Scottish Independence: Beyond a reasonable doubt

So, Dear Reader, I wrote this little blog a week ago detailing my journey from being a firm No voter to becoming a shaky Yes voter and would you believe it, to date it has been seen by 2098 folks!

I have to say I find it a little overwhelming to think that so many people have read my thoughts when I only really wrote it for myself. To give a little background it took about 2 weeks to chisel away at that article and slowly reveal it's shape. It started as me listing all the reasons I was voting No in an attempt to convince myself that I was resolute in my beliefs and I was not wavering. In fact the more I wrote the more I realised that I was no longer convinced. You can actually see (or I can cause I know) which paragraphs I wrote when I was in Team No and which I wrote once I had realised the truth. I have had a lot of really supportive texts, emails and messages on social media praising the article and the word that came up a lot is "balanced". The article is balanced because it was started by a No voter and finished by a Yes voter!

I have also had texts and messages and conversations with people who had told me that after reading my blog they too have re-evaluated their position and are now planning on voting Yes. That to me is amazing and humbling I feel I owe it to those people to follow it up with some substance in support of the soliloquy.

You see much has happened since I wrote my little piece; there has been a second debate in which Darling lost his mojo, Salmond found it and he more or less verbatim did exactly what I suggested he should have done in the first debate (perhaps he was one of the 2098); Russell Brand has come out in support of Scottish self-determination and the Patronising Better Together Lady has made up her mind to vote No in less time than it takes her to make Paul's cereal!


But i haven't just been sitting eating cereal and looking at my phone, I have been doing a lot of reading. If I was terrified to publish my blog last week (and I was) for fear of ridicule and uncertainty that I was making the right decision I am now fully resolved that I HAVE made the right decision and that, in fact, there is no other viable option. Allow me to explain.

“Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By ‘patriotism’ I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.”  George Orwell

I am not a nationalist. I never have been, I never will. I have not and will not vote SNP and while I was reassured by Alex Salmond's confident performance in the second debate I still find him smug and unbearable and my own beliefs are at odds with his policies. I still maintain that I would much prefer to remain in the UK as I still feel British, I still feel proud to be British and I do love England and all things English. I have never been to Wales but I have a massive affection for it and my time spent in Northern Ireland has never been anything but wonderful.  I wish we could change the way in which we are represented in Westminster and I wish the revolution that we are about to have North of the border was nationwide. But wishing doesn't make it so. Nostalgia for royal wedding parties with Union Jack flags, warm beer and the 2012 Olympics will not undo the damage that has been done by the current Tory Lite Administration. I was at several events at the Commonwealth Games recently and I proudly stood for the English and Welsh anthems during medal ceremonies just as I did during Scottish ones. Voting for Independence doesn't make you any more or any less of a patriot, despite what some zealots might tell you. There are some real idiots on both side of this debate but don't be distracted by that, throwing eggs at politicians doesn't make you more of a patriot, quite the opposite in fact! But whether you feel British or not is irrelevant, this is not what the referendum is about. The current Westminster government are destroying our country, they are killing Britain and what it means to be British. Britain IS a democratic and fair society founded on socialist values. We have been the envy of the world for our National Health Service, we are innovators in science, we are educators and and we look after those who cannot look after themselves. We have a welfare system that is there as a safety net for those who need it and while there is a small section of society who abuse this, we should not allow that to impact on those who rely upon it. We are, at heart, a socialist nation. So why are we ruled by Conservatives whose main aim seems to be to demonise the very people in society who we should be helping? Why are we ruled by Tories who think nothing of claiming £20 for a breakfast yet think the disabled who are unable to work do not deserve the dignity of the basics they need to survive? Again I ask why?

The answer sadly is that we have no voice in the UK. We are powerless to affect change because we are that much smaller than our neighbours. So again I will reiterate what I said in my previous blog, what are our English neighbours options at the next general election because like it or not the responsibility for fixing this mess falls to them? They can vote Labour but realistically I don't think many will, as much as Cameron is disliked Milliband isn't a great option. I like Ed Milliband, I wish we didn't live in a world where style was more important than substance but we do and he isn't the man for the job.

So who else? The Lib Demsnlofnwkm.v,..

My apologies, I just fell over laughing.

