I
would like to wish all my constituents a
happy and prosperous New Year.
2014
could be a momentous year for all of us. With the independence referendum in
September we face the very real prospect of the breakup of our United Kingdom:
over 300 years of common history swept away in a tide of nationalist fervour.
It
certainly will be a momentous year for me on a personal level as I reach the
ripe old age of fifty!
When
I first became involved in politics over 30 years ago it was to help change my
community and my country for the better. That continues to be the motivation
for me doing what I do.
There
is still much I would like to change about my country but I am quite certain
that I don’t want to change countries. Separation might be the road to a
socialist paradise for some: it is not for me.
I
am proud to be Scottish and proud to be British. I see no need to choose
between the two. The bonds between the peoples of these islands should be
cherished and celebrated not broken asunder. Ours is the most successful
political union in history.
We
Scots are not an oppressed people. We have been at the very heart of the
British state and empire since the Act of Union, wielding significant power and
influence.
We
are also not a homogeneous people. There are as many social and political
differences between Scots as there are between Scots and people from England, Wales
and Northern Ireland.
Young people feel a real sense of connection to our friends, family and neighbours in the rest of the UK. They are outward-looking and don’t want to put up barriers to opportunity.
My
number one political priority in 2014 will be to campaign for Scotland to remain
part of the United Kingdom. I fervently believe as a nation we are stronger
together and that we would be significantly weaker apart.
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