Centre Cannot Hold

Peter Geoghegan takes an in-depth journey through some of the unexpected people and far-flung places along Scotland's road to referendum. September 19, 2014. The ballots are in, and the votes are counted. Scotland has either chosen to remain part of the Untied Kingdom, or to form a new independent state. The result is black and white, but the conversations, people and places that animated Scotland's journey to the referendum have been anything but. For months Scots debated their futures, at varying volumes. For some the vote was a distraction, for others it was the most important moment in their lives. All have had a chance to have their say. This book is the story of Scotland's referendum, not as recorded by psephologists, but as experienced by some of the ordinary - and extraordinary - people involved. Taking the scenic route around the vote we will meet aging Communists rallying voters in post-industrial Cowdenbeath; loyal Orange men campaigning for a 'yes' vote' and Irish republicans backing the union; North Sea oil workers trying to make sense of the debate; and secessionists across Europe trying desperately to follow Scotland's lead. Full of character, and characters, this lively, in-depth book will provide a unique perspective on a referendum that will reshape Scotland - and Europe - regardless of the result.