Shit Creek for the Scots. And it is entirely of their own making which is what makes it so sad.

Following the news this evening that MPs in the House of Commons have by majority, 498 to 114, voted to trigger the UK leaving the European Union I thought this cartoon is becoming more and more pertinent by the day.

Incidentally but of no real importance at this time (as we are talking about Scotland in the UK and it doesn't really count when it comes to votes) Scottish MPs voted 58 to 1 to NOT initiate plans to leave the EU. Scotland voted 62% to stay in the EU, but the UK Government as usual is ignoring the Scottish Government and the UK supreme court agreed that the Scottish Government and therefore the Scottish people's opinion can be ignored legally.

The harsh reality for Scotland now, at this juncture in its history, is that the governments of Estonia or Malta have more of a say about the future Scotland faces than the people of Scotland do themselves. And Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist branch office, wants to do all she can to ensure it stays that way, because in her universe everyone has the right to determine the path that Scotland treads except the people of Scotland .

And this is entirely due to Scots voting NO to their own country's independence in 2014. In September 2014 the question on the ballot may have said independence, but forget the terminology for a moment. What it meant was: Do you want Scots to have the power over their own lives or do you want to leave it up to whoever is in charge in Westminster?

Which do you prefer Project Fear v Project Fear plus Project Hate

I have voted Remain. I believe strongly that something like the EU needs to exist and for Scotland to be a member. But the EU is far from perfect. 

Scotland is currently a sub-nation as long as it is in the UK

As long as we are a sub-nation within the UK Scotland is most definitely better of IN rather than out. 

Neither campaign inspired, both campaigns were #ProjectFear, but we did have a new development i.e. #ProjectHate from the #VoteLeave campaign and their more extreme bedfellows. 

Project Hate of Vote Leave actually made me definitely vote Remain

The Project Hate of Vote Leave actually made me definitely vote Remain when initially I was decidedly lukewarm in doing that, wondering whether to just abstain and not bother. 

I started off about 55% Remain and ended up according to an online questionnaire 81% Remain. So the leave campaign was very successful in making me go for the opposite of what they wanted.

What a difference in atmosphere between EuroRef and indyref

I am stuck between the atmosphere for this referendum in comparison to the last one that occurred in Scotland. 

It was also most definitely nothing like a General Election which the television commentators were comparing it to in England. There was nothing happening and nobody at the polling station. It seems just a mid summer overcast Thursday night in summer.

I have seen 3 Vote Leave stalls and one Vote Remain poster on one window. 

This compares with 15 Yes posters still displayed on peoples windows from the Scottish Independence Referendum almost 2 years ago.

I have also become increasingly concerned as the campaigns have gone on about the xenophobic rhetoric coming from the Vote Leavers. If people do generally feel that this relates to them and their lives then I am even more sure than I was that Scotland will most definitely be better of outside the UK but still in Europe.