I've deliberately steered clear of making my views heard on the Independence referendum tomorrow. There are lots of people who are much better qualified than I am who have been making lots of salient points about the issues which they think matter. But I had a realisation today - there are very few people engaging in the debates about the things that I think matter. Whether I can add any light to this, or simply give a random collection of the issues that I find most important is debateable, but in the interests of joining an unprecedented debate, here goes...
It's probably best to talk about what I want from the referendum. I want a fairer and more just society. I want to see Scotland flourish and make the best of the resources we have. I want to see a Scotland that is more democratic.
In short, I will be voting yes.
Currently we live in a society that is willing to spend at least £15 billion replacing Trident but left over 71,000 people (including more than 22,000 children) in need of emergency food parcels from the Trussel Trust last year. I want a society where we try to ease the suffering of humanity, rather than contemplate the use of devastating weapons necessitated by a foreign policy built on desperately seeking the top table. That's why I'm voting yes.
Of those folk in need of food parcels, nearly 50% were the direct result of benefit problems. We have a government which has chosen to demonise the poor as benefit scroungers rather than dealing with the tax avoidance of big companies. Scotland has taken the lead in standing up for the vulnerable by neutralising the 'bedroom tax' as it affects our citizens. That Scotland should have to step in to prevent the poor, vulnerable and disabled in the first place is an appalling indictment of our place in the Union. That's why I'm voting yes.
All of this comes down to what I feel is the crux of the debate - Scotland needs democracy. The policies of the Coalition do not reflect the views of Scotland. We recognise that we need to invest in our public services, that we need to take care of the most vulnerable in society, and that we need to steward our resources better. We recognised all this in 2010, yet we have endured the governance of a party over 83% of Scots never voted for. That's why I'm voting yes.
What I've found disheartening over the past few months is that the focus of this debate, at least in the media, has not been on these issues. Instead, we have seen interminable arguments about the future of the pound, the stability of oil stocks and threats from banks and big businesses.
I understand that we need to have the means to fund what may seem like a bit of a utopic vision, but let me say this: there is no certainty in remaining as part of the status quo. The pound may go up or down whether Scotland uses it or not. Nobody knows for certain how much oil we have, but even the most conservative estimates in a volatile oil climate could provide Scotland with a huge amount of resources, to supplement the rest of what our industries have to offer. And finally, I'm not happy to put my vision of social justice on the back burner because of the worries of profit margins for big businesses.
I find it greatly amusing that two years after denying Scots the option of Devo Max, David Cameron has demonstrated his great love for the Scots as part of the Union by offering greater powers days before the vote. The blatant self-preservation of the man is hilarious; as if we wouldn't notice that his intention in forcing an Independence/Status Quo referendum was to rely on the feeling that the Scots wouldn't risk going it alone. What poor, misguided Dave didn't expect was the unprecedented political engagement of such vast swathes of Scotland that 97% of us are now on the electoral roll. People who've never voted in their lives have become well-versed in economic arguments and are excited to have a voice. The democratic spirit is alive and well in Scotland - I want it to live on; that's why I'm voting yes.
On the eve of what may be the most important day of my life thus far, I'm filled with hope - we might have the chance to bring about a fairer, democratic society. If we succeed, it's unlikely I will always agree with the political leaders, but at least I'll know the majority of my countryfolk voted them in.
Of course, the vote is likely to be decided by a hair's breadth. Nearly half the country is likely to be disappointed come Friday morning. I just hope that regardless of the vote we can harness the spirit of the past few months.
This is a genuinely exciting time for us - I just hope that we can capitalise on it.
