Saturday vote for Scottish referendum?

I’m in Edinburgh for the Scottish government’s launch of its consultation on the independence referendum. Newspapers here are dominated by Alex Salmond’s admission in the questions after his Guardian lecture that he would expect the Bank of England to be the bail-out bank of last resort for Scotland even if Scotland went independent. There’s also a report on how UK diplomats are trying to calm down Spanish worries about Scottish independence and what it could mean for Catalonia and the Basque country.

It contains the interesting information, new to me, that Jeremy Paxman’s brother is our UK ambassador in Madrid. I’ve heard that Scotland would have a very rough time joining the EU because countries with fears of secessionists in their own backyard would be hostile. Alex Salmond argues that there would be different, easier terms of entry for Scotland joining the EU because it was a secessionist country not a completely new entrant. I’m told senior EU Commission figures have said that Alex Salmond has that wrong.

Read more: Exclusive C4 News poll shows Scots want more powers, not independence

The consultation comes down in large part to whether Scotland gets a second question (a third option) on its ballot papers in the now likely date of autumn 2014.

Alex Salmond says it is his democratic duty to check if people want a second question. The UK government and Labour say it is democratic chicanery to stuff a second question into the referendum. The consultation is supposed to stick to the idea of bringing in a franchise for 16 and 17 year olds, though given the very extended timetable for the legislation (royal assent expected at the end of 2013 in Alex Salmond’s plans) some might argue that gives a short timetable for extending the vote and finding the younger voters.

The consultation is also expected to suggest the referendum is held on a Saturday. That is (I think) unprecendented in the UK. Thursdays are the rule for polling days, going back to the 1930s. Some here wonder what the atmosphere would be like in a polling station open til 10pm on a Saturday night.

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