MY JOURNEY TO YES STARTED BY VOTING FOR THATCHER

03 - 05 - 2019 / Your Story

MY JOURNEY TO YES STARTED BY VOTING FOR THATCHER

I arrived in The Highlands in November 2008, a dyed in the wool Liberal Democrat - but I didn’t start out that way - in 1979, when at 18, I voted Conservative (I voted for Maggie)

During my first years in Scotland I still followed in my settled ways - Liberal Democrat.

But by the end of summer 2013, I was watching the antics of the Westminster parties with increasing alarm and was starting to think that Scotland could do better for itself.

During the 2014 independence referendum, both campaigns I felt could have been run better but what turned me off to the better together campaign was the vow - that to me smacked of desperation by the Westminster parties so my decision was made then to vote for independence.

Sadly Scotland voted against leaving the union. Like the rest of Scotland I waited to see if Westminster were going to keep its promises made to Scotland during the campaign- we did not have long to wait.

Instead of Scotland getting greater devolved powers, Westminster instead introduced EVEL and blocked Scottish parliamentarians from voting on English matters while at the same time rejecting greater devolution to Scotland - so much for the vow

Before then I still wasn’t committed to Yes - even though I’d voted for it in 2014, over the next year or so my mind was being made up by events going on and during the General Election of 2015 I was finding myself supporting the policies of the SNP and my then local representative Dr Paul Monaghan to the extent that I put posters up for him at my home but still I resisted becoming a member of the party.

Same for the following Scottish parliamentary elections - I agreed with Gail Ross’s views and again put posters up in my home in support but still didn’t take the plunge at the end of it that was to come at the European referendum - having a European ancestry I was indeed pro remain and I campaigned for remain during the referendum at the end of it after what was probably one of the longest days of my life, I made the decision that the only party that could and would represent my interests was going to be the Scottish National Party and by the following Sunday I became a member of the SNP and was fully committed to Yes.

My journey, which started with a vote for Maggie in 1979 was now complete and I now proudly say that I am a Scot - I am for Europe - I am for independence

Phillip from The Highlands