As a Yes campaigner, a footsoldier ­knocking on doors in ­Maryhill, I confess to being angry still at the depths of mendacity which the machinery of the British state mined to prevent Scottish independence.

This ­weekend I am involved as a voter in a similar process in Catalonia and find that the Spanish government has chosen an even simpler route than Westminster. They have banned any ballot on the issue of Catalan independence.

So what are the people of ­Catalonia voting on today? No-one is really sure. It started out as a move by the Catalan president Artur Mas to hold a referendum ballot. This was declared ­illegal by Madrid. Mas then said the vote would be a ­"consultation" and not legally binding. This concept was banned as unconstitutional and any politicians or government employees involved in its organisation would "face consequences".

Not ­wishing to see politicians, especially himself, sent to prison or sacked, Mas moved the goalposts and said it was not a consultation but a "process of citizen participation". The ballot was not organised by the Catalan government but by volunteers.

This, in turn, has been declared illegal but is going ahead anyway. Faced with the prospect of arresting thousands of members of ­Catalonia's vast civic pro-independence movement, the Spanish interior minister (who ironically has the surname Catalá) has said his government will "stand back with arms folded" and will only intervene if they see any involvement in "illegal activities". The Catalan government advice to its citizens is: Keep calm and vote Yes.

There is great uncertainty as to how events of 9-N (the shorthand for the November 9 vote) will unfold. Madrid has sent reinforcements from the national police force to the outskirts of Barcelona, ostensibly to protect government buildings. Pro-independence campaigners question why such mobilisation is necessary against "vote-wielding" citizens. They fear that police might seize these "illegal and unconstitutional" ballot boxes.

They fear the right-wing Partido Popular Madrid government may not be prepared to stand back but will interfere with the public ­participation process. These fears were not assuaged when a spin doctor from a previous Partido Popular government appeared on a recent TV programme and said that what Mas "really needs is to be out before a firing squad". Just like 74 years ago when a Catalan president, Lluis Companys, was executed by a Franco firing squad.

It is surely unthinkable that the Partido Popular government, even if it has many members who can be described as the heirs of Franco, would stoke old fires. They can be content to oppose Catalan independence in defence of the constitution and maintain the stability of the Spanish state in difficult times. It will also help revive their flagging electoral support in other parts of Spain where there is virulent animosity towards Catalonia.

The danger of disturbances, requiring the intervention of police, is more likely to come from right-wing or left-wing extremists (or elements who just like to cause trouble like that at George Square after our referendum) who will use 9-N as an excuse for violence.

So, why should I. as a person who still spends more time in Glasgow than Barcelona, become involved in yet another difficult and potentially disappointing independence debate? Mostly because it is my democratic right, having a vote in this local issue because I am a Barcelona council-tax payer and registered as a part-time resident of Spain.

It is also because I have been caught up with the similarities between Catalonia and Caledonia. I see a huge groundswell of public support from movements outwith the political parties. I see that much of the leadership comes from strong and articulate women, just as we have in the various Yes campaigns in Scotland.

I see that the wishes of the people are being thwarted by an unholy alliance of the main political parties which strive to maintain the status quo for their own benefit and big business which funds them. I see Spain's equivalent of Labour in bed with the right-wing Partido Popular. It is called the Partido Socialista y Obrero but seems to have little connection these days with socialists or workers.

They seemed to have learned something from British Labour. With shades of Gordon Brown, they say don't vote for independence, but have vowed to offer Catalans more powers in a reformed federalist Spanish political system.

There are two questions to be answered on the 9-N ballot paper: Do you want Catalonia to become a state? If so, do you want this state to be independent? My answer to both is Yes.

Catalonia is obviously a ­country which has become subsumed (like Scotland) into a bigger state. Its parliament predates those of England, Scotland and most other European countries. It has its own language, national anthem and distinct culture. It would have a pretty decent national football team.

Should it be an independent country? That is for the people who live in Catalonia to say. Even those who are only part-time residents.

Catalonia has a more than viable economy. It currently subsidises the rest of Spain to the tune of €15 billion a year. Without Catalonia, Spain would be an economic disaster area. Yet Madrid consistently denies and delays investment in the infrastructure of what is Spain's industrial and economic powerhouse.

It is not just about money. The Partido Popular has used Spain's Constitutional Court to limit the powers of the Catalan autonomous government. Now they want to limit the use of the Catalan language in schools as part of a programme to "Spanishify" Catalonia. It is little wonder that many Catalans see the Madrid establishment as a threat and not a partner.

The actions and attitudes of the Spanish government have actually been the main recruiting sergeant for the Catalan independence movement. When I first became a part-time resident, public opinion on independence stood at a mere 15%. Now it has been as high as 60%. Turnouts of up to 1.8 million people in recent demonstrations on the streets of Barcelona cannot be ignored. Most of those waving the Catalan flags are young people who are not fuelled by ancient wrongs suffered by Catalans. They see independence as a way out of the austerity cutbacks which have led to youth unemployment levels of up to 50%.

Whatever the result of the 9-N vote today, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy will dismiss it as no more than a publicity stunt. A source at the Catalan government (who shall remain nameless in case he gets jailed for "illegal" activities) told me: "The Spanish government is using undemocratic means to deny us a referendum, unlike in Scotland where the 18-S vote was a great example of democracy. Our 9-N vote is an opportunity for the Catalan population to express themselves. We expect a high ­turnout, specially fuelled by the moves of the Spanish Government, which has tried to block the participatory process till the last minute."

It is a cry for freedom. Not in a Braveheart kind of way. But a call for freedom of choice. Just like the Scottish people had on September 18.