The rot with Labour was not just down to standing with tories in the referendum, it happened a bit before then. There were a series of hapless labour leaders like Cathy Jameson. Wendy Alexander, Johann Lamont and Iain Gray which were pretty uninspiring and ineffective. We were getting second rate politicians to lead Scotland because they see the big league at Westminster. With the SNP and Scottish Greens it is the complete opposite. So against my better judgement I voted for SNP in 2011 to shake things up and I was surprised and ashamed that SNP got in with a clear majority. A lot of others felt the same it seemed. As time went by, my UK-conditioned loathing of the SNP gave way to respect as they have successfully administered Scotland's affairs since then. It has not all been rosey but I'm prepared to say that since 2007 all the unionist scare stories have been just that, scare stories and if Labour had been in power then they would have gladly ushered in the cuts gladly and without question if it just kept the Union together. Since those days I have been acutely aware of my own UK nationalism which has by and large subsided to just seeing the UK as a bland administrative area. That administrative area is losing control of another administrative area called Scotland of which the residents are uniquely more qualified to run its affairs.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
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