Fiona Hyslop

Fiona Hyslop is Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning and MSP for the Lothians.

'I was brought up as a child in England but my father wanted to make sure I knew about my Scottish roots and identity. He even laid the Wallace tartan carpet in the hall in our house. I learned about my country by being a Scot away from it, starting from those early days when I learned to crawl on that carpet.

I always knew that Scotland had been and could again be Independent. I want Independence for my country to deliver economic prosperity and social justice and to liberate the energy and talent of our people. It's time to build a better life in a better country for my 3 children and all the children of Scotland who deserve so much better than we get from the Union with England. Independence for me is about self-respect and self-determination, relying on yourselves to improve your lot but to also to contribute to a better world to tackle poverty, environmental problems and conflict across the globe.

I want a Scotland free of nuclear weapons. I want to live in a country that faces up to its responsibilities, has drive and energy about where it wants to go and will take its people, all of its people, with it. My Independent Scotland will enthusiastically seek to learn about and celebrate its own history and culture but will be interested in other countries too in an open-hearted and open-minded manner. That’s the type of Scotland I want to see.'