Boris Heads to Scotland

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Scotland today. I hope he is able to use Google Maps. The reason for his visit? Support for an independent Scotland is growing.

Johnson's buffoonery is in stark contrast to the leadership shown by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.

The cartoon in today's edition of The Times speaks volumes...

Independence for Scotland - The Dream is Still Alive

63 SNP MSPs
60 Unionist MSPs

Number of votes cast in the Scottish Election last Thursday for Labour and the Conservatives - the Unionist parties: 1,016,105

Number of votes cast for the parties wishing independence for Scotland: 1,059,897

And yet - the Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie have both called on Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to rule out a second referendum on independence for the five-year duration of the next parliament.

Independence for Scotland isn't dead - far from it. The dream is still very much alive.

Woman of Substance Can Deliver for Scotland

Last September, the people of Scotland made their collective choice in the independence referendum. Although 45% of those eligible voted Yes for Scotland to be an independent nation, 55% voted No. That, it seemed to me at the time, was that. Scotland had a chance to become independent but the majority of its people didn’t want it.

Last Thursday, the UK General Election produced an astonishing result in Scotland. At the last UK General Election in 2010, the Scottish National Party (SNP) took 6 seats as the Labour Party was kicked out of office, effectively bringing to an end the New Labour years of firstly Tony Blair then Gordon Brown. It seemed to me that Brown, then Prime Minister, suspected his party wouldn’t be elected with a majority and gambled on Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats joining him to form a coalition government. Clegg did form a coalition government – but with David Cameron’s Conservative Party – a party despised in Scotland, a legacy of Margaret Thatcher’s regime and its intention on destroying a working class nation.

Two days ago, the SNP took 56 seats in Scotland in the UK General Election. As there are only 59 UK Parliament seats in Scotland, this was a phenomena not witnessed before. The Labour Party were routed north of the border. For decades, Scotland has been a Labour stronghold, particularly the central belt where it was widely believed that the way to rid the UK of a Conservative government was to vote Labour. Now, this view has changed – and in dramatic circumstances.

It has always been the case that, no matter who the people of Scotland voted for, they would end up with a government the people of England chose. During the Thatcher regime most of Scotland voted for Labour, hoping leaders Michael Foot then Neil Kinnock would save them from Thatcher’s anti-Scotland policies. It didn’t happen. The Labour Party in Scotland were powerless to prevent the affluent south east of England electing Conservative governments with their policies aimed at the free-market and ignoring the poor.

Gradually, the people of Scotland have realised this. Scotland is a different country to England. Socialism still means something here. Thatcherism stoked the feelings of fury felt by Scots and a determination they would no longer be treated like second class citizens. As New Labour moved from a left wing, socialist movement into a pale imitation of the Conservative Party, Scots realised the SNP could be their saviour. The idea of Scotland going it alone and becoming independent has been touted as romantic idealism but, gradually, this idea has gained credibility. The prospect of Scotland ridding itself of a Conservative government for ever is very much an appealing one.

In 1999, Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair recognised Scotland was different and a Scottish Parliament was set up with some – although far from all – powers devolved to Scotland. If New Labour thought this would appease the Scots they were to be proved wrong in the decade and a half that followed. While the Scottish Parliament has proven to be a success, it’s the SNP government north of the border that has driven real change – and for the betterment of the Scottish people.

Scots now realise that their country should be governed by its people. However, it’s reasonable to say that while many admired the SNP, some were unsure about independence - and some disliked the first SNP First Minister Alex Salmond.

Salmond is a gifted orator but there was a Marmite effect about him – people either loved him or hated him. Salmond drove the independence referendum and no sooner had the SNP formed a majority government in 2011 than the referendum was in its plans for governance. Some thought the referendum was pushed too soon. Perhaps it might have been better to let the nation see what a SNP government could do for them first before deciding on whether our country should become independent.  Nonetheless, the independence referendum went ahead in September 2014 – and while it was a close run thing the result was a ‘No’ vote. That, then, was surely that for independence for Scotland? Not quite.

Salmond stood down as First Minister and Leader of the SNP. His place was taken by his deputy Nicola Sturgeon. And what an impact she has had on not only Scotland but the rest of the UK.

