A momentous decision
Catherine McKenna, from Rutherglen, explains why she is voting “No” on September 18:
“With less than four weeks to go, in my opinion as a mother and lifelong Ruglonian who is hugely proud to be Scottish, Alex Salmond and the Yes Campaign still haven’t answered the major questions which have dominated the referendum debate and which are of huge concern to myself and many other people.
I have been part of the Better Together team which has been pounding the streets, talking to people on their doorstep and time and again the same questions come up – but sadly no concrete answers from the yes campaign.
For many it is being asked to make a ‘leap of faith’ in making a momentous long term decision which will change the face of Scotland and from which there is no going back.
In making that ‘leap of faith ‘, we are being asked to trust a government led by Alex Salmond who seven years ago made numerous promises in his manifesto which today remain undelivered because he had no long-term cohesive plan on how to deliver those promises.
Instead, in his own arrogant and bullying style he simply swept them under the carpet and hoped we the people of Scotland would forget they had ever been made.
The big issues: A secure pension Currency? The status of Scotland within Europe ? Jobs? At a time when we see small countries struggling to survive economically, where so many families are struggling there are no actual sustainable answers from the YES campaign.
In education, remember the promise seven years ago to reduce infant class sizes to 18?
Seven years on ? Another forgotten promise, undeliverable because there was no actual cohesive strategy for doing so.
The NHS? The yes campaign tell us our health service will be seriously threatened by a no vote. The fact is that the NHS has been the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament since 1999. What has he done in that time? Given us free prescriptions even when the vast majority of people in need of essential medication already qualify for exemptions. Asking anyone I know who works in the NHS in Scotland whether they think this government is doing a good job today of running the NHS? The answer a resounding no.
Affordable childcare? An issue which has the capacity to transform the quality of life for so many young families who want to be self sufficient.
The Scottish parliament has all the powers today to radically expand affordable childcare but for its own political purpose chooses to claim that it can only be done after independence.
We have a proud history. We also will have a proud future together. I am looking forward to the final weeks of the campaign where those of us who are voting no will have the chance to put our positive vision of Scotland.”