Well, it’s happened
The SNP are making another bid for Scottish Independence.
Now, I’m not totally against the idea of independence, as I can understand why. What I am against is the SNP being the forefront, after the last attempt.
Personally, I was born in Aberdeen, North East Scotland. My parents, who are from North West England, moved to Scotland after my dad was offered a job as a land agent of a country estate (basically, he manages it for the landowner. The estate consists of rented housing for both employees and the public, a large park, a National Trust run house and chapel, a small independent cake shop, a forestry commission area and a pheasant farm for game shooting, which proves popular with visitors from Europe.)
I lived in Scotland up until last September, when I moved for University (I’m at BIMM) and I’ve had a lot of shit from people regarding the referendum. Far more in Scotland than here, as I studied in the West of Scotland for 5 years (2 Biomedical Science, 1 out and then 2 in Music at college).
I had people refer to me as the child of immigrants and told me to get back to my country, I had an ex tell me that I shouldn’t care about what the result of a referendum would mean as, in his words “your parents are rich, you can deal with it.”. (which is bullshit, as my dad only earns the amount that he does because he works 60+ hours per week and as a result has got severe depression.) I have had to bite my tongue all through college as being a no voter was tarred as being akin to having special needs. My most recent ex (who I was with all the way up until I moved to Manchester) emotionally abused me over my opinion on the referendum. Before the referendum, he said he was happy that I was voting my way and not letting him or any of the other yes voters change my opinion. Once the referendum was done, whenever something happened that the SNP blamed on Westminster, he would say it was the fault of everyone who voted no, including myself.
I have sat by and watched as the SNP won the Scottish General Election. I watched as they shut down workplaces which supported people who wouldn’t be employed in other jobs (i.e. those with severe physical and mental disability). I watched worried for my youngest sister, who was still mentally harassed by her anorexia and in and out of institutions as I feared that they wouldn’t give support to the places within our area that treated her. I watched as they blamed the cut in local council budgets on Westminster when they had full control of those budgets themselves. I have seen people treating Sturgeon like a saviour when all she has done is what her predecessor would have done. Just with a prettier face and kindlier voice.
I used to be told by my parents on visits to Wales to say that I was Scottish when asked, as the Welsh like them more. I am no longer happy to do that. I was Scottish, born and raised, but I don’t feel Scottish anymore. I don’t want to associate myself with Scotland. I still technically live there, as it’s my registered domicile, but part of me can’t wait till I’m no longer registered there.