Sturgeon is as equally gifted a politician and orator as her predecessor. And she is tough, a no-nonsense leader who will do things her way and for the good of her country. She has been mighty impressive since she took over last September and outshone and out-manoeuvred the likes of Labour’s Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy in the build-up to the general election. She spoke from the heart and Scotland knew she understood the needs of the nation. The Labour Party was hopelessly out of touch with the people of Scotland; Sturgeon recognised this and appealed to Labour’s core supporters to support a party that understood them and fought for their rights – the SNP.

While Alex Salmond spoke passionately, he could, as we say in Scotland, start a fight in an empty room. Nicola Sturgeon respects others while getting her forthright views across. As well as knowing what to say, she knows what not to say – and her views, passion and determination to fight for the working class people have resonated with the people of Scotland – and beyond.

Scotland is now a changed country. Last September, its people stepped back from choosing independence, some influenced by the scare tactics of the unionist parties with Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown making the now infamous ‘vow’, promising there would be more powers for Scotland if the people rejected independence. The day after the result of the referendum, Cameron stood outside Number Ten Downing Street and spoke about more powers for England. Scotland had been metaphorically booted in the balls by a Tory Prime Minister – not for the first time.

This week, Scots have at last seen through the unionist claptrap. They want the SNP to make decisions that will affect their lives. However, as is usual, they are stuck with a government that England has voted for. David Cameron, though, will ignore the views of Scotland at his peril. He spent last summer telling Scots how they would be ‘better together’, how better they would be as part of the UK. If he does as Margaret Thatcher did before him and ignores the Scots, it could be calamitous for him and his party. The thorny issue of membership of the European Union will soon be the next issue he has to deal with. And the decision Cameron has to make is whether to appease the views of many Conservative backbench MPs. If the UK leaves the European Union it will be because middle England wants us to. And the wishes of the Scottish people will be ignored. More powers for Scotland? The Scots language famously has two positive words coming together to form a negative phrase – ‘aye, right’.

The European Union referendum could have far-reaching implications for Scotland and the rest of the UK. Scotland’s First Minister has already shown she is a formidable opponent and will fight for what is best for Scotland. The Scottish people have backed Sturgeon and have elected an army of 56 MPs to make sure the fight is won.

As this week has proved, no one would back against Nicola Sturgeon or the SNP. A woman of substance, a party of substance. Independence for Scotland is back on the agenda. The message to Prime Minister Cameron and his Conservative government is – you’d better believe it.

No Matter, Mr Cameron - I'm Gonna Do it Anyway

 

Are you one of the millions of people who work for someone else? Work your fingers to the bone in order that someone else benefits from your hard work? Do you feel you never get the praise you deserve for your dedication and commitment, day in day out, year in, year out? It can be depressing, knowing there’s no real reward other than the salary at the end of the month – and even this is pegged to protect the profits of the company you work for. Sound familiar?

Do you ever dream of breaking away from the daily grind, the relentless pressure of working all the hours for someone who doesn’t really appreciate your efforts and for whom you’re just a small cog in a machine? Do you ever think about setting up your own business, working for yourself? Yes, it would be hard work and there may be a degree of uncertainty – but the same could be said for any walk of life. Imagine the rewards you would get knowing your hard work, dedication and courage would be benefiting you and your family and not some overlord who doesn’t really care about you and your welfare.

Now apply that to the country you live in. Its good, honest, hard-working citizens working hard in a struggle to make ends meet. But not really getting the benefits they really deserve. They are ruled by a government hundreds of miles away who don’t really care about their welfare, merely about the money being made which helps them remain in power. Imagine the benefits your country would get knowing its people’s hard work, dedication and courage was helping the country they live in – and not some other country whose government is so detached from the people who didn’t vote for them in the first place. A government which tells Scots we’re simply not good enough.

An opinion poll published last Sunday put the Yes Campaign marginally ahead in the referendum for Scottish independence – now less than a week away. This news put the cat among the pigeons at Westminster.  Britain’s Prime Minister and his propaganda machine swung into action. David Cameron immediately cancelled Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament to head for Scotland – as did his political foes Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband. Ask yourself how many times do you see the leaders of the three main UK political parties in Scotland other than at election time?

