Women For Independence Arran

Anne Bruce sends us this report

Isobel Lindsay and Nicola McGarry spoke about the Scottish Referendum and the importance of a YES vote at a busy meeting of Arran’s Women for Independence in the High School on 25th July.

The speakers represented two ends of the spectrum, the exuberance of youth and the wisdom of experience, but they had in common a passionate belief in Scottish independence: and a background in politically active families. Isobel Lindsay needed no introduction to many members of the audience, as she has been a doughty political campaigner and peace activist for many years. Her abhorrence of nuclear weapons is deeply felt, and for good reason, as her father was one of the soldiers who entered Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped there in 1945. She still has the melted bottle he brought home. Isobel highlighted the fact that nuclear convoys driving through cities and villages in England and Scotland (the last time only 2 weeks ago) are a prime target for terrorists, with potentially horrific consequences, and maintained that the money saved by Scotland by getting rid of Trident could be put to far better use, and that England too would benefit greatly by not renewing Trident at a cost of many billions.

Natalie, who studied Law and International Government Diplomacy at university and is now employed in the public sector in Glasgow, has gained a name as a political commentator and activist. Convener of Glasgow SNP, she was the SNP candidate in the 2014 Cowdenbeath bye-election, she is a regular contributor to STV’s Scotland Tonight programme. She spoke about why independence will be so important for Scottish women, who have borne the brunt of many of the Westminster government’s welfare reforms. Scotland has not had the government the people voted in for most of her life, and this democratic deficit in itself is a strong argument for independence. Natalie emphasised that voting NO is not a vote for the status quo, but instead for managed decline, with Scotland’s separate health and education services under threat of being ‘standardised’ to match the increasingly privatised model in the rest of the UK. Even the Human Rights Act is not safe from reform by the UK Conservative Party.

The audience enjoyed the opportunity to pose questions and discuss the issues, and gave both speakers a warm and enthusiastic Arran welcome.