When I vote “NO” (if, for the sake of argument, I were permitted to do so, which it seems I’m not – Alex has seen me and other Scots like me coming, and “stacked the deck” accordingly), I will be voting with my head and my heart. 

So, – for those undecided who might be interested – who am I?  If you want to read on, it’s right to tell you.  I’m a 100% Scot.  Both parents born and bred in Glasgow of Scottish parents and both went to Hillhead High School.  My father was a World War II RAF Squadron Leader at 24 years of age, my mother also as RAF Pilot Officer (Nursing), trained (and died aged 80) at the Western Infirmary.  Her mother ran a boarding house 34 Lilybank Gardens.  His Dad (Vinicombe Street by Western Baths) a chef at Central Station.  I went to Glasgow Academy and Larchfield School Helensburgh.  I had my first real job in the British National Oil Corporation, 150 Vincent Street.  I have since made my living overseas but my home is in Argyll and always will be.  I am not a millionaire, it’s worth mentioning.  Working overseas has allowed me to see how the world sees us, not just how we look in on ourselves.  This is important.  Especially since I seem to have no vote, courtesy of Alex.  So, if you are interested in a wider picture, please read on.  You will be interested, I promise.  Like 90% of Scots making a living abroad, I am passionately Scottish and also British.  Like my father, I actively want my country to have its due when my life is over.  That’s fair.  I’m a “No Thank You” voter, and this is why:

Heart-wise

1.  Here are some facts – from the heart: Although the world has moved on in 100 years or so – people should know, and reflect on the fact, that, even now, the combined nations of the UK are far stronger in the world than they would be if they were separated.  The UK as an extended family and, as a unit, punches way above its weight around the world – it always has done.  It has:

A global tradition for free speech, social justice, equality and caring for the underdog – ask the Commonwealth.  We as the UK lead and inspire dozens of Commonwealth countries.  They are not naïve and they look to us.  They really do;

a strong global reputation for fighting racism (– and this vote isn’t about race?  Really?). 

a World-beating reputation in engineering, science and technological innovation. 

Culture and the arts. 

The rule of law and accountability.  Why are we still tolerated at the big nations’ table at the UN?  No other reason.  We’re already geographically tiny. 

Being part of a UK family is our rare and precious birthright.  It is, and Alex wants us to turn our backs on it?  Break us up so none of us carries any weight in the world’s affairs?  A sad little side-show?  Unbelievable.  No to that.  No question. 

2.  It doesn’t cost me or you anything to be a Scot.  Every Scot has that for free.  But the right to play our part in the British family and be British cost an awful lot.  For a dozen or more generations everyone (whether you are a Scot, Welsh or English) stood and brought up families together, looked outwards and put little UK on top of the world, literally.  This was at the cost of much sacrifice and hardship.  They gave that to us.  While we’re at it, as Billy Connolly knows, centuries ago, when Scotland was flat broke, we were invited to be partners with the rest of the UK in the most powerful global economic success story – no entry fee.  And we prospered hugely.  Before that, when England/Wales ran “fresh out of” Kings & Queens, they invited Scotland’s King James to take over and rule them.  They didn’t think “oh, steady on, what’s that Scottish chap doing here?”  Quite inclusive, the English, when you look at it from that angle.  Historical fact. 

3.  I feel we are family – and from time to time we bicker and have our differences.  But we’re family.  That’s what families do.  I like that: “Proud to be Scots.  Delighted to be united”.  It says it for me.  Our future depends on engaging with family, not turning inwards.  If we divorce thoughtlessly and selfishly (and for no honourable or honest reason), we will certainly repent at leisure. 

4.  Besides, if anyone were to count the numbers of Brits outside Scotland who have Scots and mixed parentage, the total would be a lot more than 5 million – more like 25 million in the UK alone and many more in the big wide world.  If they’re from anywhere in the UK they are proud of their Scottish heritage.  Same if they’re from New Zealand, Tanzania, Trinidad or anywhere else in the Commonwealth.  They are proud Scots and their love for the UK is unshakeable.  True.  And why not?  Look at their flags.  Google it. 

5.  If we in Scotland have misfortune, let’s not keep blaming the English.  Let’s blame the Welsh for a change.  Just to relieve the monotony.  But above all, let’s stop whining.  It’s embarrassing.  We’re much, much better than that. 