The quite frankly ridiculous offer from Chancellor George Osbourne – or should that be chancer George Osbourne? – of further tax-raising powers for Scotland should the Scots vote No is effectively the so-called ‘Devo-Max’ dressed up. This was something the UK government didn’t want on the referendum ballot paper. Barely a week before the referendum itself – and after thousands of people have already submitted a postal vote – it’s being offered by an increasingly desperate UK government who are now in full-scale panic mode.

The Westminster machine told major retailers such as John Lewis and Asda  - and the Prime Minister was answering journalist’s questions in an Asda store this week - to announce the cost of their goods would increase in an independent Scotland while the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland were told to announce they would be relocating from Scotland. In truth, costs will not rise and the RBS have now said there will be no job losses and no effect on operations in Scotland – they are merely changing their registered company address as part of a contingency plan. And it’s worth considering banks and other financial institutions have larger contingency plans in place - should the UK decide to leave the European Union following the referendum on this by the end of 2017.

Aided by his advisers and knowing that a yes vote would irreparably damage his political career – eight months away from a UK general election – a Prime Minister who co-ordinates scaremongering against the people he is responsible for, and manipulates markets for political gain should be ashamed. However, history tells us the Conservatives have no shame, particularly when it comes to Scotland.

This time next week we shall know the answer to the question should Scotland be an independent country. Last weekend, the opinion polls showed Yes 51%, No 49%. Midweek, following the scare stories pedalled by the Prime Minister, the former Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the leader of the Labour Party and former Deputy leader of the Labour Party – who all came to Scotland this week, panic-stricken – the polls showed Yes 47%, No 53%. However, if the Westminster elite thought it was job done then they reckoned without the guile of the Scottish people who have seen through the mistruths. As I type this, the latest poll, just five days before polling day, shows Yes 49%, No 51%.

What Scots need to seriously consider next Thursday is what kind of Scotland they want for their children and their children’s children. I have four grandchildren. I want them to grow up in a country that is one of the richest in the world and doesn’t see its wealth wasted on nuclear weapons (which will never be used), wars in which it should never be involved in and bailing out banks and financial institutions for their corporate greed.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in a country where its vast natural resources – not just oil – are used for the benefit of all the people of Scotland, people of all faiths, ethnic backgrounds and political views.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in a country where our nation’s wealth can protect our public services and welfare system – and put an end to foodbanks – and to make huge improvements to childcare and to the state pension for hard working people and those who have worked hard all their life and now deserve to retire without having to worry about how they’re going to pay their fuel bill.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in a country where the National Health Service will not be strangled by financial constraints but allowed to flourish, guaranteeing the right to free healthcare.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in a country where policies that affect every Scot are taken in Scotland and reflect Scotland’s priorities and values.

I have yearned for independence for Scotland for all of my 52 years. I passionately believe my country deserves better, much better than it gets under Westminster rule. I reached adulthood at the time Margaret Thatcher came to power and her Tory party policies almost – but not quite – destroyed the country I love.

Scotland has the opportunity of not only this lifetime but several lifetimes next week. Imagine this time next week waking up to find out the dream has become a reality. How invigorating, how exciting, how wonderful does that prospect feel?

That wonderful singer Labi Siffre had a brilliant song a few years back called Something Inside So Strong. The lyrics could have been written with Scotland in mind.

The higher you build your barriers the taller I become
The farther you take my rights away the faster I will run
You can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away
No matter 'cause there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh, no, something inside so strong
there's something inside so strong

The more you refuse to hear my voice the louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho, your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time, you squander wealth that's mine
My light will shine so brightly, it will blind you 'cause there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
But you're doing me wrong so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh, no, something inside so strong
There’s something inside so strong

Brothers and sisters
When they insist we're just good not enough
When we know better
Just look 'em in the eyes and say

I'm gonna do it anyway

Don’t let this marvellous opportunity pass. There will be scare stories galore from Westminster in the days ahead. Stay strong, Scotland. Do what’s best for your country. Our country. Governed by the people of Scotland. I have always told my two lovely daughters to make the decisions they think is best for them in their lives – but don’t, whatever happens, have any regrets. If Scotland votes No then it will be too late not to have any regrets.

Despite the words of self-interest from David Cameron, Gordon Brown et al, the message Scots can send to Westminster on Thursday is ‘When you insist we’re just not good enough - I’m gonna do it anyway’

This is our moment, Scotland’s moment – don’t let it pass.

