Independence: Britain's bankrupt Union 22/4/14
Sir,
Carloway Community Association is to be applauded for organising a hustings for the independence referendum.
The "Yes Scotland" speakers Alasdair Allan and Gordon Diesel gave an excellent account of why Scotland should be governed by the party (SNP, Labour or a coalition of the two) that it voted for. Rather than by the Tories, who have just one of the 59 Scottish MPs in the London parliament.
As expected, the "Better Together" speakers wallowed in a depressing orgy of relentless negativity. The Scots, they reckon, are too little, too weak, too poor and too inadequate to run their own affairs.
Luxemburg, the size of Edinburgh, is independent and is the most successful and prosperous country in Europe. Scotland, ten times bigger with 5.3 million people and its massive natural, human and spiritual resources, is too small say Better Together.
This negativity chimes with recent claims by senior London politicians. Lord Robertson tells us that, if we vote YES, the "forces of darkness" will get us, although the Klingon family on Lewis say they are relaxed about independence.
The Tory Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, has suggested to a bemused Glasgow audience
that, if we vote YES, we won't be able to protect ourselves from attacks by aliens
from Outer Space. I thought this was a wind-
The Better Together speakers at Carloway were asked to give a positive reason for Scotland to stay in Britain's bankrupt Union. They couldn't, because there aren't any. That is why the meeting concluded with the good folk of Carloway recording a resounding vote for independence.
Dr David Wilson
12b Tolsta Chaolais
Isle of Lewis
HS2 9DW