苏格兰独立公投指南

七个Q&A带你了解苏格兰独立公投的前因后果。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

contingency[k?n't?nd?(?)ns?] 偶然性，意外

tax band 税级

limbo['l?mb??] 不定或迷茫的状态

A quick guide to referendum（786words）

By Mure Dickie in Edinburgh

Scotland will vote on September 18 on whether to become independent from the rest of the UK and end a 307-year-old union with England.

Why is Scotland holding this referendum?

The Scottish National party, which has been committed since its founding in 1933 to independence from the UK, won an unprecedented majority in the devolved Scottish parliament in 2011. The SNP's manifesto included a pledge to pass a bill clearing the way for a referendum and the UK government under David Cameron, prime minister, accepted that one should be held.

What would happen after a Yes vote?

Both UK and Scottish government leaders say even a narrow Yes vote in the referendum on September 18 would be decisive and would set Scotland on the road to independence. The two governments have committed to work together constructively in the best interests of both sides and a Yes vote would lead to negotiations on the terms of separation. Some analysts say uncertainty over Scotland's currency arrangements could lead to capital flight, but the Bank of England has said it has prepared contingency plans and would “discharge its responsibilities” in ensuring the financial system's stability.

When would Scotland become independent?

The Scottish government has proposed that independence should take effect on March 24, 2016.

Opponents have argued that this would not leave enough time to complete complex negotiations on such issues as division of UK assets and liabilities or EU membership. The timing of independence day would depend in part on whether Scotland and the UK sought to resolve all institutional, bureaucratic and legal issues beforehand or accepted that some would have to be resolved after legal separation.

Would an independent Scotland keep the pound?

The SNP proposes that an independent Scotland continues to use the pound under a formal currency union with the remaining UK. All three main Westminster parties have rejected formal currency union, though Nationalist leaders say the advantages of sharing the pound are such that they would quickly abandon this stance after a Yes vote. If they did not, Scotland could continue to use the pound without formal currency union, an approach known as “sterlingisation”. Or it could introduce a new currency, either pegging it to the UK pound or allowing it to float.

Would an independent Scotland be a member of the EU?

There is no precedent in the EU for the agreed independence of part of a member state that wishes to remain in the union as a separate member. The SNP is strongly committed to continued membership and argues that this could be negotiated before its proposed independence day. Some EU leaders, including former European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, have suggested independence would mean Scotland being removed from the EU and facing a potentially difficult re-entry process.

But some experts say the EU is unlikely to want to cast 5.3m European citizens into legal limbo and to throw into doubt the complex web of economic and social links that tie Scotland into the union. Most participants in the independence debate assume Scotland would end up as an EU member, but they differ widely on how long this would take, what the terms of membership would be and what kind of temporary arrangements might be used to bridge an interim period before membership was secured.

Would an independent Scotland retain the monarchy?

The SNP says Queen Elizabeth would continue to be Scotland's monarch under a new written constitution, as she is for many other countries previously part of the British empire. Opinion polls suggest public support for retaining the monarchy. However, some members of the party and of other pro-independence groups hope that Scotland will become a republic and say the issue should be put to voters after independence.

What would happen after a No vote?

All three main UK parties have promised that they would quickly begin work to devolve further powers over tax and some aspects of welfare to the Scottish parliament. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they would give Scotland full control over the rates and bands of income tax. Labour has a more cautious proposal, saying Scotland should have the ability to change the rate by up to 15p for all income tax bands, but should be barred from cutting rates for high-income earners alone. The SNP says such powers are inadequate and there is no guarantee they would be delivered once UK parties' attention shifted to other issues after a No vote.

There is no consensus among the main Westminster parties over the UK's long-term constitutional future and there is likely to be continued discussion over the role of Scottish members of the Westminster parliament.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.When should Scotland declare its independence, if the referendum produces a Yes result?

A.March 2016.

B.At the beginning of 2015.

C.After the referendum in September 2014.

答案(1)

2.What is most likely to be retained by Scotland?

A.The Queen.

B.British Pound.

C.EU and NATO membership.

答案(2)

3.What would happen after a No vote?

A.Scottish parliament would probably be given more power.

B.Scottish National Party would step down.

C.Scottish seperatism would fade away for good.

答案(3)

* * *

(1)答案：A.March 2016.

解释：文中只出现两个日期，都是很重要的日期，一个是公投日，一个是独立日。

(2)答案：A.The Queen.

解释：对独立后的货币安排和欧盟地位等问题的不明朗，是独立派的一大弱点，也是统一派的一个卖点。保留女王，则是苏格兰民族党和大多数选民的主张。

(3)答案：A.Scottish parliament would probably be given more power.

解释：最后一个Q&A是问，如果苏格兰人投票拒绝独立，会发生什么。英国三大党都承诺会进一步给苏格兰下放权力，但长期的制度安排，还有待继续讨论。