Scottish independence

Berwick-upon-Tweed is the northernmost town in England and is situated on the eastern coast just four kilometers south of the Scottish border. If Scotland were to become an independent country, the town would suddenly find itself sitting on a new international frontier.

Berwick is no stranger to conflict of this kind. For centuries, the traditional market town was the subject of a war between England and Scotland, though the latter has now been in political union with England for nearly 300 years.

But that could change. Earlier this month, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Alex Salmond, proposed holding a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. Salmond objects to interference in Scottish affairs by the British government led by the center-right Conservatives, who are unpopular north of the border.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, along with all the main parties in Westminster, wants to keep the United Kingdom intact. Cameron has said any referendum should be held sooner rather than later to dispel uncertainty he says is damaging the Scottish economy. Opinion polls show that a binding referendum on independence is likely to be rejected by the Scots, but any delay makes such an outcome less certain.

English indifference

As the row rumbles on between the politicians in Edinburgh and London, the people of Berwick-upon-Tweed appear to be surprisingly indifferent to the idea of their close neighbor breaking away from the rest of the UK. Phil Johnson is editor of the local newspaper, The Berwick Advertiser. He points out that while there are close ties between Berwick and Scotland, there are already major differences depending on which side of the border you live.

"We have a different police force on either side of the border, we have a different education system, so I don't suppose these kinds of things would change if Scotland was independent," he told Deutsche Welle. "What might change is that it might be a bit more difficult for businesses."

And it's the economy that makes the Scots so uncertain when it comes to the question of total independence.

"At the moment here we get every year an amount of money from Westminster based on fixed share of the total UK tax take," explained Lesley Riddoch a freelance journalist who writes for The Scotsman. "So we get slightly more than we are due, because this formula was devised at a time when our population share was larger, and when it was recognized that we needed more money to deliver public services due to the remoteness of many parts of Scotland."

Riddoch said the current system of Westminster handing Holyrood money to spend was "like a teenager getting pocket money." But she added, "I think Scots are not confident that we would remain with the same income if we only had us as a tax base."

Growing support for nationalism

On the Scottish side of the border, in the small town of Galashiels, local journalist, David Knox, says a lot hangs on the question of oil. An independent Scotland could lay claim to a large proportion of North Sea oil revenues, which currently flow into the Treasury in London

"Oil seems to be the trump card that the Scottish parliament holds up every now and again, saying 'if we had our oil money we'd be a much richer country,'" Knox said. "We do get a lot of subsidies from Westminster, so one perhaps would balance the other."

Knox, who edits the local newspaper The Border Telegraph, has seen growing support for Alex Salmond and the SNP in the local area.

"Since the Scottish parliament was formed [in 1999], there have been significant changes, mostly for the good. We've seen free prescriptions, free care for the elderly, lots of good initiatives coming in for care for young children as well pre-school," said Knox. "I think that has increased support for possibly a stronger independence, I don't know about full independence, but definitely going down the path there is more and more support for it."

London wants a referendum with a straight yes or no question on independence, which polls suggest would be rejected. Salmond, meanwhile, is open to having a second question on the ballot, offering Scottish voters a greater degree of devolution from London. That option is referred to as "devolution max" and would give the Scottish parliament the power to raise and spend their own taxes, and end their fiscal relationship with London.

Knox thinks that many in the Scottish borders would vote for that third option, if it were offered on the ballot paper.

"I think there's a move towards a happy medium between full independence and what we have at the moment. Somewhere in between would satisfy most people," he said.

Author: Joanna Impey
Editor: Gabriel Borrud