We pay the price for not being independent, and Brexit is just one example

by Douglas
Posted on
2 years ago
2 min read

Why do you back Scottish independence?

Well, I think it’s a matter of trust, really. Do we trust the people of this country to be able to run the country? I think we should.

We’ve got lots of talented people here. We’ve got some great resources. We’re a country that cares for each other.

We have free social care, free prescriptions, our kids go to university without having to pay. There’s so much potential… if we could take the other chances that independence would give us, it would be so much better for everyone.

Why does democracy matter?

Democracy is all about accountability. The Scottish Government is accountable to us, and I think an independent Parliament would be more accountable to us. I don’t feel that Westminster is accountable to us.

They make decisions which bind us to things, but there are only 20 Tory MPs outside of England, and just 6 Tory MPs in Scotland – yet they feel they can take measures that we have to follow, and they’re not in our interest.

Is Scotland being held back by not being independent?

The price for not being independent is that increasingly powers are being taken away from us, powers that we exercised within the European Union, but we actually carried them out.

They’re now back at Westminster, the government at Westminster are deciding where our main roads go and they’re deciding on many projects, we have no voice in it.

This is just unacceptable and it’s totally against what the Scottish Parliament was originally established for.

What’s your view on the Tories and Labour backing a Brexit that Scotland didn’t vote for?

Brexit is a really good example of where things have gone wrong. We were threatened that if we voted Yes we’d be out of Europe – and look what’s happened.

We’re out of Europe, despite 62% of the Scottish population voting to stay in it. Everyone knows it’s wrong now – the farmers in Scotland know it’s wrong, the shoppers know it’s wrong, young people have fewer opportunities.

And Labour… Labour are not speaking up about it at all. It’s shocking. I think there’s no way forward unless we reforge a new relationship with Europe, and I think an independent Scotland could do that.

🎥 Watch the second film in our #PeopleOfYes series, with Dundonians setting out why they back independence.