AS we prepare to participate in what may be one of the most important votes in our lifetimes we all have to choose carefully how we vote.

I will vote Yes and I shall do so because it is the only guarantor of more powers and the only way to take back democratic control.

Many people say they want devo-max. I respect this view; had it been an option on the ballot paper I would still have voted for independence, but I don't doubt the majority would have been for extending devolution to its logical conclusion. But devo-max is not an option. Much has been said about the fact that the Unionist parties united to keep it off the ballot and that shows the sham of their commitment to further devolution. We may accept that the ground has shifted and they are forced to offer something, but something could be barely more than nothing. Quebec was twice promised more autonomy in return for a No vote, and twice this promise was broken.

To those enticed by last-minute offers from the Unionist parties, they must remember that these promises contain no specifics, only a timetable. The offer is designed to let people read their own desires into it being all things to all people, but after a No vote I suspect a lot of people will be surprised. More power could turn out to be nothing more than the Labour Party's pathetic offer of a symbolic extension of tax powers that would in practice amount to no more than a four per cent shift in control to Holyrood in terms of raising what it spends. This, indeed, would be consistent with Unionist promises, but it is not what we are being invited to believe.

It should be remembered as well that the UK parties are in terror of Ukip and Ukip have a policy of abolishing the Scottish Parliament. That won't happen, but the pressure of Ukip may still cause them to back away from the other direction and further devolution could be abandoned in fear of an English backlash. To vote No in the hope of truly increased devolution is to take a grave risk.

The issue goes beyond even this, however. Democracy itself is at stake. For many years now we have had no real choice of economic policy in Westminster elections. If we wish to vote for a party that can govern, we cast a vote but the decisions that matter are already made.

The late political scientist Peter Mair spoke of a "hollowing out" of western democracy as the importance of mass electoral politics receded amidst growing neo­­liberalism. Britain has been at the forefront of this. Already questionable political institutions have been further undermined as the power of the public to exercise democratic control over the economy has been removed and Labour and the Conservatives, the only choices to govern the UK, have become so close on economic policy that one would struggle to put a cigarette paper between them.

Independence represents the last best hope to arrest this decline and take back democracy. If we choose independence we break away from an empty shell of democracy and the choice between two nearly identical versions of neoliberalism and finally have a choice. If we vote No, we consign ourselves to it. The magnitude of this decision should be lost on no one.

This may be the first vote for at least a generation to truly matter; don't let it be the last.

Iain Paterson,

2F Killermont View,

Glasgow.