My letter in today's Greenock Telegraph...

I welcome the contributions of your correspondents Ronnie Cowan and Tom Tracey to the debate on Scotland’s future in the United Kingdom (31 May). It would perhaps have been more honest however if they had identified themselves as leading members of the local Yes Scotland Campaign Group.

Let me put my cards on the table. I will be voting No to separation on 18 September 2014. I am also an active member of the Inverclyde Better Together Group.

Something that did irritate me a bit in both letters was the references to “the people of Scotland”, as if we all think and feel the same way.

Scotland is a diverse and multi-cultural society. Scots come in all shapes and sizes. We come from varied religious and ethnic backgrounds. We, or our ancestors, came to this country from all parts of the world. We have many different political views. Indeed there are still quite a lot of people in Scotland who vote Tory!

No single campaign or political party should claim to speak for the people of Scotland. Scots, well at least the political class, are deeply dived on this issue.

Much of the debate up to now has been framed around whether or not Scots will be better or worse off financially if we were to separate. I don’t envy those who will make their minds up on how to vote on this basis. I’m not sure whether I will be better or worse off tomorrow than I am today, never mind thinking about the next 300 years.

Economic arguments have been advanced on both sides. Mind you, if you ask three economists the same question you will get at least three different answers. On balance, I am more persuaded by the arguments that Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be better off if Scotland remains within the Union.

For me however it is all about identity. I did not come into this world with much, but one precious thing I did inherit was my British passport.

Our nation is a great nation, whose peoples have given much to the world. We have also done a few things that we should be less than proud of over the centuries. But taking the good with the bad, the United Kingdom is arguably the most successful and enduring economic and political union in the history of the world.

Scots have not been bit parts players in the last 300 years. They have been at the very heart of both the Union and the Empire. Britain belongs to us Scots as much as it does to the other peoples of these islands.

I find it ironic that the separatists are so committed to Scotland remaining part of the European Union, which we joined in 1973, and at the same time so determined to break up another Union, which we joined in 1707.

To me there is no contradiction and no need to make a choice. I can be proud to be a Scot and proud to be British.

I came into politics to help make both my community and my country better places to live. I certainly have no intention of abandoning my community and I won’t be voting to abandon my country.