8 Days Until the Independence Referendum and...

 

Courtesy of Yes Scotland

12 Days Until the Independence Referendum and...

...a new poll by YouGov suggests the 'Yes Scotland' campaign has taken a lead ahead of Scottish independence referendum with 51% of the vote and the 'No' campaign at 49%

This excludes the 'don't knows' so it's important not to get too carried away. However, it's a significant shift in opinion, given the Better Together campaign has always been ahead in the polls, usually by some distance.

I know of two previously staunch 'No' people who have considered all the facts available to them and, in the last two weeks, have decided they will be voting Yes for independence for Scotland.

12 days and counting to what will hopefully be a historic day for Scotland.

Dear Undecided Scottish Voter,

Here are 12 points to think about before the independence referendum on 18th September 2014.

1. Vote!

Compared to Westminster-style politics – a few talking-heads in TV studios – the Scottish referendum debate has been lively, localised and (by global standards) peaceful, involving thousands of Scots. Chances are you’ve already participated, in which case, congratulations - there are plenty of cynics “out there” who said that people like you don’t care about politics. Now, whatever you eventually decide, you should VOTE! A high turnout will show that Scots care actually do care about their country. And spare a thought, by the way, for the millions of Scots based overseas, many temporarily, who would love to vote but can’t!

2. Do you think Britain is a fair, well-managed and equal country?

A loaded question, obviously. Despite the once-in-a-lifetime “lottery win” that is North Sea oil (half of which has gone forever, squandered by Westminster), Britain over the last 35 years has become a more unequal society. The wealth and income gap between rich and poor is back to Victorian levels. Of course inequality has grown in other developed countries too but the UK (and USA) are by far the worst examples - we can all think of parts of the UK that remained poor even during the (so-called) “boom years” before 2008. Other countries have been much smarter about sharing wealth and success. They don’t automatically blame the “workshy poor” for every economic and social problem. Do you feel personally responsible for causing the Global Financial Crisis? Well, chances are that, as a UK resident, you’re already paying the price in some way, whereas the Top 5% have seen their wealth expand dramatically since 2009. Coincidence? Hardly – it’s a matter of Westminster’s political choices. UK governments chose to allowed the financial sector to run itself (into the ground), chose to bail out banks at the taxpayer’s expense, chose to prosecute no senior bankers, chose to reduce taxation for the rich and Big Business, chose for low-wage employers to be indirectly subsidised by the benefits system. Now Westminster wants austerity – but only for the “little guy”, not the well-connected! On 18th September 2014, Scots have an incredible opportunity to say goodbye to all that.

3. Is there a better model than the UK on “how to run a country”?

Nowhere’s perfect but the most successful countries in the world, in terms of their standard of living, economic strength and social progress – are small European states such as Norway, Denmark and Sweden (“The Scandinavian model”). The UK was a success story when the British Empire was still around. Scots contributed disproportionately to that success but Great Britain’s best days are certainly in the past. Westminster government is distant, corrupt and inefficient and UK economic policy is geared towards London and SE England, the financial services sector in the City, and real estate speculation. Devolution for Scotland has seen some small successes but we could do so much more if we had 100% control of the economic levers. North Sea oil is a bonus and there’s still at least £1.5 trillion of reserves “out there” (that’s one thousand five hundred million, million pounds!). And even without oil our economy includes strong sectors such as Food and Drink, renewable energy, wealth management, life sciences and further education.

4. Scotland already pays its way.

All you hear on the BBC and other media is endless repetition that Scots get more public spending per head. What the media rarely admit is that Scots have also paid more tax per head than the Rest of UK for at least 30 years. Social spending, Scandinavian-style, won’t be cheap. But doing nothing is also expensive. Thanks to years of bad choices in Westminster, UK families now pay childcare costs of around 25% of household income (much higher than other rich European countries), while taxpayers foot the bill for the massive social problems caused by lack of spending where it would be most effective – at the pre-school stage. When it comes to the “Scandinavian model” or any other expenditure, Scots know this much: You get what you pay for.

5. Is it possible to create a better country?

Why not?

