Before the Scottish #indyref in September 2014. My head said YES but my heart largely said NO.

I am very impressed by the standard of debate on the subject of the Scottish independence referendum amongst the ordinary people of Glasgow and around Scotland. That is the whole point of this exercise i.e. to involve the people of Scotland in the running of their own country and where they want it to go in the future.

It is very clear of the significant amount of information is mentioned for a positive Yes vote, but there seems to be no positive vision of a No vote as there are no valid reasons are mentioned above.

If I was taking this debate alone I would vote YES because I believe that there is a far greater deal of certainty with a NO vote i.e. that things will get worse as they have been doing in the UK for the last goodness knows how many years.

To take one example from yesterday the privatisation of the Royal Mail which all the polls show the public do not want and would not be happening in Scotland if the Scottish Govt actually had control over it.

To mention something from above about workers rights being compromised in an independent Scotland, has this not all ready happened and is continuing to happen in the UK (or have I been living on another planet for the last 30 years?).

At least with a YES vote Scotland might actually get the Government it actually votes for that has control over all its own affairs. To take two recent examples...

1. Of Scotlands own MPs 11 voted for the cuts in benefits whilst 46 voted against. It is being imposed nonetheless.

2. Of Scotlands own MPs that you voted for, 4 voted for the bedroom tax, 41 against. It is being imposed nonetheless.

Interestingly 52% of small to medium sized businesses polled were in favour of independence too.

I don't want the certainty of being on a slowly sinking ship no matter what Scotland votes for. I want to be on a ship (or an independent Scotland) when we might actually have a chance of influencing the steering unlike the status quo. Although the Scottish Parliament has helped in some ways it has also emphasized what powers it does not have.

For example would the Scottish Government position a nuclear deterent, if it decided to have one, around 30 miles from the country’s largest city? I think not.

I continue to look forward to receiving a positive reason to vote NO. My heart largely says NO as it still wants to believe in a vision of all the peoples of the UK working together for a better future, but that is not based on fact or the experience of the last 30 years, and also my study of history before that.

My head says YES. All the facts, figures, evidence, etc. point that way.

I will however decide for sure nearer the time although I definitely know which way I’m leaning.