So we are left with The Tories Full Fat without the calming influence of the Lib Dems or the possibility of a new coalition. But who might form this coalition if  Lib and Lab are out of the game?

Yep, UKIP. Believe it or not, and I know it seems far fetched, UKIP are gaining momentum in England and could well end up in a coalition with our friends The Tories. Now, sensible people must realise that UKIP are racists and xenophobes and no-one in their right mind should vote for them but I know sensible people who read The Daily Mail and it is the paperback novel on which the Tory/UKIP movie would be based upon. Essentially in this scenario we would be ruled by The Daily Mail. We would be sending em back home, keeping England English and us Jocks would be kept firmly in our place! Nigel Farage's "sensible solutions" would meet with Cameron's austerity and a bad situation would just get worse. So in fact my love of my country is what has led me reluctantly to conclude that we MUST vote Yes at the referendum. Because you know what? England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be watching us. OUR Independence could well be the catalyst to create real change across the rest of this island.

Until 2 weeks ago I was intending on voting No so I know that No voters are not stupid people. I know that they are no less informed than Yes voters, however what I have come to realise, and it has been the Rosetta Stone which has allowed me to understand the situation more clearly, is that we have been lied to over a prolonged period by a mass media that wouldn't be out of place in North Korea. Almost everything that we have been told by any UK media outlet has been heavily weighed in favour of the Union. My cousin works alongside Professor John Robertson at the University of Scotland and sent me the video below after I had come out in support of Indy but it confirmed what I already suspected to be true. What stands out for me in this video is his section on "experts". The fact is that all experts have views of their own which colour their interpretation of the facts and whatever position you wish to present, there will always be a suitable expert to back it up. But we believe what we are told if told by someone claiming to be an expert. Wouldn't it be more transparent to divulge their political leanings and allow you to make an informed choice?

Speaking of an informed choice, I have been reading a lot in the past week or two, mostly sources that you won't hear about in the mass media. Of course in the interests of balance you may find them buried somewhere on the outlet's website but it won't be the headlines! One of the things that prompted me to look into this further and ultimately changed my mind is that I was going on discussion boards and having face to face conversations with people where I would present the information given to me by the Better Together campaign and almost everything I said was very easily disproven by verifiable links to sources that I have not seen before. The impression I got quite quickly was that No voters come armed with soundbites, Yes voters are armed with sources and facts. I am, of course, generalising  but this is how it appeared to me. It certainly motivated me to read a bit more as it was embarrassing how easily beaten I was in any debate. Although no-one can claim that Wings Over Scotland is impartial and most No voters refuse to read it, I strongly urge you to download and read the Wee Blue Book. You'll find the link at the bottom of this page. If you have a web enabled Kindle, iPad or iPhone (other tablets are available) it is so easy to read as every single statement and fact has a link to the original source and is verifiable. It is not as bloated as the SNP white paper and replaces all of the rhetoric with real information, information you will not see reported on. It very quickly dispels a lot of the myths perpetrated by Better Together and is honest in it's approach. If it doesn't know the answer, it admits that.

Which brings me to my next point and it is an important issue.  One of the arguments I made time and time again when I was defending The Union was "Alex Salmond can't give a  straight answer to what Independence will be like". There is a reason for that and it is an important one which it took me a while to realise. He won't because he can't. He can't because David Cameron "refuses to pre-negotiate Scotland's exit from the UK". He will not even discuss any details, this is where his power lies and he will hold it over Scotland to keep us in our place. Although he's happy to pre-negotiate that we won't get the pound. Again, its a power play by them to frighten us but in all reality it would be disastrous for rUK to refuse a currency union, he just thinks it will never come to that so he needn't worry about being proven wrong! Same goes for Europe, the EU have stated that they will happily discuss the Scotland situation if asked by a member state, ie if Cameron asks they will clarify it but he refuses to so that he can keep it as a debating tool, "Big Bad Salmond won't tell you whether Scotland will be in the EU". Lets not forget that the Tories have promised an in/out referendum on EU anyway and if they are in a coalition with UKIP what do you think will happen? Anyway, whenever the Yes campaign do give answers no-one reports it!

