Moreover, many women - who tipped the balance in the second vote - were very much against the EU due to the "downgrading standards" point of view you mention.

But far and away the key issue was the Norwegian attitude to land ownership and both the "Odelsrett" - ie the law of promogeniture - and the obligation for farmers to live and work on the land.

The concept of absentee landlords/ rentiers - particularly by foreigners (where legal resrictions applied, and may still do) - was and remains anathema to most Norwegians.

There was a deeply held view that membership of the EU would lead to undesirable changes in land ownership and tenure, which would have a detrimental effect on Norwegian Society.

The Scots were - prior to the Union and the Clearances - in many ways identical in view to Norway (which they would be, bearing in mind the history), and in fact through the vehicle of Scottish Land Reform we are beginning to see the faintest stirrings of a possible change of direction.

There are deep issues here relating to flows of Capital and rural depopulation.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson