week-6-Scottish independence

Scottish independence: What is the referendum about?

Voters in Scotland cast ballots Thursday in a historic referendum on seceding from Britain.

A “yes” vote would end Scotland’s 300-year-old union with England and Wales, redrawing the map of the United Kingdom and raising difficult questions about the future of Scotland’s economy and its relationship with international partners such as the European Union and NATO.

But even if the “noes” have it, Scotland appears poised to extract more powers from the central government in London. In a bid to persuade Scots to stay in the fold, Britain's main political parties have pledged to turn over control of important tax and budgetary issues to the semiautonomous government in Edinburgh.

More than 4.2 million people – 97% of the eligible electorate, including for the first time 16- and 17-year-olds -- registered to vote. The referendum will be decided by a simple majority. Turnout is expected to be high, and polls show the outcome too close to call heading into the vote.

Why are Scots voting on independence?

Support for what was long regarded as the dream of a romantic fringe has been growing in recent years, receiving a boost in 2010 with the election of a Conservative-led government in London that did not prove popular in Scotland.

The following year, the Scottish Nationalist Party, whose main goal is independence, won a majority in the Scottish Parliament. Party leader Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, immediately declared his intention to call a referendum on the issue.

With opinion polls giving the pro-union side a consistent majority, the British government agreed to recognize the plebiscite, no doubt hoping that a “no” vote would kill off the issue.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-scotland-independence-questions-20140917-story.html

structure of the lead:

who- Voters

when- on Thursday

why- not given

what- cast ballots in a historic referendum on seceding from Britain.

where- in Scotland

how- not given

keywords:

1.     referendum 公投

2.     ballot投票用紙，選票

3.     turnout 結果