I'm not voting for a basket case.

I was a supporter of Scotland becoming an independent country at the referendum in 2014.  And I still believe that small is better.  Decisions made at as local a level as possible.   That was espoused in Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered, a collection of essays by German-born British economist E F Schumacher.  Amidst its thinking was the need to empower people more, in contrast with phrases such as "bigger is better", or "small is beautiful, but small".   

However, there was one day during the white-out caused by The Beast from the East in 2019 that made me look afresh at the direction of travel the SNP, led by Ms Sturgeon and her husband, was going.  

There was one incident that stood out for me.  Big articulated trucks were struggling on the roads, particularly on the M80.  Ms Sturgeon criticised the freight industry of being irresponsible for taking their trucks out on the roads in such weather.   

What struck me was, with that one comment, she showed a total lack of understanding of how the economy works.  Anyone who watches the Gregg Wallace series 'The Factory' will know that the raw ingredients that come into a factory to be processed have to go straight from the production line to the lorry that will deliver them across the country that same day or the next  day.  There is no storage.  If the lorries don’t travel there will be no food in your supermarket or local shops tomorrow.  It is as stark as that.   

In other words, to feed the nation the tomorrow the trucks have to be on the road today.   And Ms Sturgeon didn't understand that.  That is worrying.

If that's not concerning, how about the second thing that struck me?   

Her immediate reaction was to blame someone else for the problems on the roads.  The truckers.  And when I reflected more on that behaviour I realised this is a pattern.  Ms Sturgeon always blames someone else.   It's always someone else's fault.  Even in the COVID-19 situation, if anything isn't quite right, it's never her fault.  Always someone else.  Which suggest to me someone who is either very insecure or blind to reality.  Again, either is worrying.

More commonly however it’s Boris and the nasty Tories who are to blame.  But it could equally be one of her own like Joanne Cherry, QC, whom she sacked from a front bench post.  Why?  Because she disagreed with Ms Sturgeons’ somewhat extreme views on Trans issues.  In spite of her saying with COVID-19 we should follow the science, its different for Trans issues.  There Nicola says science in Trans issues is irrelevant. What she was saying was what you feel transcends science.    

That’s is not the independent Scotland I wish for.  An economic basket case that is built on an intolerance of anyone who disagrees with you.  No thanks.   

So while the people who display almost dictatorial attitudes remain in power, I will be voting we Remain in the UK.