Scottish independence: Jewish people may be ‘forbidden’ from voting on referendum

HUNDREDS of Jewish people may be “forbidden” from voting in the independence referendum if it is held on a Saturday, religious leaders are expected to warn.

The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (Scojec) said “a Saturday ballot would disadvantage Jewish voters, since those who observe Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) would not be able to vote on the day of the referendum”.

The council is still consulting members on its final response to the government’s Your Scotland, Your Referendum paper, but a draft response is available on the Scojec website.

The draft also warns that a Saturday referendum could discriminate against Jewish workers, who may face pressure to work or could be excluded from part-time referendum positions.

According to the 2001 census, the Jewish community accounted for 0.13 per cent of the Scottish population, amounting to around 6,400 people.