It's all political posturing by Westminster, it's cynical and it's dishonest. THAT is what you will be voting for if you vote No. Yes, Independence is a risk but voting to maintain the status quo and handing the current government a massive vote of confidence is an ever greater risk. In the words of a good friend of mine who text me after the last blog, "A yes vote won't create a utopia, it will stop Scotland's neglect in the future. A No vote will guarantee it."

In a democracy you present your case and give evidence to support it. You then allow the people you represent to make an informed choice. If they agree with you, you win, if they do not, you don't. There should not be any need for mud slinging, misrepresenting the facts, egg throwing, defacing car stickers, abusive tweets and arguments on social media. If anyone is undecided or has any doubts and wants to ask me any question I would be happy to share some of the stuff I have read with you and allow you to make your own informed decision. Whatever we disagree on, everyone wants what is best for their country, their family and themselves. We may not agree on what the best is but we can all agree on that. If you identify yourself as a member of a political movement then every action you take, every word you say will be taken as representing that movement. Try to bear that in mind when you are discussing the referendum between now and September the 18th. There is no need to go to war with one another over this, it isn't about sides, it is about opinions and in a democracy anyone educated enough to stand up and debate should be listened to and welcomed to the table. Good luck in making your decision.

I still detest that man though!


Read further:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/06/welfare-britain-facts-myths
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2011/05/mps-expenses-vs-benefit-fraud/
http://wingsoverscotland.com/weebluebook/
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/4030/polls_still_suggest_conservative_ukip_pact_key_for_2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRvbFlcQdA

Scottish Independence: A Reasonable Doubt

Those of you who knows my position on Scottish Independence may have noticed that I've been quiet on the subject lately. Perhaps you haven't as others have certainly filled the void with their voices, as indeed they should do. This IS the most important decision we will make in our lifetime, it deserves a little of your time to listen to and debate all of the arguments on either side. I wouldn't take your information from the mass media though!

 

The reason I have been quiet is because I've been listening to and debating with friends and strangers who hold opposing views to my own. I've been reading and looking behind all of the facts and opinions. I've been changing my mind.

 

I have held the view for most of my life that Scotland shouldn't be independent of the rest of the United Kingdom and that is something that has not changed. It shouldn't. But I think it needs to be.

 

I don’t want to break away from the UK, I am British and as proud of that as I am of being Scottish. I wish we didn’t have to go our own way but increasingly I feel like we need to. We can’t continue to be ruled by an elitist establishment whose sole aim is to keep us in our place and exploit us for their own means and that of their friends. Austerity measures in the face of a huge deficit make sense, everyone tightening their belts for a bit and pulling together to get the economy back on track makes sense. You do it yourself, when money is tight in your household you make cuts and sacrifices. But when that message is delivered by a shiny-faced Etonion sitting on a throne at a banquet, telling us that these are not temporary measures but a permanent way of life, it no longer seems sensible, it feels like abuse.

 

Westminster doesn't have our interests in mind, it has their own and that of their friends. And by friends I mean those who line their pockets; people like that don't have friends. They need a lower class so that they have fodder for their factories and shops, they need poor people to do the work and make money for the rich people. I've said for a while now that we will get the chance to vote the Tories out in 2015, if we vote for Independence there is no going back. I stand by that.

 

But. What if the Tories get back in? Can you imagine how bad that will be? If we vote No and the Tories get voted back in they will take that as a stamp of approval that they are doing the right thing and they will keep on doing it. Even if they don’t, what viable alternative do we have? There is no socialist party of any merit left to choose from, Labour are a mess and the Lib Dems? Really??! So what are our options?

 

Well we could vote for Independence and we will get the government we want. Unless of course you want a party other than the SNP because if they win the independence debate they will almost certainly be voted back into power. Unless they fuck up the negotiations with rUK of course, but they won't. They have Scotland's best interests at heart, don't they?!

