Vote early, vote twice, vote Scotland

And for the 3rd paper on the choice of AV or first past the post voting for the greedy and bankrupt London parliament, I intend to write 'Independence'.

The Union has failed Scotland, that much is clear. Historically, Scotland used to enjoy cordial trading relations with the main European powers. After the union of 1707, we were at war with them because England's battles were now ours as well. At the time, many Scots lived in dire poverty. That did not change even though a handful of Scottish merchants did line their pockets on the plundered spoils of the British Empire.

Today, the contrast between the haves and have-nots is still stark. On the Royal Wedding weekend, the East Neuk of Fife was replete with Union Jacks and pics of the happy privileged couple. It was like a corner of middle England tacked onto the bulk of dark once-communist Fife. A drive through the likes of Leven, Kennoway and Cowdenbeath on the way home revealed the real Fife. That saddest thing is that huge swathes of deprivation and poverty like this are to be found in most parts of Scotland - from Dumfries to Glasgow, from Midlothian to Aberdeen.

In parts of Glasgow the longevity of an average man is as low as 54.

Meanwhile, our small and independent neighbours on the North Atlantic rim are doing fine. Norway in fact is sitting on top of the world in terms of wealth, health, happiness, education and even community spirit. Even the nations in the 'arc of prosperity' - Ireland and Iceland - that lost their shine are still more prosperous than bankrupt Britain.

Despite Britain's reputed £900billion debt, the combined Unionist alliance of Labour, Tory and LibDem have wasted billions on foreign wars, Trident missiles, aircraft carriers, shoring up nuclear powers and other such nonsense. Demands to safeguard public services are met with demands from Cameron, Clegg, Brown or Blair to 'tighten our belts'. Why provide for Scotland's poor when you can kill half a million Iraqi civilians in order to remove a dictator of our own making?

Its bullshit. There is absolutely no reason for Scotland to remain part of a 'UK' that is bankrupt in all senses of the word. Some Scots still vote Labour because their grandparents did. Some don't like Alex Salmond. Some believe scaremongering that only voting Labour will keep the Tories out. That's a vote for negativity.

If Labour want to protect Scotland from a London Tory government, then they too should embrace independence and reclaim some of their auld principles.

Think for yourselves. Don't vote for Salmond, vote for Scotland's future. It could be SNP, Green or Scottish Socialist. Scottish Labour is a corpse of a fat complacent dinosaur that took its food source for granted for far too long. Leave it to the maggots.

The union dividend - Labour's war on teeth.