And the pupils have rejected the idea of Independence emphatically. The Highland Council twitter account reports a 64% turnout with 491 pupils voting out of a possible 770.
The Vote was 71% No 28%. Yes
It is, at the end of the day, only an opinion snapshot of pupils not of voting age but it may be cause for serious study for the YES campaign locally and beyond - Nairn is after all an area with strong SNP support. Nairn's two SNP councillors Liz and Colin will no doubt be shocked too by the rejection of the the YES argument for Independence. There will be the inevitable media ripples far beyond Nairn. Food for thought all round.
This YES man is going to have a cup of tea now...
This YES man is going to have a cup of tea now...
Actually, some of the pupils will/are of voting age for next years referendum as 16 year olds are voting next year.
ReplyDeletere-educational programming required
ReplyDeleteIt is also worth considering that the SNP Government chose to include under 18s in the referendum as it was thought that youngsters would be more likely to support the YES campaign.
ReplyDeleteThe facebook generation, more than any other, must surely be less likely to embrace the concept of establishing new, or extra, levels of complexity in the world that they see in simple terms for what is actually is, global.
ReplyDeleteOnline games and social media experiences shared with young people whose location or naitionality is neither relevant nor important will not engender any sense of urgent need to shift the dynamic , where it comes to government.
Mr Salmond et al may have considered it a canny move to embrace the unmoulded youth to bolster the yes vote but, while the result at Nairn Academy cannot be projected nationally, it seems increasingly that, given a voice, the young will use the opportunity to make their opinions matter and not necessarily as the puppet meisters expected them to.
And when you think about it, it's the next generation that will be left the mess of this and previous ones to sort out, so their votes should perhaps count double.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the choices made by the innocent generation compare to those made by the rest of us, tarnished by years of incompetent and self serving administration....
Alex Salmond loses two stone on celebrity diet
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/alex-salmond-loses-two-stone-on-celebrity-diet-1-3127993
How sensible the Nairn youth are, there is hope for Scotland yet !
ReplyDeleteNo surprise. All mainstream media is anti the Yes vote. Pupils are reliant on their teachers or doing their own research to find out what the Yes vote really means for Scotland. Another case of the negative fear campaign winning over young hearts and minds
ReplyDelete@ YES this comment is exactly what is making a mockery of the yes campaign. There seems to be an arrogance amongst some pro independence campaigners that dismisses a no supporters views as irrelevant and un educated and all press as scaremongering biased and sensationalist. Whatever the truth in this or not the yes campaign needs to mobilise in a much more positive and engaging manner. I am a floating voter on the subject but without serious informative and intelligent debate I will most likely opt for the Status Quo.
ReplyDeleteThe local YES campaign just doesn't seem to have got off the ground does it? When will the NO camp make an appearance however?
ReplyDeleteThe drip drip of the Unionists is ever present in all the medias, television, radio, newspapers, and the internet. There are no mainstream medias behind the Independence vote and most people are guided though what they hear or see in the media
ReplyDeleteA swing to the Yes vote will only occur if this changes, if not the election will be lost through the media bias
Perhaps the young folk currently suffer from the same lack of confidence as their parents did a generation ago?
ReplyDeleteYoung people have far better critical analysis ability than we had - But they need access to facts - not the biaised spin that oozes from much of the mainstream media moguls.
For example - check out where small countries sit on the World's Prosperity Index?
http://www.prosperity.com/#!/
"Perhaps the young folk currently suffer from the same lack of confidence as their parents did a generation ago?
ReplyDeleteYoung people have far better critical analysis ability than we had - But they need access to facts - not the biaised spin that oozes from much of the mainstream media moguls."
Perhaps they don't.
Perhaps they are a savvy bunch that rely on the information they absorb from media outwith the control of 'moguls'.
Perhaps their decisions are mainly shaped by conversations within their peer group at school, college or at home.
Perhaps they care less for cold, quantitative data and more for the concept of being part of a global community.
Perhaps they should be left to make their own decisions, rather than being told that they are being brainwashed...because I can't imagine them reacting well to being told that they don't have the information they need to form their own opinions.
I find the comments here very disappointing. Nicola Sturgeon said "We want to make sure that our young people have the opportunity to engage in Scotland's democratic process. We want to give them the right to voice their views, freely and confidently, on the matters that affect them."
ReplyDeleteYet when the youth of Nairn were given that opportunity, rather than voicing their views freely and confidently, it would appear they were brainwashed by a unionist media (and/or whetever other pitiful excuse the SNP trot out)
I think they deserve a lot more credit than that, todays youth are a smart bunch with access the to internet and are the most capable of using it to seek information and research, to suggest otherwise is patronising and insulting to them.
It would seem its not the Nairn youth who need to grow up but all those who cannot accept the democratic process when it dosnt fall in their favour.
Silence from the local Yes campaign then?
ReplyDeletePerhaps someone would like to post say half a dozen links to recent pro Independence articles/programs in the mainstream media?
ReplyDeleteI thought so
just carry on as though nothing has happened then?
