A Tory voting Yes for Scotland to become independent

Moray Macdonald writes:

I’m voting ‘yes’ because I’m a Tory, not in spite of it. …

It is time to come out of the closet. I’m voting Yes and as a result, for the first time in years, I am excited about the future of centre-right politics in Scotland.

This might seem a surprising move for a former Director of the Scottish Conservative party and Tory candidate for Westminster, but I have to be honest, it wasn’t even a difficult decision.

Devolution has highlighted just how different Scotland is. Even the Westminster establishment, ever obsessed with the needs of London and her hinterlands, has noticed that there is no longer a demos in the United Kingdom. The desperate offer of extra powers to Holyrood acknowledges how poorly our needs are served by their politics.

The Scottish Conservatives despair of the left-wing consensus in Holyrood and yet they embrace a cosy and increasingly alien political elite that guarantees its permanency. True Conservatives should embrace the opportunity to bring real political decisions closer to home. Only a Yes vote will make our politicians truly answerable to us, for it is only when Holyrood and Victoria Quay have to account for the money taken from the pockets of the Scottish people will right-of-centre politics have a chance to flourish in Scotland.

I think Moray is right. I doubt the Tories will ever be the largest party in Scotland, but part of the reason they do so badly is Scotland blames England for their lack of money. Once Scotland has to pay its own way, and starts racking up huge deficits and debt, then the Tories will do better in Scotland.