I am moving house soon to the Forth Ward in Edinburgh (see, already thinking about the council elections next year). So I will no longer be the Midlothian Liberal. And I am going to examine my own position to independence for Scotland.
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, which makes me, I think, An Independence Minded Liberal.