The few regions of Scotland that voted yes are also the same regions with the lower turn out overall. What does that tell us? a) Yes voters were more gung-ho overall... and those regions would have been no too if the no voters bothered to vote... OR... b) If people bothered to vote in those regions then yes would have had more votes... or c) Since those were yes thresholds- no voters were afraid to vote because of all the thuggery being run by the yes campaign in those regions.
As there was no exit poll undertaken last night, we will not be able to analyse any democratic data from the results. There is no way to see how the 16-18 yo or the over 60 yos voted or if they cancelled each other out.
The actual poll data has been released and the link to the stats was tweeted this afternoon by Lord Ashcroft. I can't copy it from work, but it makes interesting reading. The 16-17 yr olds voted over 70% Yes - the over 65's vice versa, but there's no volume data on the comparative size of their vote. Interestingly the 18-24 age bracket voted No.
So Salmond goes before he gets ripped to shreds. Interesting to see the SNP spin on the numbers who voted yes. All well and true you might say. However, in a 2 horse race more people rejected your offer and actively voted for the other side. So spin all you want Salmond - you lost.
No... but most of the interviews I heard was that kids (probably due to lack of maturity and naivity that things will work out, and not have to worry about existing savings/pensions) seemed to be much more in favour of independence. 16 y/o should never be able to vote on something so important... can imagine No would have had a slightly bigger margain without them.
This suggests the following 1. 16-17 - If you do not pay tax vote yes because an economic collapse resulting in higher taxes will not affect you, not thinking of the future 2. 18 - 24 - Realise the future problems with high tax may affect them/ or may already be tax payers 3 Over 65's - we want to keep the free care homes and leave our houses to our kids....and we will be dead soon so sod you all
esp when they are not classed as an adult until 18, and then they can get their mortgages, credit cards etc and they are liable for their own debt, 16 yr olds cant even legally smoke ffs
Ashhcroft analysed those figures from a 2000 people survey. They are NOT official figures. They may indicate a direction of travel but are subject to exactly the same vagueness as the opinion polls prior to the referendum. Accept them as being all we have but treat them with some suspicion.
Virtual rep. I agree with this. Not to impugn the intelligence of that age group, but I think you need more experience of politicians and their rhetoric to be able to make an informed judgement. I was convinced that they changed the voting age in a cynical attempt to gain a whole wodge of naive, idealistic Yes Men.
There are some bits of data from Ashcroft - from BBC ''Some 109,533 youngsters aged 16 to 17 registered to vote after being given the chance to do so for the first time. A snap poll by Lord Ashcroft asking voters how they had cast their ballots found this age group had voted overwhelmingly for independence, with 71% for Yes. However among the wider 16-24-year-old age group the Yes vote was 51%, according to the poll. The Lord Ashcroft overnight poll of 2,047 voters found that 73% over 65s chose No.''
I've always thought that if you're allowed to serve and die for your country you should be allowed to vote, and also if you're expected to pay tax. Nowadays under 18's SHOULDN'T go into combat, but it happens.
They almost certainly changed it to try and edge the yes vote- it was a clever tactic. 16 year olds aren't stupid- no more so than any other age group- I agree... I wasn't questioning their intelligence- but anyone who isn't naïve at 16 y/o has had an unnecessarily rough childhood. My personal opinion of adulthood isn't an age- it's when you've worked fulltime for a few years and lived on your own without being someone else's dependent. If you go to university- (unless you work your own way through university) adulthood takes longer... as it does if you're a trust-fund child.
It doesn't seem right does it but at least they've had their first taste now, let's see if it puts them off or encourages them, bearing in mind the vote went against what the majority of 16/17 year olds stated they wanted.
I think that incongruity would be better resolved by not having that age group in the forces, rather than giving them the vote,- which is just compounding the error, imo.
I think yeah pay tax = right to vote 16 year olds??? Nah.... Oh and the age for army is linked to school leaving which is an employment issue Basically today in the uk surely the thing is that even if you pass a law to disallow deployment until 21 the basic training and killing mentality is what shapes the sin of war mongerring
The abuse Murray reportedly got on twitter was awful btw whatever you think of him, he doesn't deserve that. After saying he wasn't getting involved this time, he couldn't help himself and tweeted in support of the yes vote but the reaction was completely out of order.
Depends... not VAT though. You give a 5 year old a couple of quid and he buys some sweets... he is paying tax... it may not be obvious to him because its built into the cost of his wine gums already. Income tax and you vote? But that excludes unemployed. Not everyone pays property tax (we've rightly moved away from only landowners getting to vote).
That's a fine attitude to take when you are not directly involved. However attitudes and behaviours change in an emotionally charged environment. Just look at what happens to supporters at football matches! Tonight some NO supporters were celebrating with Union flags in one of Glasgow's squares. Even the One Show reporter hinted that there was growing aggression towards them by Yes supporters as though such behaviour was only to be expected.. So Murray got some **** for a day what's the difference?