ReplyDeleteAs long as folk keep am open mind. Wait and see what is on offer. Scotland will have a choice of 2 futures - neither of which has the certainties that Alistair Darling asks for.
ReplyDeleteThe same Mr Darling who couldn't forecast the banking collapse he held responsibility for.
The Independence White Paper comes out on Tuesday - and YES Nairnshire - will get summary guides out to local folk asap.
From wingsoverscotland.com
ReplyDeleteFrom 22 Nov 2013 “Telegraph View
“The Barnett Formula, under which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive more public spending per head than England, has long rankled south of the border. Even Joel Barnett, who was chief secretary to the Treasury when the system was introduced in the Seventies as a temporary measure, subsequently disowned it.
If the Scots vote to remain in the UK, as we hope they do, it cannot be as a result of a bribe from the English. A few years ago, the Calman Commission recommended scrapping Barnett, reducing income taxes in Scotland and then allowing Holyrood to levy its own rate on top, introducing an enhanced element of accountability and fiscal self-governance.
Such reforms should be openly debated ahead of the referendum: for the Scottish people are entitled to know that even if they vote to stay in the UK, the current method of financing public spending should not be allowed to continue.”
The Barnett Formula is worth, by our sums, approximately £7bn a year to the Scottish economy. Bear it in mind when you’re being told about the “black hole” in Scotland’s finances after a Yes vote, because even if you vote No you can wave bye-bye to Barnett, and then Scotland really WILL be looking into a black hole.
We’re getting fair warning, folks. Pay heed.
So that'll be another £7 billion cut from the Scottish Economy via the Scottish Grant on top of all the austerity cuts already implemented and more to come.
- so there will NOT BE any Status Quo so dont hope - or vote -for it.
There will be change no matter what you vote either Independence and a future we can make for ourselves and our children or continued Westminster Control. Westminster Control will mean further austerity; more taxes like the bedroom tax aimed at the less well off and most vulnerable; a greater Socio-economic gap, the rich get richer the poor get poorer, a squeeze on the power that the SG has at the moment with several controls returned to Westminster; planning ; health; education etc. Results in Nuclear power stations sited in Scotland; Free Further education will go; and NHS will become UK wide. This is not fear-mongering this already documented and prepared.
You don’t need to take my word for it - check it out for yourselves it’s all in the English versions of the media. The Scottish main stream media has become so prejudiced against the Independence movement it’s clear that Scotland’s media is dominated by pro-Union corporate newspapers and broadcasters.
So do we want to look after ALL the money raised in Scotland or just accept the handout returned to us from Westminster. Currently Scotland raises 9.7% of the total UK GDP but receives only 9.3% back and when the Barnett formula is scrapped which way do you think that value will go - clue it will NOT be up.
Check out
nationalcollective.com; wingsoverscotland.com; newsnetscotland.com. other sites and views are available.
Anonymous @ 10:58 AM
It is not so much that the youth are brainwashed by unionist media it is more that there are no non-unionist views published anywhere in the MSM without scorn being heaped on them. It is easier to believe what you read than to investigate and make your own mind up.
Thank you YES for reminding me just how boring the Independence argument is by hi-jacking YES propaganda and regurgitating it.
ReplyDeleteThe story is about Nairn Academy voting NO, not about the merits (or lack of) of Independence.
A number of comments on here claiming a pro-union media bias, potentially affecting the outcome of the referendum.
ReplyDeleteWhether there is bias or not may be the subject of discussion.
But perhaps we will have to accept that there may be a NO vote simply because people decided that leaving the UK was just a bad idea, irrespective of the views of the mainstream media.
Anon says:*But perhaps we will have to accept that there may be a NO vote simply because people decided that leaving the UK was just a bad idea, irrespective of the views of the mainstream media.*
ReplyDeleteQuite possibly. Other reasons may apply also:
- the SNP campaign has been aimed at the lowest common denominator in the voter mix. I feel that thet have underestimated the intelligence of voters in general. Those with specific reservations on particular policies are, in effect, being told to trust the leadership and all will be alright. This hardly inspires confidence that the SNP have thought out all likely difficulties vis-a-vis currency, immigration, the possibility of the rUK actually leaving the EU, and consequent border controls from Berwick to Gretna, WHO is the lender of last resort (forget the BoE), state pension changes which appear to disadvantage those with SERPS additional pensions, etc.
- it is possible that voters, even if in favour of independence in principle, simply can't stand Alex Salmond. And some voters are vindictive.
- some may feel that the SNP is lacking political strength in depth. We only ever hear of the top three. Are there other competent politicians there? They don't get much exposure.
-a few kind and cheery words about the neighbours on these islands might do something to enhance Alex Salmond's reputation. He tries to present a grouchy personality every time he looks south.
Personally I believe that an indepent Scotland could do extremely well in the world. But in the EU? That stifler of enterprise, creator of conformity, run by unelected nonentities who never have to consider where their next job is coming from? The SNP should explain the alternatives.
I was always going to vote NO to independence...today I think I have changed my mind...WHY? Well if we vote yes we will at last maybe be put out of the European Union.
ReplyDeleteLets hope Spain sticks to its guns and a few more agree with them....hooray real freedom.