13:03 15 September 2014
The Queen has finally broken her silence over Scottish referendum. She told a member of the public that she hoped that “people will think very carefully about the future.”
Some said that the Queen has being very careful by offering encouragement to Unionists without leaving herself open to accusations of political meddling.
The monarch’s words came as the debate over the economic case for independence continues to rage. On Monday, a leading think-tank said that Yes campaign has underestimated the financial risks of separation.
Meanwhile, Yes Scotland said Her Majesty was “echoing the message” it was sending voters to “think very carefully about this one opportunity that Scotland will have on Thursday to choose our future”, while a Better Together source merely said she had been “very clear that she doesn’t want to comment” on a democratic decision.
On the other hand, the No campaign appears to be holding onto its narrow lead. A survey conducted by Opinium for the Observer had it leading by 53per cent to 47per cent.