Head-wise

I don’t really see where Alex thinks he’s coming from.  He says this isn’t about “Scots wha hae wi’ Wallace bled” BUT when you cross things off the list, that is exactly it’s about.  All the rest is flim-flam.  He has stepped into the Lib-Dem vacuum left by the discredited Tories and given it a Saltire wrench.  And we let him do it.  We have the best of both worlds.  The best already.  We have our own institutions but access to all the benefits of being part of the UK too.  Yes, there’s work and intelligent healthy devolution ahead, but we can and do have our cake and eat it.  Unique.  Splitting from the UK, but leaving control of your currency down south (if the UK were to allow it – which it won’t) doesn’t make sense to me or to anyone with any inkling of business.  For a shared currency we’ll totally need a political union.  That’s practical and that’s what we’ve got already.  Why on earth would the rest of the UK stand as (central bank) guarantor to cover an economic catastrophe in a Scotland which would then be a non-UK country? (“ Sterling” in Scotland goes down the Swanee and the rest of the UK shoulders the fiscal burden of a borrowed bail-out).  Would you do that?  Would you as a Welsh worker and taxpayer tolerate the economic downside of that?  I wouldn’t.  No-one seriously thinks “down south” would be dumb enough or able to dismantle our health service – its run from Edinburgh so good luck with that.  The Tories are on their last legs – the thinking ones’ll become LibDem and the hard liners’ll go to UKIP – so England won’t be on a “different political trajectory”, but a converging one, for all the right reasons.  On oil, he’s dreaming.  Snake-oil.  Oil profits and losses go to the companies which risked high stakes (deep, expensive wells and seabed and dangerous, hard work) to find it.  Oil tax on an “expensive to find and extract” resource (which is running out) is going to slide with the declining rate of recovery – the whole oil industry knows it – and they have to keep making provision for soaring platform and pipeline abandonment costs ahead of tax.  Alex is grasping at flies/swatting at straws.  70% of our trade is with the rest of the UK.  Fact.  We’ll be contending with customs duties to export anything anywhere and will still be hammering on EU’s doors when the oil dwindles to net nothing, or the lights in Brussels have gone out.  Scotland absolutely needs a UK energy market with no tariffs and customers duties, and workers need a fluid labour market paid in a currency you can spend without being ripped off by currency exchange.  Keeping oil tax revenue will net us £2.9 billion, over the next couple of years and our pension bill alone is £9 billion.  Where have I got this wrong?  Tell me.  It’s not wrong.  Alex wants us to be another Norway.  That’s just like pointing out a Rolls Royce in the street (it took a booming and frugal 40 years to build and we’ve got a dwindling 10 at most) and saying “All these things can be yours if you’ll just bow down and (vote for) me”.  Snake-oil.  More likely, with no central bank, we could be another Iceland with no bank of last resort to back us up in a crisis (But of course no crisis will come our way, will it?  We’ll live in a tartan Utopia, won’t we?) .  With a newly minted or “piggy back” currency, who is seriously going to invest to produce real jobs?  What exchanged currency will we have to spend abroad?  That’ll hit our entrepreneurs and holiday folk like a bad dream.  Small states get dragged into the wake of bigger politics, as every third world country knows.  It’s a fact.  Look at the 2 Koreas, Tibet, Ukraine, Vietnam, Gaza and Cuba, for example.  But Alex won’t tell you that.  Plus, if an independent Scotland puts up taxes (to follow the Norway model, we’ll have to, and that hits health and pensions), jobs go south – If you can get them ahead of EU workers.  AND we will have ourselves to blame!!  Won’t that be fun! 

Alex may score cheap points by belittling his opponents (and scores zero statesmanship points by giving the nod to his hard-core heckling heavies), Alistair Darling may not be a ready chuckle “laugh a minute” orator, but he’s got balls.  Sharing power, risks and resources is the key to a healthy family.  Here’s to him and his team.  I don’t know him but I’d like to shake him by the hand for doing his best for Scotland and talking straight.  No man can do more.  Proud to be a Scot.  Delighted to be united. 

Don’t stay at home on the 18th.  Alistair and we need every vote.  If you have any difficulty getting out to vote, plan now to get help.  Stand up and fight for your birthright or it will be taken from you and thrown in the bin for your lifetime and probably for much, much longer. 

It comes down to you.  This is NOT a General Election.  This is “stand up and be counted”.  No less.  We all need to wake up, smell the coffee and think.  Deeply.  Salmond steering our wee ship, on a ferociously unplanned journey, up a creek with a cheeky grin and no paddle?  Not on your life.  Our UK and Commonwealth family sits around the breakfast table, watching us.  They love us.  They want to see us get through this intact.  Our wellbeing matters to them.  I may not be able to vote in my own country but you can..