Why Independence Minded?
My name is Douglas McLellan and I am Liberal Democrat from the Orange Book side of the Party. I support the Coaltion with the Tories as I believe that the Coalition Agreement agreed after the election in May 2010 is an excellent platform for the party to deliver on its manifesto commitments.
This is how I define my Liberalism:
I believe that people should be in control of their lives. A liberal government’s job is to remove obstacles that prevent that. In the set up that we have in the UK, a liberal government should also ensure that each person has as much control as possible over the public services they receive. We don’t have a prescription for the future or for all the problems people face. Rather we trust people to solve problems themselves and believe voluntary co-operation is far better than a central planner deciding everything.
I got that from a post by Simon Goldie at Liberal Vision.
My Independence Minded Liberal Position
Following the defeat of the AV referendum I am now minded to seriously consider & explore the idea of an independent Scotland. This is because I want to live in a country with a voting system that is fair and reflects the true desires of the electorate. An independent Scotland would have an more proportional voting system, perhaps even PR, from the very beginning. Which makes it an appealing prospect.
I am not intrinsically tied to the UK as a nation. There is nothing in me that says I am British. I am certainly Scottish. I feel that part of my identity strongly but not from a ‘nationalist’ perspective. I like my country’s history and honestly feel that it could be so much more than it is just now. I have yet to decide if that is best achieved through independence but I want to come to an informed and settled opinion on the idea well in advance of a referendum that is now surely forthcoming.
It may well be that I back independence or I feel that the damage to Scotland of leaving the UK is too great. Either way I feel it is worth exploring.