Independence, Why

I watched last night's Scotland Tonight and one of the contributors was the editor of a Irish newspaper. In a discussion he had with a constitutional expert, the difference between our debate and say Ireland's & India's was that the economy did not come into it. I was not around when their independence happened so I have to take their word for it. Why does it seem so important in our discussions?

In You We trust

One of the things that initially drove me away from the LibDem party was a loss of faith in it. Where had its soul gone? In the 2010 general election I was going to vote SNP as I wanted a voice for Scotland in Westminster. I could not hear it from the Tory's or Labour & definitely not from our party, the LibDem's. Calman was the only option on offer. So far as I was concerned the LibDem's no longer spoke for Scotland.

I then met the local MP, John Thurso and he persuaded me to vote LibDem. I was excited that we would have a strong voice in Westminster, there was an outside change of leading the government. Yes, maybe a dream but for someone who had been voting LibDem for decades one I longed for.

Scottish LibDem Membership Increases by One

It may not be big news that the membership of Scottish LibDem's has increased by one but it is to me, I am the one who joined. Isn't strange that a supporter of Independence joins a party that is against it? Let me explain.

I first became interested in nationalism when I was at college in 1968 when I spoke in favour on Independence. I spoke in favour not out of any strong conviction but there was no one else willing to speak in favour. That debate ignited a life long debate within me Independence or Home Rule, SNP or Scottish Liberals (no Lib Dem in those days). One thing I learnt then was that what was on offer by the Union was not to Scotland's advantage. I was living in Aberdeen at the start on North sea oil and I saw how Aberdeen & the surrounding was changing. My friend working in the advertising sales of the Press & Journal and he was very busy with companies moving in to the area. 

I left Aberdeen & my parents home in Glenlivet in 1973 to find fame & fortune in London or at least a job. I could see how Scotland was ignored and little understood in the south. Living in London and laterly Milton Keynes but working in London, I voted Liberal & LibDem. The LibDem party has always matched more closely my own personal views. I want to see fairness in society, where the individual is important and that they should be free to act as they want to for the benefit of the all. I was born in Sunderland in the NE of England and again I could see how that area was also ignored by a centralised government. I love the NE of England & especially Sunderland. All of my life I have supported Sunderland AFC which has not been easy. How would independence for Scotland help that area? Would a federal system for the UK as a whole and more control for the English regions help both them & Scotland? 

These are questions that most UK parties have not answer. The LibDem's want a federal system to give powers to the English regions and Scotland. the problem is this has never been properly defined. The party has never really been near power to try to implement this policy. As time went on the federal option seems to of been forgotten until we have reached the current state of saying, yes we want more powers for Scotland but can't tell you what these are. We need to have another commission. 

Since the Scottish parliament was formed we have had the Steel Commission & then the Calman Commission and yet after these we need another commission. We have been advocating Home Rule since the 19th century but still have no real policy on it. The common response is that Home Rule is an evolving thing but there has been no answer given to what will it evolve into. Without knowing what you want to achieve, how can you set your path?

We have reached a truly defining point in the history of Scotland, the chance of having a properly independent country again in within sight for the first time in centuries. For this reasons we need to get it right. Why have we come to this point? Well there is no doubt, it is the SNP and how they have galvanised the population of Scotland who want more power for Scotland. They have shown that Scotland has the ability and confidence to be able to govern itself. The debate in Scotland is now how much power  do the Scottish people want. This is where the Scot LibDem's should be able to come into their own but we can't. Why?

Well firstly as I said before we have no current policy on what powers Scotland should have. Within the UK we are part of a government whose main party has always been against giving powers to Scotland. Therefore we see the likes of Michael Moore never mentioning a federal UK, who voices opinions that this debate is harming Scotland but offers no proof. The country has been lied to before by Westminster, The McCrone Report. The UK LibDem party is viewed as the party who does not want to give more powers to Scotland and refuses to believe that Scotland can be independent despite the facts.

The first chink in the united LibDem front appeared today in the Sunday Herald  Willie Rennie said that the current Union is "out-dated and over centralised". That is a big step to make but what he has not said is how he will achieve this. If we have a single question referendum and the answer is no, how will the federal system be brought in? Does anyone believe that any party will bring it in? No, they won't. we have only achieved this parliament because of the strength of the SNP and the fear by Westminster that Scotland will become independent.

If the LibDem's follow this current path we will be seen as a party thwarting the will of the Scottish people by having no second option, currently the favoured option. Most of the debates we have seem to be between 2 or 3 parties Cons. Labour and if in Scotland SNP. The LibDem's are lumped in with the Government i.e. the Tory's. We have no independent voice in these debates.

Why is the party so afraid of putting Home Rule on the ballot paper the option that they have been putting forward since the 19th century. Of joining with the civic groups to support it? If the Scottish people voted in favour of it then would not this long held dream become reality? What other way could this be achieved? 

Coming back to why did I join the party. It is a party I love, I think it is following the wrong path and I want to try to change that path. Do I have the right to ask for these changes if I am not a member? Would the party listen to me if I were not? Maybe No to both questions but for me I would not feel I had the right to ask and be on the outside.

If the Home Rule question was on the ballot paper how would I vote? Without seeing exactly what is on offer I can't say. I am uncertain, I think that the odds are it would be for independence. It is obvious how I would vote if it was not on the paper, Yes for a Scotland that can control its own destiny and have the powers to build a society that us Scots believe in. Retaining the NHS, making sure that schools are run for the benefit of all and not for the few. Where we have a safety net for the sick and dying and that they do not have to worry about having their benefits taken off them. Yes maybe a dream but if we fail it will be us to blame but we would of had the powers to make it happen.