WHY can we not crowdfund for a free Scottish broadcaster or radio station?

Don’t we have enough decent producers, journalists, writers, actors, directors, etc?

Why do we have to wait for the BBC powers to “allow” Scotland a TV channel, possibly by autumn 2018?

At one time were fed up with mainstream media and radio – its dullness and the predictability of it. So some brave souls set up a pirate radio station on a ship – Radio Luxembourg.

Do we have funding or funds available? Without any media or broadcaster, how do we stand any chance to get the Yes message across. We can hold as many meetings as we like, write as many letters or books or post on social media – I’m not sure that has enough effect. It’s shocking that only 55 per cent of TV license money raised here is spent in Scotland, and some of that on UK programmes such as Question Time! It is a farce.

The fundamental differences between Scotland and England run deep, and this matters as they are often irreconcilable.

Here’s an example.

On Question Time last week, a young English man spoke of his father’s job as an admissions officer for Oxbridge. He complained that quotas for race minorities often meant having to give places to less-qualified students.

Alex Salmond disagreed with his assessment – he felt there should be more opportunities for students from deprived backgrounds, such as summer schools to access their ability.

He gave as an example Glasgow University being more diverse and inclusive than St Andrews university, which was more elitist.

The young man replied that clearly “St Andrews university would be of a higher standard than Glasgow”.

Salmond’s expression of doubt said it all!

It is clear from the Tories and British establishment that they view privilege not only as a right, but as the best way to run education, the economy and the nation.

They admire the Romans, empires and elites. By contrast Scotland’s history tells us otherwise. Scotland was the first country to educate all its citizens to read the Bible; to open libraries and bookshops for all (after the invention of the printing press). The result gave us great poets, the enlightenment, great philosophers, scientists and innovators!

The question is not what independence will bring – but rather what has the Union done for us in Scotland?

What have the UK’s “broad shoulders” really meant? Being forced to have an unwanted Trident, an unelected patronage-based House of Lords, and absent landlords? De-populated land, destroyed manufacturing, wasted Scotland resources, given us a non-representative government and often made Scots feel second-rate? The Union is now offering us Brexit, which will de-regulate markets, cause inflation to deal with debt, stop vital immigration of vital workers and be disastrous, basically.

This idea that because someone lives in London it makes them smarter or worth more or better able to make decisions for us is ludicrous. If we are ever to be independent, we must be proactive and act independently. In today’s internet world do we need empires anymore?

The left in England should appreciate that if Scotland had its own independent government, we’d be free to pursue a more progressive Nordic socialism, which would impact on views of many in England, and help the left be more forward-thinking.

This is not about 1970s tax and spend, but rather a combination of growth investment and investment in people.

P Keightley Glasgow