WHY DO I WANT INDEPENDENCE?
It is a simple question but the reasons have developed over a number of years through personal and life experiences that shape us all for better or worse. Some people may agree with my reasons and others may disagree, but isn't that what a decent debate is about in a civilised country, followed by our say in the ballot box. I grew up in the time of Thatcher and saw her destroy the industries in Scotland and forced me to leave my country of birth at 17 years and 8 months old for London to seek employment, at this time I believed Labour would one day come to power and the injustices of the right wing would be turned back and a fairer society would emerge. I could not have been more wrong, it is now clear to me that Labour, Conservative and the Liberal Democrats are all from the same neoliberal pot, who have lost touch with the world the majority of us have to live in. The only future I can now see is an Independent future where we have the right to follow our own path, make our own mistakes, manage our own economy and most importantly give us back our future.
NHS
Pensions
Welfare
Trident
Society
Those are some of the reasons I hope for Independence in the referendum in Autumn 2014 and I will go through each one.
 NHSThe preservation of the NHS is one of the most important things that this country has implemented. I believe that if you look after the health of society then that society will in turn be more productive, without the need to horde medications and money in the event that we require urgent medical attention. In the past I have experienced the choice of either choosing food or the cost of prescriptions, I dread to think how I would have fared if I had to pay for treatment as well. It is blatantly obvious that the conservatives and the current government in Westminster want to dismantle the NHS, and they are getting away with it in England and Wales with privatisation through the back door. This is all being done under the guise of David Cameron saying "The NHS is safe in his hands" and "No top down reorganisation of the NHS", I personally find these blatant lies from political campaigning disgusting. If you think because health is devolved to the Scottish Parliament then it is safe, think again, it will not be long before the government starve holyrood of funds in the name of austerity, it will be inevitable that the NHS comes under scrutiny and attack. If you wish to save the NHS in Scotland then VOTE YES in 2014.
PensionsThe nation needs the youth to be in employment not people aged 65+, the state pension age will increase year on year and if you are born today in the current estimates you will not receive any state pension until you are 75+. This is bringing us back decades and instead of working people enjoying a retirement they will be working until they drop, do we really want retirement to be for the elite or rich in society? Surely we can all enjoy to relax after years of hard work and dedication. If you wish to save the retirement for ALL people in Scotland then VOTE YES in 2014.
WelfareThe current journalism in the UK is really lurching further and further to the right, if you would believe the crap they say about welfare in the UK then you would believe everyone on Job Seekers allowances is living the life of Reilly. In fact it is just a blatant lie and nobody seems capable of calling out the press or the government. Here is some information for you - Job Seekers allowance pays out 5% of the welfare budget in the UK, the amount of unclaimed benefit is MORE than the amount lost via error and fraud, the majority of people who claim housing benefit are WORKING!!!!! While the MP's seem hell bent on demonising the people who need help from society they are flipping their houses and the taxpayer is paying the bill. If you want a fair society where we look after the less fortunate then VOTE YES in 2014.
TridentThe amount of money spent on a nuclear arsenal is shocking, these weapons of mass destruction are not very far from our heartland. I also believe it is more than Trident, this is about Nuclear fuel also, our country must ban all nuclear energy plants. It is only 2 years since the tsunami in Japan almost set off another nuclear disaster in the middle of the natural disaster they faced. If you want to see Scotland free of nuclear weapons and power then VOTE YES in 2014.
SocietyI believe in a fair society where everyone has a stake, where a person can achieve their dreams or wishes and not be unlucky because they couldn't go to the school for the elite. I believe in a society where we all look after our neighbours and one another, where we can welcome people from all over the world with open arms and help them escape tyranny and persecution if required. I want a society that has a stake in Europe, where we can work together to solve problems for the benefit on all. I want a society where we are all educated under one system and that system is free of charge to the students. I want a society where the people who drive the economy, the workers, receive fair compensation for a fair days wage and all the profits made by the workers is not kept by the 1%. If this sounds like a society you would like then VOTE YES in 2014.

- Frankie Tervit - PCS rep in East Kilbride.