Question of bias

A referendum is all about giving voters two options and asking them which one they prefer. Sounds simple.

So why would the Electoral Commission recommend a question which gives only one option: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

No mention of the other option, remaining in the UK. The question is unbalanced and therefore biased.

According to my research over 50 years of experience (I am a past member of the Council of the European Market and Social Research Association), such a bias can inflate the Yes answers by 10 to 15 per cent.

This could be critical should the referendum result be a close run thing.

Could Scotland become independent due to a faulty question? Yes!

The public is perfectly capable of saying whether a question is understandable or not, but they are generally not capable of 
detecting the more subtle issue of bias.

The correct question should be one that presents both options to the voter: “Should Scotland become an independent country, or should it remain as part of the UK?”

Jack Hamilton

Wester Coates Gardens

Edinburgh

Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to have fixed the long-awaited date for 2014’s autumn referendum on a date that is actually in autumn?

David Newton

Riverside View

Alness