Finally, this is my last word on the subject. (Aren't you all glad of that!)
In September 2013 I wrote a blog post on why I would be voting No in the Scottish independence referendum which takes place on 18th September. By June 2014 the confirmed 100% No voter had become a Yes-with-reservations, as I devoured every intelligent argument (online of course - you won't find these in the Scottish press) about the reasons why Scotland should be an independent country, and a potentially successful one at that. But I still had my doubts.
The referendum is now just over 5 weeks away. I will be voting Yes.
So what changed my mind? Well, I have taken the time to explore all views and opinions, for and against, from all sides of the argument. It has been a long time and a lot of work, but the research is worth it when the future of your country is at stake. I have deliberately avoided the arguments from the SNP and Better Together, preferring to focus on rational, intelligent arguments and explanations by people who are independent (pardon the pun) of thought. The Scottish National Party (SNP) may have facilitated the referendum, but I do not share their views and I can't stand its leader Alex Salmond. And don't even start me on that awful TV debate last week between him and Better Together's frontman Alistair Darling: a shouting match which did neither side any favours.
I know more people who will be voting No than voting Yes. Everyone to their own decision, but I would guess that many of those will not have taken the time or trouble to seek out all the information available, and only listened to the fear-driven arguments of much of the Scottish media. I have chosen to take the time to make an informed decision.
Breaking away from the UK is going to be a tough decision to make. We have so much in common, we like a lot of the same things, we watch the same TV shows, listen to the same music, we have shared experiences. But Scotland's political life has always been more distinctively different from the rest of the UK: we have always been more left-wing/socialist in our outlook. There is a lot of exciting debate coming from the radical left and who knows - this could even lead to the creation of a new political force in our country. Whilst acknowledging there are certain parts of the country which will always vote for other parties, the fact remains that in all my life Scotland has always 'been Labour' and which in the past two Scottish Parliament elections, punished the party for its swing to the right in the rest of the UK. This brought the SNP to power and ultimately gave that party a mandate to hold this infamous referendum.
The decision to choose independence for Scotland is purely based on our right to run our own affairs. It's a chance for Scotland to reinvent itself, to make a fresh start as a progressive country, to create a fair and just society where people are not punished for being poor. As the southern part of the UK dangerously spirals towards an extreme right-wing future and a potential Tory/UKIP coalition, can you blame us for not wanting to be part of that?
The forthcoming referendum has had some positive side-effects. Political apathy took hold of this country a long time ago, so who'd have thought that so many people are getting out there to attend public meetings? I had never been to a political meeting in my life, but recently I attended a public meeting where more relevant points and questions were raised and addressed in one night than you would ever get in a year's worth of televised debates. Finally, people are beginning to take an interest in the future direction of our country. However, when it comes to voting time, I just can't see the majority of my countrymen and women voting yes.
But I have finally made my own decision. In answer to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?". I will be voting yes. In the words of John Lennon, Citizen Smith and Molly Smitten-Downes: power to the people.
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