6. Voting No doesn't mean things will stay the same.

Many will vote No because they want to “keep things the same” as they are now. But big changes are already happening in the rest of the UK. Rapid privatisation of the NHS in England and anti-immigrant politics are a major departure from the values that the “old UK” used to stand for; after a No vote, the Scottish government will be pressurised to do the same. UK exit from the EU in 2017 is a distinct possibility – that would affect thousands of jobs. And UK public debt has now reached £1.4 trillion or 76% of our annual Gross Domestic Product, so it’s only a matter of time until there are bigger cuts to “good” public spending (after the 2015 General Election). But Westminster will always find money for tax cuts for the rich and Big Business, and for vanity projects such as aircraft carriers to “project British power overseas” (as if the UK’s “independent foreign policy” isn’t already dictated by the USA). A No vote will only ensure things stay the same for the “Haves”.

7. Do not be fooled by the currency debate. You’re smarter than that.

The pound sterling is just as much Scotland’s currency as it is the Rest of the UK’s. Westminster politicians who say there would be “no sharing” of the pound are having a laugh. If there’s a Yes vote, they’ll change their minds faster than a dodgy expenses claim submission. Currency unions are very common – just Google it! Do you really imagine that English businesses would willingly cough up billions of pounds a year in foreign exchange fees to trade with Scotland – one of their biggest markets – just to massage the egos and pride of a shower of here-today, gone-tomorrow Westminster politicians, most of whom already have an eye on a lucrative business career after they’ve left politics? The Bank of England has already said they will manage any currency arrangement. Currency union - it’s a case of “filling out some forms”. Other currency unions work perfectly well. Better Together only ever talk about problems in the Eurozone but these are mainly caused by the big economic differences between (say) Germany and Greece whereas Scotland and England’s economies are very similar – except that Scottish GDP per head is 15% higher if North Sea Oil is included. A UK currency union would work simply because… come Hell or high water, business always finds a way to make money.

8. And anyway… it’s about more than pennies and pounds!

It’s too bad that Westminster and “Better Together” politicians think that Scots are greedy individualists whose votes will be swayed by a few hundred pounds here or there. Maybe they’ve been looking in the mirror too long? Money’s important but it isn’t everything. What about taking responsibility for your own destiny, self-respect, not living in the past?

9. Nothing is guaranteed in life...

Independence carries a degree of risk. But choosing to stay in the UK is also risky. We already mentioned NHS privatisation, public spending cuts and possible EU exit in 2017. We already know that Westminster is mainly interested in London and SE England so it’s a fair bet that even more public spending will be concentrated there. The fact is: all countries face challenges and uncertainties, even the biggest, such as China and the USA. Fortunately we have plenty of examples of small-but-nimble countries doing very well independently, while fully participating in global institutions such as the UN, EU and NATO. Scotland would be “Better Together” with the rest of the world, not Westminster. The international ratings agency Standard and Poor’s – one of the Top 3 on whom the international financial system is based – says that an independent Scotland would receive its “highest credit assessment – even without North Sea oil”. But it’s likely that most Scots will only have heard about the biased reports that support the Better Together argument, same as in 1979 and 1997. Some things never change!

10. Independence isn't about being "anti-English".

The UK media cannot – will not – accept that independence isn’t about being “anti-English”. They like to characterise the independence referendum as a re-run of the Battle of Bannockburn. Even The Economist magazine – normally sensible – recently ran a big cover with a close-up of a tartan-clad punter in a Jimmy wig with his face painted blue. But Scots are – by and large - grown-ups who live in the 21st century. We don’t paint our faces blue (usually). We think things over then take rational – yes, “canny” – decisions. Having said that, we’re also human beings, not robots. We strike a balance between head and heart. For example, many Scots who felt proud when our national athletics team marched into Celtic Park at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in July must also have noticed that nearly all of the 70-odd countries and territories of the former British Empire have declared independence. And none of them appear to regret it.

11. Vote Yes and help save the Rest of the UK

Scotland is already different, politically, from the rest of the UK. An independent Scotland, pursuing progressive and sustainable economic and social policies, would be a great example for our friends and colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a major kick-up-the-backside for complacent Westminster politicians who truly “know the price of everything but the value of nothing”.

12. A No vote would feel like 1,000 Scotland sporting defeats

Don’t be a “90-minute patriot”. If you feel bad when Scotland lose on the football pitch, imagine that sensation multiplied by 1,000 when you wake up on 19th September 2014, you and a majority having voted No, and you hear Westminster politicians interpret the result – however close - as a 100% vote of confidence to continue with the same tired old politics of austerity, inequality and living-in-the-past. Westminster squandered the first half of the North Sea oil bonanza but there’s still at least £1.5 trillion of reserves to be exploited. The UK is badly-managed and lopsided towards London and SE England, the rich and Big Business. Do you really trust Westminster to suddenly change its ways after a No vote, or do you think Scotland could do better on its own?

