Holyrood Parliament

The referendum is now so close that people who register in the final 24 hours before the deadline could determine the outcome of the vote, Yes Scotland Chief Executive, Blair Jenkins said today.

He said they could be the ones who take Yes over the winning line on September 18.

Speaking to a group of undecided voters while out on the campaign trail in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Mr Jenkins said: ‘The Yes campaign is closing the gap, and has all the momentum in this referendum. After last week’s revelations from the No campaign, people now know for sure that Scotland can use the pound and that a No vote will not deliver a single additional job-creating power. This is crucial new information that is swinging more and more people behind a Yes – not only undecided voters but also people who had previously been intending to vote No.’

The dramatic closing of the gap in the final weeks of the campaign was underlined by a Survation poll last week which showed it had more than halved to just six points and prompted the Scottish Daily Mail, which commissioned it, to declare the referendum was on ‘a knife edge’.

And at the weekend The Sunday Times quoted a source close to the No campaign, who said: ‘The canvas returns are not great. It’s a lot closer than we thought. I think it’s too close to call.’

Mr Jenkins said: ‘People have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to vote Yes to provide our NHS with guaranteed protection from the budgetary impact of Westminster health privatisation in England. Together we can secure the new job creating powers we desperately need if we are going to deliver more opportunities across our country. And, we can move away from a Westminster system that only works for the few and choose a Yes so that Scotland’s vast wealth delivers for the many.

‘For these reasons, Yes is getting overwhelming support from people who don’t usually take part in elections. Anyone who doubts the importance of their personal vote, should look at the narrowing of the opinion polls and what is at stake.’

The deadline for registering to vote is midnight tomorrow (Tuesday). Registration offices are staying open until 12 am to accommodate any latecomers.

Mr Jenkins added: ‘If you are not registered, do it today because your vote could be crucial. it could decide whether Scotland’s future is in Scotland’s hands, or remains in the hands of the likes of George Osborne, David Cameron and Nigel Farage.

‘The referendum result, and the wellbeing of services like the NHS, could hang on the decision that thousands of Scots make today about registering.

‘My plea to all those people, is a simple one – make sure your voice is heard. We’ve an opportunity here that is too good to miss. You’ve got to be part of it’.

If you have not yet registered then you have till the end of tomorrow 2 September to do so. In Edinburgh the council have a whole page devoted to this – and you can register online.

Click here to register. 

Website | + posts

Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.

2 COMMENTS

  1. “remains in the hands of the likes of George Osborne, David Cameron and Nigel Farage.”
    Desperation creeping in..Perhaps the thought of Nigel Farage might just swing it for the
    NO camp?

Comments are closed.