Scottish Independence...

As I'm currently still in England, it took a while for me to wade in, as both sides have been shouting over each other with a lot of blanket statements and scaremongering tactics, but then I started looking at figures.

The population of Scotland makes up 8.3% of the UK. That’s tiny. Then when you consider the resources the country provides for the rest of the union (e.g. 62% timber production, 40% wind, wave and solar energy,  90% of surface fresh water and an average of 30% fish and livestock) and start looking at those figures on a per capita basis, suddenly you realise Scotland could become one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Of course I completely understand why this would make the rest of the UK nervous. But I do believe that an independent Scotland wouldn’t necessarily mean those resources would be completely cut off from England and Wales; they just won’t be entitled to them in the same way they currently are. Think of a young adult with a lot of potential, who has some toxic/manipulative elements in their relationship with their parents, leaving home for the first time with the intention of succeeding by themselves and cutting those toxic elements out. That’s pretty much how I see Scotland right now.

And what are those “toxic elements”, you ask? Well there’s the uncertain future of the NHS; the political party currently obstinately in power that most of Scotland didn’t vote for (we literally have more pandas in the country than Tory MPs); the fact that the UK, with increasing influence of parties like UKIP, is under threat of leaving the EU (while the EU would gladly take on Scotland on its own); increasing cuts on welfare, particularly for disability and food aid; and also, keeping fucking Trident missiles in the country.

A lot of people think there’s too much uncertainty to come from a Yes vote, but here’s the thing! Scotland voting Yes does NOT mean instant independence this Thursday. The question of the referendum is “Should Scotland be an independent country?” If the country votes Yes, THEN they’ll get to work on making it happen. It likely won’t officially take place until, like, 2016. The plans are in place, but there’s no use acting on them yet in the chance it’s a No vote.

I’m optimistic that the referendum is going to pass. But even if it ends up being a No vote, I’m also of the belief that this will still pave the way for some serious political and economical change for Scotland - because I think that the vote will be close enough that either way this will be a serious wake-up call for Westminster, if not the rest of the UK.

I want to make it clear if I haven’t already that I’m not for voting Yes as a slight against England based on some 700 year-old William Wallacey grudge. I like England. I just like the concept of Scotland's independence as a possible reality and want to see it flourish - or at the very least, exist - separately from Westminster/Conservative rule. I’d like to know that ultimately, Scotland's future is in its own hands.