Scotland vote divides expats in Oman

Pro independence supporters display banners at a window of a house in Edinburgh, Scotland, on September 17, 2014, ahead of the referendum on Scotland's independence.

Muscat: Voters across Scotland will head to the polls to vote in a referendum for independence today and British and Scottish citizens in Muscat, like in any other country in the world, have differing opinions on what is really best for Scotland.

"Wake up on Friday morning to the first day of a better country," Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who has led the independence campaign, told Scots recently. However, a British citizen told Times of Oman in Muscat that he disagrees with the minister and believes that Scotland would be better-off if it stays within the United Kingdom.

UK passport
"If I were Scottish, I would not want to lose my UK passport, which is what will happen if they become independent. If they vote 'yes', they will have Scottish passports. They will have a Scottish embassy," he said, adding that independence will negatively affect Scotland.

Asked about the implications of a vote for independence for both the UK and Scotland, he said, "If they vote 'yes', the decision will have more major implications for Scotland than it will have for the UK because a lot of the Scottish economic drivers will
come south."

CURRENCY is another major issue, he said. The currency question is at the heart of the Scottish debate. According to BBC, in an independent country, the Scottish government wants to keep the pound as part of a formal currency union with the rest of the UK. It argues this is in everyone's best interests, but the three main UK parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – will not go for it, and say that whoever is in power after the next UK election will not agree to such a move.

Asked if Scotland can rely on its energy reserves in its drive for independence, he said, "If they think that they are going to take ownership of the North Sea facilities, they are really on Cloud Cuckoo Land. That will
not happen."

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the North Sea has been a British success story, arguing that now the oil and gas is getting harder to recover and it is more important than ever to back the industry with the 'broad shoulders' of the UK, according to BBC.

Historic opportunity
On the opposite side of the debate, a Scottish citizen in Muscat, who is in favour of independence, said that Scotland would be better-off if it leaves the union considering its oil and gas reserves. "Use our wealth for Scotland."

It is a historic opportunity for Scotland which it should use because it may not get it again in the near future, he said.

He acknowledged that it will take time for Scotland to restructure everything and begin anew. "But, it is worth it," he added.

The result is unpredictable as people are divided but I hope people will use this chance and put Scotland back on the world map. "We should take charge of our own destiny and be free."

Asked about the fact that the 'Yes' campaign has described promises of more powers as an 'insult' to the intelligence of the people of Scotland and now what matters to Scots is not 'proposals for greater autonomy'.
He added that it took the UK government so long to offer more powers to Scotland and the reason is that they did not expect the 'Yes' campaign to be where it is now. "They had underestimated it." Also the new proposals are so 'vague', he added.

Another British citizen disagreed and said that a 'No' referendum vote is critical to Scotland's security. A 'yes' vote will not bode well for the economy of an independent Scotland because the fact that some companies have decided to relocate their headquarters if Scotland votes for independence is just the beginning of a 'long' and 'difficult' journey.