Neither bullied nor deaf
by Yes Orkney - 17:33 on 20 March 2014
The following letter by John Mowat was first published in The Orcadian on the 6th of March 2014.
Neither bullied nor deaf
Victor Muir, in his letter to The Orcadian of February 27, is, sadly, mistaken.
The referendum is not about Alex Salmond, or indeed any other individual, including David Cameron or George Osborne.
What has happened to the Edinburgh Agreement and the Respect Agenda? History may well judge former Scottish Secretary of State Michael Moore as a good guy.
The debate is about whether issues should be decided by the people of Scotland, in local councils, other forums, and in the Holyrood Parliament.
The alternative is to have things decided elsewhere, such as at Westminster, and imposing, often bad decisions, from outside.
The debate is about what kind of Scotland we want to live in and hand over to the next generation. That is more important than any individual person.
Alex Salmond has been Politician of the Year, a number of times in Scotland and the UK.
He is an economist, who worked in banking - when banks still functioned well - and in the oil industry, with BP, before entering politics.
He is a good debater, understands political issues and has a formidable intellect.
Individuals can either like him or dislike him, but one cannot ignore him.
I can quite understand David Cameron, who effectively leads the No Campaign, not wanting a joint televised debate. The Better Together campaign has been disappointingly and relentlessly negative. Some of the scare stories are beyond comprehension.
I would love to be able to read a White Paper outlining a positive case for the status quo and hearing good arguments in its favour.
I want to hear what we can do, and how, not the doom and gloom of why we cannot.
There are many difficult issues and there are always solutions.
The UK is the fourth most unequal country in the world. The rich have got richer and pay less tax, while the poor and underprivileged are paying the penalty.
We want a more just and more even society, like Scandinavia, and in the other well-governed parts of Northern Europe. This means good childcare provision and better opportunities for women. Finland has the best educational system in Europe, at all levels.
Good public services can be provided without low wages and large-scale privatisation.
Does the UK have to continue to squander our oil and gas wealth, and is replacement of Trident on the Clyde affordable?
Common sense tells us we should keep the pound and continue trading with our neighbours in England and elsewhere. We all want our and their businesses to flourish in the spirit of cooperation.
Those with the lowest wages should not have to rely on food banks to feed their families. A realistic living minimum wage is required.
Ireland is independent and has a good, and friendly, relationship with the UK. Why would Scots want to be different?
The SNP has taken over the moderate, middle-of-the-road social democratic ground, once occupied by the Lib Dems and Labour. It is outward looking, progressive and at ease with its place in Northern Europe.
With limited powers, the SNP has provided good competent government since 2007, which is better than we had previously.
Of course, after a Yes vote, there is no guarantee that the next Scottish Government will be SNP dominated. The Yes Campaign includes Greens, Labour for Independence, Lib Dems, Tories, Socialists and those not involved in politics with any party.
John Mowat
Kirkwall
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