Thanks for reading. Please share, like, and spread this page to any undecided voters you know!

http://www.undecidedscottishvoter.com/
 

Why Scotland Should be Independent

 

 

The real question is not can Scotland be independent, but rather, should Scotland be an independent country? And, more and more people in Scotland are saying Yes. There are many reasons why Scotland should be independent.  Here are three.

 

With Yes we’ll have Scotland’s future in our own hands. 

And that means we will make better choices for people living here. We’ll be able to make sure Scotland’s wealth and resources deliver more for you and for communities across Scotland, because economic and social policy will be based on the priorities and needs of the people of Scotland. That’s much better than having bad decisions taken for us by politicians at Westminster.

With just 59 MPs out of 650 at Westminster, we can easily be outvoted – and regularly are.  We voted against nuclear weapons, post office privatisation and the bedroom tax, but we got stuck with them anyway. And, we’re regularly left with governments that we did not vote for and that means policies most of us rejected get imposed on us.

With Yes we can build a fairer country. 
The UK is an increasingly unfair country.  In fact, we live in one of the most unequal countries in the industrialised world. Since 1975 the gap between the very rich and the rest of us has been growing faster in the UK than in any other comparable industrialised country. Scotland is wealthy enough to be a fairer country – like similarly sized small independent countries.   That means we can choose to:

• Deliver a transformational increase in childcare and early years education, to make life easier for young families and give our youngsters the best possible start in life
• Completely abolish the Bedroom Tax and halt some of the worst and most damaging changes to our welfare system introduced by the current Tory government
• Make savings of £600 million each year from no longer paying for things like nuclear weapons or politicians at Westminster.

With Yes we can build a more prosperous country.
More often than not, Westminster choices aren’t the right ones for Scotland.  With the full powers of Yes, Scotland can put in place policies that match our economic priorities to create jobs and grow our economy. Here’s just a few that would make a big difference to all our lives:

• Save some of the revenues from our £1.5 trillion (in wholesale value) remaining oil and gas reserves to create a rainy day fund so that we are more financially secure in the future
• Choose a fairer tax system so that hard-pressed households are guaranteed cost of living increases in things like their tax credits and tax free allowances
• Introduce targeted tax policies to encourage job creation, for example, reducing the costs of small businesses employing people through lower Employers'  National Insurance Contributions

Find out more about gains for people like you from independence here.

 

What’s clear is that Westminster isn’t working for Scotland.  We can all agree that the best people to make decisions about Scotland’s future are those that live and work here. Scotland’s people should be at the very heart of decisions about Scotland – not an afterthought.  With Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands we can make sure that happens.

Scotland Be Brave

At the end of February, the UK government decided to hold a cabinet meeting outside London's Downing Street. They headed for Portlethen, a few miles south of Aberdeen. In Scotland. Those of you who read my inane ramblings from outside the UK may ask what is particularly noteworthy about this. Well, this is the second time the UK government has held a cabinet meeting in Scotland. The second time, that is, in 90 years. The fact the people of Scotland will vote in a referendum in less than seven months from now, on 18th September, on whether to become an independent nation is, I'm sure, a pure coincidence...

There has been a fair amount of rhetoric emanating from London in recent weeks about how Scotland would be better off remaining as part of the UK. The independence referendum has been on the agenda since the Scottish National Party won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2011 but it's as if the powers-that-be in London have only just realised a history-making decision is imminent.

Scotland hasn't just changed in the last few months or since the SNP came to power. It's a country that has changed since the days of the Thatcher government, when the Scots felt they were being treated like second class citizens. Most Scots voted for the Labour Party in the 1980s. They saw this as the best way to get rid of the despised Margaret Thatcher whose policies changed Britain as a country. However, millions of people in the south and south-east of England adored Thatcher and what she stood for - the term 'free enterprise' was prevalent at the time which was a metaphor for making money no matter what the social consequences - and the Conservatives waltzed into power in three general elections.

