On September 18th, more than 4 million people in Scotland will get to vote in a historic referendum on whether their country should become independent for the first time in more than 300 years.
Much is at stake—if voters in Scotland decide to break away from the United Kingdom, including England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland's leaders will need to renegotiate everything from the country’s currency and its foreign policy, to its relationship with the British Army and the rest of the European Union.
“Absolutely no one will do a better job of running Scotland than the people who live and work in Scotland,” Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, has said.
But British Prime Minister David Cameron has urged the people of Scotland to vote against independence and save a union which dates back to 1707.
For its part, the U.S. has tried to remain neutral about next month's vote.
“With respect to the future of the United Kingdom, obviously ultimately this is up to the people of Great Britain," President Barack Obama has said. "In the case of Scotland, there’s a referendum process in place and it’s up to the people of Scotland." Although the president did add that, “the United Kingdom has been an extraordinary partner to us. From the outside at least, it looks like things have worked pretty well.”
Scottish political commentator and broadcaster Greg Russell weighs in on how the referendum is playing out in his homeland, and why he's considering a vote for independence.