Ten years ago yesterday, Scotland held its independence referendum. Even though my position wasn’t successful on that occasion, I have always respected the result. I am a democrat.

I also believe, and will never change from my belief, that Scotland’s best days are ahead of it as an independent nation. Just because the Yes campaign was unsuccessful in 2014, doesn’t mean I give up on Scotland taking its own decisions working with other countries as an equal.

A million and more words have been written over the last ten years about the result and what’s happened to Scotland and the UK since. One common consideration was about people coming back together again.

Politics is about ideas and beliefs. Many reading this column will never vote for a pro-independence or pro-union candidate. However, respecting another’s right to choose is important.

The Scotland of today is somewhat different to the Scotland of 2014.

We have left the EU after Inverclyde and all other 31 local authority areas in Scotland voted to Remain. In 2014, the No campaign said independence would lead to us leaving the EU. The opposite happened.

Brexit wasn’t just an event with no consequences. A report published this week by Aston University indicated Brexit red tape has hampered small businesses exporting. Exporting is crucial to economies as it brings new money and opportunities into the economy.

A further negative impact of Brexit is that affecting students. We are no longer part of the Erasmus scheme which helped students through free movement to study across the EU. The new scheme introduced by the last UK Government is more expensive, has more bureaucracy and has put people off, even though it has a more global reach.

There are many more examples of Scotland missing out as we remain in the UK.

In the last few week’s we have seen the new Westminster government scrap the universal Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, and only last week the news broke about the current Prime Minister and his wife getting their clothes bought for them by a party donor.

So, while 860,000 Scottish pensioners will be choosing between heating and eating this winter, Sir Keir Starmer cashes in on his position by taking thousands of pounds from donors for designer clothes and fashion accessories that most families couldn’t dream of buying.

Furthermore, in the same week Westminster cut the universal Winter Fuel Payment, Ireland announced plans to distribute €1,000 to Irish pensioners. Clearly, then, the independent government of Ireland has its priorities straight.

Readers will remember this was the Ireland that was much maligned during the global financial crash in 2008, alongside Iceland. Both nations have since turned their economies round, and are more successful than the UK.

Scotland is an energy rich nation, and whilst regulatory powers rest in Westminster, many of our pensioners will continue to need to choose from heating or eating.

That isn’t exactly a union of equals, or a union to be proud of.