How Scottish independence debate can help solve Occupy deadlock

The people of Scotland went to the polls on September 18 to vote on whether their country should become independent from the United Kingdom. Ten days later, Occupy Central protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong to demand genuine universal suffrage.

These two events, separated by 9,600km, may seem a world apart. But there are parallels to be drawn. Both concern ground-breaking constitutional reform and raise questions about the best way to achieve it. Both have sparked a surge in political participation, especially among the young. And both have led to unexpected and unpredictable consequences.

No one can say for sure how either situation will play out. But the visit to Hong Kong this month by one of Britain's leading political and constitutional experts provided an opportunity to gain insight into events in the UK - and to see if there are lessons Hong Kong can learn as it seeks to end the deadlock.

Charlie Jeffery, senior vice-principal of the University of Edinburgh, is a professor of politics and a specialist in constitutional change. He has advised the British government and parliament, led research on the future of the UK and played a leading role in the debate about Scotland's independence referendum.

Many students at the University of Edinburgh come from Hong Kong and the mainland. Jeffery was here to further ties and to deliver a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club on the implications of the referendum.

People watching from Hong Kong may be forgiven for thinking that when Scotland voted "no" to independence that would be the end of the matter. But Jeffery points to a "chain reaction" caused by the independence vote, which could yet bring a constitutional shake-up to the UK.

"I have been using this chain-reaction metaphor from the physical world, and I think the idea suggests there can be all sorts of different paths set loose by that reaction, and we are not sure which one will be the dominant one. There are all sorts of uncertainties," he said.