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Irvine Welsh argues the case for Scottish independence very forcibly in this interview which appeared in The Sunday Times the other day.

Now Welsh does not come across to me as some kind of narrow nixed nationalist, but as someone with a thought out political position which is about the need for better government and practical ways to tackle the distorting effect that the London 'superstate' has on democracy in the UK. 

Which includes, of course, the ability to lower corporation tax as an incentive for new employers to based their operations in Scotland, otherwise they tend to take the easy option by locating themselves in London and the south east of England. 

Irvine Welsh: Scottish independence ‘inevitable’


By Hannah Summers - The Sunday Times
Irvine Welsh said Scottish independence would come at some point, if not September

IRVINE Welsh hopes that a “clear-cut yes” vote for Scotland will lead to a fundamental change to politics in England.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the author said he believed that Scottish independence is “inevitable”, even if it is not secured in September.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Welsh criticised Britain’s “centralised, elitist government” which, he said, is dominated by a London “superstate”.

In his new futuristic book, entitled IDP: 2043, melting ice caps have caused sea levels to rise forcing people to abandon low-lying cities and create sprawling townships on high ground. Scarce resources have created a social chasm.

“People have been dealt a very bad hand, it’s a more extreme version of what we have now,” said Welsh, whose previous works include Trainspotting and Filth. “We live in a dystopia now, that’s what we are moving towards with population resources, climate change and species extinction.”

He added: “We need a kind of revolution. We need a vision that we don’t seem to have especially in terms of global leadership because it’s all about enabling corporations to make money.”

Welsh lamented the growing number of wealthy people from Saudi Arabia and Russia who take up residence in London for “two weeks a year” while those born in the capital are forced to move out due to high house prices.

“I’ve got friends from the East End who can’t afford to live in London now,” said Welsh, who lives in Chicago so cannot vote in next month’s Scottish referendum. “I lived in London for as long as I lived in Scotland and I want the best for them too.

“It’s the people who live here who have to decide but I’d like to see a clear-cut yes vote, not just for Scotland but for the good of the UK. It has to be broken up so democracy can thrive again in these islands.”

He added: “I think independence is inevitable whether it happens now or in a few years.”

As well as IDP: 2043, Welsh is currently promoting another new book entitled The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins.

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