Referendum on Separate Parliament

Scottish voters will decide in a referendum today whether they should have their own parliament again after nearly 300 years, and opinion polls point to an overwhelming “yes” vote. A newspaper poll put support for the proposed 129-seat assembly at 61%, with 20% intending to vote “no.” Although the Scottish and English parliaments were united in 1707, Scotland has its own legal, educational and local government systems. The proposal is backed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labor Party. The party says a separate parliament will help defuse independence sentiment.