yes

I'm not really one for political discussions, not even with my nearest and dearest, and this blog certainly isn't a political hotbed by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess all of us in Scotland are thinking and talking about politics a little more than usual in the current pre-referendum climate.  I hope you'll excuse this uninformed and vague political interjection, I know it is slightly out of character, but this is a really prominent feature of my daily thoughts at the moment and I wanted to declare my allegiance before the event so I'll be able to say (or not say) how happy/disappointed I am come the results.

I'm going to be voting yes on September 18th.  I was undecided for a long time and, now that I'm firmly settled on the yes side of the fence, can't understand why it took me so long to get here.  It seems obvious.  UK politics is not representative of Scotland and definitely not representative of me.  We're very limited north of the border in what we can do to change things in Westminster, our votes will never have enough influence.  And if we have a chance to do things differently (something I'm sure many of my friends in England would love the chance to do too) then I think we have to take it.  Of course there are stumbling blocks and issues to be overcome and I'm not belittling those arguments, but all those issues can (and will, I'm sure) be overcome.  Ultimately I'm looking at the big picture and the long game, and I have much more faith in Scotland than I do in the UK to create the sort of society that I want to be part of - open, inclusive, fair, forward-thinking, proactive.  I think an independent Scotland is the best way to protect the services and values I hold dear and the only way that vulnerable members of society will be protected and given at least some of the chances they deserve.  I also think that independence would enable us to find a position in Europe and the wider world that we'd be more comfortable with - a positive position.

I'm not one of these "I'm Scottish, not British" types and I'm sure I'll always feel affiliated with the rest of the UK, whatever the outcome of the referendum.  To me, this is not a them-and-us type of debate, just the chance to make some changes and do things differently and better, to create something new rather than destroy something old.  I can't see the changes I want happening through a UK government any time soon, maybe not ever, but I can definitely see the possibility of a fairer and happier future in an independent Scotland and this referendum is our chance to achieve that.  I just hope enough of the population are thinking along the same lines as me...