Robert Ingram

The sovereignty of the “people” is the basis of the right to self-determination laid down in major international instruments such as the group of United Nations legal measures comprising the International Bill of Human Rights. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly laid down that the right to self-determination by identifiable “peoples” like the Scots is a fundamental human right. It should be noted that “peoples”, not governments or legislatures, expressly hold this right.

AS we move forward on the next stage of our journey towards self-governance, we need to appreciate that accountability, both for the government and for individuals, plays a vital role in the development of a fairer, wealthier, and happier Scotland.

THE political structures of Scotland and Norway at the start of the 19th century were seemingly similar regarding the political unions in which they took part. Yet from that time there has been significant divergence both politically and socially.

DEMOCRACY is a concept that can be applied across several forms of government. A state normally incorporates the forms of authority acceptable for its society into a national constitution.

AFTER Scotland votes Yes, there will be much work to be done before we become a self-governing state.

AS we move towards being a sovereign independent country again, the people of Scotland need to decide whether we want a continuation of the current system of centralised government or a move to a form of shared democratic government.

WOULD you like to join in and participate in a vision of a democracy fit for the 21st century, where every voice is heard, every vote is valued equally, and every citizen is empowered to take part?

NICOLA Sturgeon recently stated: “The time has come to take our future into our own hands.” That future entails rebuilding Scotland into a successful sovereign nation that reflects Scottish values of fairness, equality, and economic wellbeing.

SCOTLAND has been an integrated nation for more than 1100 years, providing many Scots who were active on the international scene – eg contributing to the US Constitution. Remember also that Scottish universities provided many of the administrators for the British Empire.

AN MP stated recently that due to the lack of visible effort to prepare for self-governance over the past seven years, the Westminster Government does not consider the SNP leadership are serious about independence. This is a viewpoint shared by some MSPs and by other folks in Scotland.