By Mike Bell

My name’s Mike I’m English & I’m voting YES. Although strictly true it isn’t how I see myself after 38 years in Scotland. In my Twitter profile I more accurately describe myself as English by birth, Scottish by choice.

I’ve been a gradual convert to the idea of independence, gently nudged along by my SNP member wife. I began to do my research in order to counter her arguments and ended up joining the SNP myself and becoming a passionate YES supporter.

We have six grand children and my motivation is winning independence for them. I want them to grow up in a country that leaves no one in society behind, where wealth is shared, where education & health services are free and their rights as citizens are enshrined in a written constitution.

There’s been a lot said about anti-Englishness. If it exists I haven’t seen it in all the 38 years I’ve lived here. Maybe I’m lucky, maybe it’s my charm 🙂 but I think it’s more likely that, beyond a bit of banter, it simply doesn’t exist. However, I do believe there is an anti Scottish element amongst the establishment Scots who happily stick the boot into their country in defence of their own privileges at Westminster. Their redundancy will be one of the most pleasurable consequences of a YES vote.

Let’s make the vote for YES happen. Leave nothing to chance. Give up as much of your time as you can to persuade the undecideds and the soft no voters.