition — by the “Yes” forces, the force of inertia prevailed. But not just inertia: the accumulated success of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, successes achieved in disproportionate numbers by Scots, since England and Scotland were joined in the Act of Union in 1707.
The thrust of British journalism has been that this is not the last to be heard of the Scottish independence movement. I wonder. The three major UK parties have all committed themselves to even greater devolution of domestic policy from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament established in 1999 (“devo max”). That will presumably result in higher taxes and higher government spending — which most Scots currently favor — and that in turn will likely result in continuing economic stagnation, contrary to the expectations of most Scots.
Perhaps eventually the Scots will learn, as their Irish cousins in the Republic across the sea did, that a lighter and more competent state will enable ordinary people, acting on self-interest, to build a more productive economy, one offering opportunity for individuals of all sorts to maximize their talents. That’s a lesson that was taught more than 200 years ago by a Scot — and Briton — named Adam Smith.
UPDATE: The votes are in, Scotland will stay a part of the U.K. after 55 percent voted against the referendum Thursday.
