Our colony status leaves us trapped

Sir, – There’s been criticism of the Scottish Government over its recent budget from unionist politicians and media.

But why should anyone be surprised over Scotland’s dismal state? The reason is our status as a de facto English colony.

As a colony, we don’t own our own resources so we can’t provide heat and power for the costs of production which is what nationalised energy companies do. Instead, private corporations cream off profits for shareholders.

We can’t create our own key industries for transport or control our ports because they are owned by foreign governments and hedge funds.

We can’t export our surplus energy for normal commercial prices or control our national grid because both are in the hands of Westminster.

We lack a central bank to create investment and must rely on a foreign bank that doesn’t prioritise Scotland’s interests. We receive back less than half our tax revenues from England.

We can’t hold public votes on national decisions that

affect every Scot because we are outnumbered 10 to one in Westminster, and Holyrood, a creature of Westminster, has limited powers that can be curtailed and withdrawn any time London wishes.

We don’t have a Scottishowned media, but one controlled by international conglomerates and the BBC that bombards us daily with propaganda.

We can’t devise our own foreign policy to enable international trade, nor can we decide whether we want weapons of mass destruction on our soil.

And we can’t end endemic poverty and guarantee everyone a dignified living wage, paid for from the profits of our nationalised

energy resources, while we are trapped in the failing UK.

The Scottish people can and must end this Union. Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh.

Independence is proposed as a cure for Scotland’s ills.