It was clear the Scots were fed up of being governed - and dictated to - by a government few of them had voted for. So, three decades later, the momentum is such that Scotland's people will, for the first time, choose their own destiny rather than have it decided for them by people they didn't elect in London.

The latest opinion polls have the 'No' campaign ahead. However, the gap is narrowing. It seems panic has set in for the Prime Minister and Alistair Darling, head of the Better Together campaign. They have come out with a whole raft of claims in an attempt to demean the case for independence  - with many of their arguments having the opposite effect and encouraging people, particularly young people, to vote 'Yes' come 18 September.

The Better Together campaign has, predictably, seized on comments from the European Commissioner José Manuel Barroso who said it would be very difficult for an independent Scotland to gain entry to the European Union. It's worth noting that Barroso is Portuguese. Portugal's neighbours are Spain who are determined not to let Catalonia have a similar referendum of independence. The Better Together people have ignored this and cited Barroso's comments as another reason for Scotland remaining part of the UK. However, after the next UK General Election, where the likelihood is Scotland will be stuck with another government no one here has voted for, there are plans for another referendum where the people will be asked if the UK should remain in or pull out of the European Union. In essence, if the Scots say no to independence, citing so-called vulnerability for being out of the EU as a reason, they may find the UK pulling out in any case. Again, it matters not what the Scots want in any EU referendum - it will be the people of England who will decide for us.

The Better Together campaign keep saying Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is not prepared to tell us what currency we will be using and has no Plan B. The currency 'issue' has been thrown in as a scare tactic by Westminster. There is no reason why an independent Scotland would not remain in pound sterling which, as the currency of the UK as it stands, is as much Scotland's currency as the rest of the UK.  Would the London based government really put English (and Welsh and Northern Irish) businesses at serious risk by saying you can't do business in sterling with Scotland?

Days after Westminster said Scotland wouldn't be able to keep the pound, David Cameron was in Scotland telling everyone that it would be better for everyone if the oil was protected and administered by Westminster. This is principally because, without North Sea oil revenue, the pound sterling would be in crisis. It's also worth remembering that if there is a Yes vote then Scotland won't be independent until 2016.  It's AFTER the vote that the debt/currency/taxation issues start to get ironed out and they'll be the manifesto promises from the parties wanting to run the independent Scotland. The present diatribe from the Tories in England is self-protection. But what about Standard Life's threat to pull out of an independent Scotland I hear you ask? The crucial bit here is that Standard Life have said they may relocate if Scotland doesn't get the currency union it is entitled to. That's one helluva big 'if'. The pound sterling is as much Scotland's as it is the rest of the UK. Financial organisations like Standard Life are uncomfortable with change. They'll have five year business plans in place which may need to be revised should Scotland become independent  -  and even at that the rules and regulations in Scotland would need to change from how they are at the moment. And there's no reason to suggest that will happen.

Alistair Darling came out with a memorable quote when he said “People have to understand that, if the polls say yes, there is no going back. The result is binding.” This is one of the few statements Darling has said which I agree with.  How many countries who have gained their independence in modern times have wanted to return to their previous status? You could ask a Better Together campaigner but the answer you will get is 'none'.

Darling's former boss, ex Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also joined the 'no' campaign. Are we seriously expected to trust the economic advice of the man who, as Chancellor, masterminded the collapse of the economy? The man integral in changing the regulations to allow greed and corruption in the financial sector? The man who now says Scotland couldn't afford to be independent? Brown has come out with a plan to devolve more tax-raising powers to Scotland if there is a no vote. How generous  - but one must ask why he didn't come up with this plan when he had the power to do so i.e. when he was Prime Minister.

I've heard some Labour supporters say they've become disillusioned with the Labour Party and would vote 'Yes' come September 18th - only they don't like Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond or some of the policies of the Scottish National Party. This is somewhat missing a very important point. The referendum in September is not about Alex Salmond or the SNP government. It's about deciding whether Scotland should be an independent country or not. If it's a 'Yes' vote, there will be a general election in Scotland to decide who will govern the country. Personally, I'm not overly concerned about who the next government of Scotland is. Labour, SNP, Lib-Dems, Scottish Socialists, Greens - I would say Conservatives but that's stretching things - it matters not to me. I just want Scotland to govern itself and not be run by London as a kind of afterthought. It's a misconception to think voting 'Yes' is a vote for Salmond and the SNP - it isn't.

