‘Let friendship and honour unite’

Our very dear friends of the remaining UK, particularly those residing in England.

We mean you no harm or disrespect. We are your friends, we are your neighbours, we are your colleagues. You are, and always will be, held in our highest affections.

I hope that you understand that we are not a region of your country. Scotland is an ancient land, as is your land, which before its noblemen entered into a union with England around three hundred years ago, had its own distinct government, universities and legal system, a legal system which still exist today, for around five hundred years.

We believe that fundamentally our country should return once more to it’s rightful state, as is normal and encouraged anywhere else in the modern world, as an independent self-governing democratic member of the family of nations.

This is not meant to insult you, denigrate or devalue the relationship which we have with you, which we value very much. I hope you can see that we feel that our distinct country continuing to be governed by someone else other than the people of Scotland is not acceptable or just.

You may be thinking why would Scotland wish to be independent when Scots are represented in the Westminster parliamentary system. Apart from the fact that independence for Scotland is it’s rightful constitutional position let us explain by looking at the politics of the current UK.

A gulf has developed between the political paths of your country and ours. Scotland and England are heading along separate political paths. Scotland has 59 allocated constituency Members of Parliament in a parliamentary chamber of 650 constituency Members of Parliament. Not a lot really to represent Scotland’s views or influence law- making decisions. Effectively this means that Scottish MP’s have no real powers or clout at Westminster. We have governments imposed on us.

But then it gets worse for us. In the last General Election the people of Scotland,by democratic vote,elected 56 Members of Parliament out of a possible 59, an overwhelming number, from a political party which only exists in Scotland, and whose aim it is to return Scotland to it’s rightful independent state.

You often hear the UK Prime Minister of the governing Conservatives, or the leader of the UK Labour opposition talking about ‘respecting democracy.’ It is our view that Westminster is selective in it’s approach to democracy, as it continues to ignore the democratic will of the people of Scotland on important issues like Brexit, weapons of mass destruction (which are stored in Scotland against the wishes of the majority of Scots) austerity measures and economic policy, immigration and social justice. Our representatives vote one way in parliament, representing our views, and your representatives overwhelmingly vote the other way, or abstain.

In fact it’s almost pointless Scotland sending representatives to Westminster as our distinct and differing views to the majority are not respected.

Meanwhile the gulf in politics between both countries is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the two main political parties in the UK parliament. With similar policies,who swap places into government on a semi-regular basis (although it looks like the more right-wing of the two is likely to be in charge for some time to come) have between them in Scotland just one representative Member of Parliament each. The people of Scotland have wholly rejected the politics of these political parties.

Indeed bizarrely, and again demonstrating that respecting democracy in a Scottish context is not high on the Westminster agenda we see that the one Conservative MP in Scotland, who fell heir to the role of Secretary of State for Scotland by the very fact that he exists has more power over governing Scotland than the whole of the devolved limited powers Holyrood chamber and the 58 other representatives of Scotland at Westminster put together. Is that democracy? No.

Do you see our viewpoint? This is one of the many reasons why we must go our own way.

Please be assured we will continue to be your closest friends. We have much in common. We have many shared experiences, as we have with our European partners too, some of whom who have been our allies for many hundreds of years, indeed for much longer than the period we have been in union with you. We will strive to be good, responsible and caring neighbours to all of our allies in the community of world nations.

We fought tyranny together and made many sacrifices. As your closest neighbours we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with you against injustice. We will be there for you.

In the past together we have also been involved in many not so noble acts around the world in the pursuit of power and wealth which we are not proud of. As an independent state once again Scotland will not countenance such actions as part of its future, in any shape or form. I’m sure you must feel the same way about your country.

We will work with you, once we have agreed a fair settlement of assets, resources and debt responsibilities, in good faith. We will look to establish, as neighbours in a partnership of equals, mutually beneficial trading arrangements with you, and strive to improve even further the longstanding existing successful trading networks throughout the countries of the current UK which we all share. I’m sure that you would agree that to do otherwise, creating barriers between us would be tantamount to economic madness. We can work well together, as partners.

Lastly, please try not to pay attention to rightwing media sources, or politicians and broadcasting corporations who have a vested interest in trying to stop us from re-establishing our rightful position as an independent state. I beseech you. Stand back and look at us, find out a bit more about the people who are being accused of being racist, exceptionalist narrow nationalists who somehow are supposed to hate you. Make your own mind up.

With the deepest respect and affection, your true friends.

Scotland.

‘ And flourish on both sides of the Tweed’ – Dick Gaughan