From: allan@EASYNET.CO.UK   
      
   "Joe M."  wrote in message   
   news:1159200926.225356.45880@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...   
   > >From Letters (Glasgow Herald) September 25 2006   
   >   
   > AS A former Liberal Democrat activist who returned my party card after   
   > 20 years in protest at the revolting coup which overthrew Charles   
   > Kennedy, I find little in Malcolm Bruce's letter (September 23) to   
   > tempt me back. Mr Bruce appears to echo the outright rejection by Nicol   
   > Stephen of an independence referendum as some sort of warped   
   > "principle". As a Liberal Democrat I was never troubled by the idea of   
   > independence either way. I have certainly never seen it as "separatism"   
   > as Nicol Stephen claimed six times in a single interview last week, and   
   > there are, indeed, many LibDems within my former party who regard it as   
   > a positive move.   
   >   
   > I can recall attending fringe meetings on behalf of democratic rights   
   > in such countries as Burma, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Tibet and Iran at   
   > Liberal Democrat conferences.   
   >   
   > Why does my former party oppose the same rights for Scotland, and what   
   > are my former colleagues so afraid of losing if Scotland opts for   
   > self-determination? Their careers, perhaps? If that is all that remains   
   > of our once great party then there is precious little reason left to   
   > vote Liberal Democrat next year. With a lot of regret I now announce   
   > myself a first-time floating voter in 2007.   
   >   
   > Pete Ellis, Marshall Lodge, Station Road, Coupar Angus   
      
   It certainly begs a question. If the Lib Debs truly believe in their   
   argument that a devolved Scotland is the best way to go then why don't they   
   have the courage to put it to the test ?   
      
   Allan   
   >   
      
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