 

So now we've reached the part that I have a problem with and you should too. Because Alex Salmond is not the man you want negotiating your corner, he had 12 minutes to hold the Better Together campaign to task on live national TV and he wasted it talking about aliens and driving on the other side of the road. He had the opportunity to put the whole currency debate to rest by saying "Yes I strongly believe that we will use the pound in a currency union with rUK but I'm not daft, we're not pinning all our hopes on one outcome, here are the viable alternatives that we have considered" but he did not. In any argument or negotiation you have to be able to give and take, you can't just dig your heals in and say it's my way or no way. I believe him when he said repeatedly he wants what's best for Scotland, I don't agree with his vision of what's best but he does and I believe he is genuine. What's best for Scotland is definitely to keep the pound but when it comes to negotiating do you not think the Westminster government will do what's best for the rest of the UK? If Salmond is right and it IS in the UK's best interest to enter into a currency union then they will do so under the terms that suit and protect them. They will not take Scotland's interests, values or welfare into account when negotiating terms or deciding interest rates. They will do what is right for them. They should. We left, it was our decision. We gave up our seat at the table and have no right to argue. Hell mend us.

 

But if we vote for independence we will always get the government we vote for. The people of Scotland are the best people to decide the future of Scotland. I agree. But let's not get carried away here, the First Minister whoever he may be in 2016 is not going to phone you up and ask your opinion. You won't have any more of a say in an Independent Scotland than you do now. The politicians will still be in charge, just different ones. Watching the first debate between Darling and Salmond it just seemed like a point scoring game, and that's what it was. Politics is a game and the politicians are players. Their accent doesn't change that fact. It's like saying that Westminster has England's best interests at heart because it is in England. No it doesn't. It has its own.

 

Westminster IS the problem though. The current Tory government IS the problem. Something needs to be done, something needs to change. The question is, is this the change we need? It isn't independence. We will be giving up our seat at the table but will continue to be ruled by them. They will have control over our money and that unfortunately means you have control over everything. Whoever has the money has the power.

 

So now we're really fucked! What are our options now? What is the answer? We'll I'm afraid I don't have the answer. We're not Better Together at all because we are not really together at all. THAT is what we need to change though. If we break away and form our own government then the rest of rUK will be watching, waiting to see how we get on. If we are successful then they may well change the way they are governed too, we would be responsible for creating a political revolution in the UK, we would be as innovative in the world of politics as we are elsewhere.

 

But what are we risking? Our pensions, our mortgages, our standard of life (which isn’t awful compared to some places) our financial security and that of our children. It’s a big ask to take the leap without the most basic of questions answered.

 

The SNP want independence AT ANY COST and have not prepared for it. Alex Salmond is very much a believer that “it’ll be alright on the night”. Well it wasn’t on the night of the debate! That was his big moment and he was woefully underprepared. And don’t be fooled, a vote for Independence IS a vote for Alex Salmond as he will be the man negotiating the shape of what’s the come.

 

His closing statement was “voting yes is a vote for ambition over fear, it tells the world that Scotland is an equal nation that carries itself with confidence and self-belief”. This is emotional blackmail, it says if you don’t vote yes you are a fearty, I do this with my kids all the time. “I bet Lewis won’t eat his turnip, he’s too much of a baby to try it” Oh yeah, I’ll show you. Then Lewis ends up with a mouth full of turnip and let’s be honest, turnip does taste like crap! My fear is we will all end up with a mouth full of turnip on September 19^th.

 

I have witnessed the depth of feeling that people have for Independence, I used to think that everyone who wanted Scottish Independence had a chip on their shoulder and were motivated by thoughts of Mel Gibson in woad. I was wrong. I have engaged with some of the most well-informed, intelligent people during this campaign. I have friends and family that I think the world of who take completely the opposite view on this from me and they are not stupid or naïve. They want Independence and this is the closest we have been to achieving it which I believe is blinding them to the risks. And that is where my main issue lies, each side of this debate is so convinced that they are right that they are ignoring the potential pitfalls and pushing all the potential benefits, no-one is being completely honest with us. How the hell are you supposed to make a decision like this when you don’t know who to trust? Honestly you can’t trust either side!

 

So here we are, less than a month from the referendum and I have gone from a very firm No to a wobbly Don’t Know and I am reluctantly leaning towards a Yes. Can we do this? Of course we can, I never doubted that for a second. My area of doubt has always been that we SHOULDN’T, not that we COULDN’T. But now I’m beginning to think that we MUST. I am fearful of the future either way, there is no going back but for our future and our children’s perhaps we should take this opportunity while we have it and show the world that we can and will succeed. And just maybe, we might learn to love turnip.