Women for Independence
Why we support Independence
Gillian Coyle, Edinburgh
As a teenage girl growing up under a Thatcher Government, I was acutely aware of the dangers of being governed from Westminster. Scotland was used as a lab-rat for the poll tax experiment and no matter how often we voted for other parties, we were stuck with the government chosen by our larger neighbour.
Now, as a woman living with a disability, making decisions which fundamentally affect my life has become just as important to me. I would never allow anyone to take away my right to make my own choices and set my priorities. I see Independence for Scotland in much the same way. I wouldn’t let my neighbour make decisions on my behalf, just because he had a bigger house or a larger family. So why would we, as Scottish women, leave our future to the political whims of larger electorate in the South or the predominantly men’s club of Westminster?
An Independent Scotland would mean decision making by the people who live in Scotland and to OUR list of priorities. My hope is that there would be no more money being wasted on ‘bossing the world’ in illegal invasions, no more nuclear weapons on Scottish soil and no more cutting benefits of those who can least afford it. And if we become Tory free forever – well that’s just a nice bonus!
