FOLLAEN the EU referendum, A waes speirt by a journalist scrievin a piece anent young fowk’s views oan Scottish independence gin ma support fur a free-staunin Scotland had been heized in licht o the vote.

A replied that it hadnae chynged ma position ava, makkin clear that the democratic deficit – the reality that Scotland’s vote in the UK is thon o a city or a constituency, an nae thon o a kintra – isnae new ava, an that Brexit is nae mair an nae less nor the latest exaimple o thon reality, awbeit an unco ane.

Ma quote didnae mak the cut fur thon piece. A can anely jalouse that fowk gaun fae “Naw” tae “Aye” makkit fur a better story nor the abuin; whither efter a sudden flaucht o unnerstaunin o Scotland’s pooerlessness follaen Brexit, or whither (an A fear mair likely) acause thon pooerlessness noo threatened tae impact thair ain immediate lives.

Aither wey, gin the hale Brexit bourach haes brocht mair fowk ower tae “Aye”, thon’s braw, an A walcome thaim wi open airms. But it’s been whiles dumfoonerin ower the lest year an a hauf tae hear fowk speak as if the democratic deficit, an syne the case fur a free-staunin Scotland, anely cam intae bein owernicht oan Thursday June 23, 2016. Faur fae it.

Brexit’s no the first exaimple, it’ll no be the lest ane, an A’d threap at it’s nae e’en the maist scunnerin exaimple o hoo Scotland’s vyce an vote is sneist an dung doon, the will o Westminster imposed upon oor kintra agin oor ain needs an values.

Thon’s a murkie honour A’d gie tae the great muckle pile o nuclear airmed submarines ower oan the Clyde. Naewithstaunnin the fack that these immoral, deidly, an globally abhorrit wappens are richt oot opposed by oor government, oor pairlament, an the guid fowk o Scotland, thai arenae mair nor aboot 30 mile awa fae oor mucklest city, an we get tae pey fur the pleisur forby. Gin thon’s no a democratic deficit, A dinnae ken whit is. An it’s been the case fae lang afore “Brexit” waes e’en thocht o.

Whit’s mair, gin ye think that the £30-odd billion Brexit divorce bill is a muckle amoont o siller, thon’s mair nor owershadowed by the economic self-hasherie o the UK’s nuclear arsenal. The costs o the ongaun Trident renewal programme are estimatit at onywhaur atween £167bn (Reuters) an £205bn (CND) – an thon’s afore takkin tent o the fack that MOD projecks tend tae gang weel ower budget. Naither dae thon figures tak ony tent o the coontless billions awready gied oot fur nuclear wappens ower decades aforesyne.

Forby whiles Brexit micht mean mair tariffs an fewer European students at oor universities, the pernitioune that micht come fae nuclear wappens is the death an contamination o thoosans o Scots an the ootricht destruction an abandonment o hale pairts o oor kintra; whither it’s Scotland bein the target o an attack by an unfreendly state, a human or computer gaun agley that leads tae explosion or leakage, or a muckle convoy mishanter on oor roads whan nuclear wappens are bein cairtit fae Berkshire tae Glasgow, passin ben 15 Scottish cooncil areas alang the wey, aroon echt times a year.

Nor maun we forget that the nuclear wappens in Scotland hae been deemed ower dangerous tae be placed onywhaur else in the UK. In 2012, the MOD admittit in response tae an FOI request that the nuclear submarines oan the Clyde couldnae be moved tae the Devonport base in Plymouth acause, wi aroon 166,000 fowk bidin wi’in 5km o the base, a mishanter there wad endanger ower mony lives. In Scotland, hooiver, the “societal contamination” that wad result fae a mishanter at Faslane is deemed acceptable; efter aw, anely 5,200 fowk bide wi’in 5km o there.

BREXIT could be gey damagin, fur siccar, but it’s nae a maitter o life an death. The nuclear-airmed submarines oan the Clyde are.

But whiles we hear gey muckle anent the skaith an cost o Brexit an that Scotland didnae vote fur it, we dinnae hear onywhaur near as muckle aboot the skaith an cost o Trident; an we didnae weel vote fur thon either. This year haes gart me think pooerfully oan the abuin.

Fur it’s a year whaur, oan the ae haun, a combination o North Korea an Donald Trump haes pit the prospeck o nuclear war back oan the agenda in a wey nae seen fae the Cauld War era.

Oan the ither haun, it’s a year that’s seen the UN adopt a launmark treaty tae ootlaw nuclear wappens, leadin taewart thair total elimination.

Forby, jist lest week, the International Campaign tae Abolish Nuclear Wappens waes awardit the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, in pairt fur the gallus role it pleyed in the UN ban treaty negotiations.

We aw ken that Scotland wants tae be representit at the Brexit negotiation buird, but whaur’s been siclike threapin oan Scotland’s place at the UN negotiation buird tae ban nuclear wappens?

Ower 120 nations supportit thon treaty. Scotland should hae been ane o thaim. Oor First Minister should hae been amang the warld leaders unnerscrievin thon muckle an mensefu stend taewart a warld redd oot o nuclear wappens. Insteid, the UK, tae its shame, kenably boycottit the hale proceedins, alang wi the hamedrauchtit haunfu o ither nuclear airmed states.

This is aw by wey o seyin that we maun caw cannie that we dinnae gang sae hale-heidit wi Brexit that we loss sicht o the braider case fur independence. Gin it turns oot that we’re bidin in the single mairket an customs union, the immediate threat an skaith o Brexit micht gang awa; an sae micht some fowk’s support fur “independence”. But there’ll aye be nuclear wappens oan the Clyde – an the case fur independence will bide as strang as ivver.