There are less than six months to go until Scotland's future is decided - by the people of Scotland. An opportunity to have a better Scotland, one that controls  its own matters, one where the people of Scotland are placed first. Yes, an independent Scotland will make mistakes and errors of judgement. But these will be by Scots and not an old Etonian in London who only comes north of Hadrian's Wall when he has to.

I sincerely hope that, in the years that follow the referendum, Scots aren't struggling with their lives; dismayed by being governed by politicians hundreds of miles away, the majority of whom don't really care about Scotland; aren't despising another Conservative government making its 'tough decisions' on Scotland - you can be sure even if the whole of Scotland votes Labour in 2015 the government of the UK will be decided the hugely populated south of England. And aren't regretting that, in September 2014, they passed up the chance of several lifetimes.

Scotland the Brave is a famous anthem. In September, Scots can opt for a better future, one of hope, one which will be determined by Scots themselves. Don't be frightened by the scare stories emanating from London. We can do it. We just need to have faith in ourselves, our own ability to determine our own future - not have it decided for us by London. I want my two daughters and four grandchildren to have a great future, one they can look forward to with hope, optimism and pride. Will that be the case if we're still ruled by London?

We may never get such a chance again.  It's almost time. Time for Scotland to be brave.

Trident and the Tories - Scotland Says No Thanks

The British Prime Minister has said the UK would be "foolish" to abandon Trident in the face of the potential threat of nuclear attack from North Korea and Iran. David Cameron said the country still needed the "ultimate weapon of defence".

Mr Cameron is committed to maintaining a round-the-clock submarine-based nuclear missile system of the kind Britain has had since the late 1960s and also stressed his commitment to Trident, which is based on the Clyde, during a visit to the west of Scotland.

"The world we live in is very uncertain, very dangerous: there are nuclear states and one cannot be sure of how they will develop," he told workers at a defence contractor in Glasgow.

"We cannot be sure on issues of nuclear proliferation, and to me having that nuclear deterrent is quite simply the best insurance policy that you can have, that you will never be subject to nuclear blackmail."

From the BBC News website.

Nuclear weapons have no legitimate purpose. Civilian casualties would be unavoidable. They are genocidal and completely immoral. When confronted with any of today's real security threats nuclear weapons are irrelevant: they cannot address the actual threats the government has identified – terrorism, cyber warfare and climate change.

Not only do nuclear weapons kill indiscriminately but the radioactive fallout from their detonation means that their effects know no geographical boundaries. Immediate survivors in the vicinity of any nuclear exchange face devastating long-term ill effects or death. Recent research shows that even a so-called ‘small exchange’ of 50 nuclear weapons could cause the largest climate change in recorded human history and potentially could kill more people than were killed in the whole of the Second World War.

The annual cost of Trident is estimated at over £1 billion per year to the British taxpayer. In a country that lurches ever more towards poverty and social depravation, how many new schools and hospitals could that money build? The British Government - led by the Tories and LibDems - are more intent on cutting benefits to those living on the poverty line than saving real money by banishing these weapons of mass destruction.

David Cameron says Trident is a deterrent to any country wishing to launch a nuclear attack on Britain. This hasn't stopped North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un threatening to strike the west coast of America - and the USA has more of a 'nuclear deterrent' than anyone. Cameron says having Trident at Faslane in the west of Scotland makes Scotland a safer place. Oh aye, so it does. North Korea or Iran will look at the UK and think 'well, we won't bother striking Scotland - there's no point in targeting where they keep their nuclear arsenal...'

In my view, having nuclear weapons is just wrong. It didn't act as much of a deterrent to Al Qaeda when they bombed the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in 2001. If, as Cameron says, it's vital to have Trident missiles why doesn't he move them south of the border - to England? The answer that screams back at me is, as with the hated Poll Tax more than two decades ago and the destroying of the coal, shipbuilding and steel industries in Scotland by the despised Tory PM of the time, Margaret Thatcher, Scotland does not matter to the Conservatives. Very few people in Scotland vote for them - there are more pandas at Edinburgh Zoo than Tory MPs north of the border.

September 2014 will soon be with us. It will soon be time to banish the Tories from Scotland for good. Foolish to abandon Trident? The Tories abandoned Scotland years ago.