No one can fail to have noticed the barely disguised panic coming out of Westminster in recent weeks at the possibility of Scotland wielding real power and influence in the House of Commons after the election.
The idea that Scotland could have the audacity to make its voice heard has the Tories in particular up in arms - ranting and raving about 'sinister threats', and accusing the SNP of 'subverting democracy'. Watching the Tories tie themselves in knots like this would be amusing if it wasn't so grossly offensive and undemocratic.
It's hard to believe that these panicked claims come from the same collection of people who just six months ago were fawning over Scotland, telling us that we were a valued member of the UK's "family of nations" and that our voice must be heard within the Westminster system.
Since the referendum, Westminster has consistently failed to live up to its rhetoric - with David Cameron rejecting common sense plans to prevent Scotland being ripped out of the EU against our will, and watering down the already weak powers set out by the Smith Commission. Now they are railing against the very idea that Scotland should have any voice in the UK's democratic process at all, should we choose to vote SNP on 7 May.
It seems that as far as the Westminster establishment is concerned, Scotland's voice is valued only when it is singing to their tune.
The saying goes that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family - but the Tories chose to campaign for Scotland to be part of their claimed family of nations within the UK. Now they'll have to live with the consequences - and with Scotland's legitimate democratic voice. Scotland was promised a voice within the UK by the No campaign, and Scotland's voice is heard most effectively when we vote SNP - therefore voting SNP at the General Election is the logical thing to do following last September's No vote. If members of the Westminster establishment have difficulty with this concept, then they should have thought through the consequences of their own referendum campaign.
In far too many elections in recent decades, Scotland has comprehensively rejected the Tories at the ballot box - only to wake up the day after polling day to find us governed by a Tory Prime Minister we didn't vote for.
In 1979, 1983 and 1987 Scotland rejected Mrs Thatcher - and yet had to live with the consequences of a Tory government destroying our industries and so many of our communities.
In 1992, Scotland rejected John Major - but had to put up with his incompetent government.
In 2010, Scotland rejected David Cameron - but is still suffering his government's ideological austerity cuts pushing 100,000 more of our children into poverty.
The democratic deficit Scotland has put up with for decades isn't befitting the family of nations David Cameron and the Tories told us we were an integral part of - so it's time for Scotland to make our voice heard.
Rather than having Tory government's we didn't vote for imposed on us by votes elsewhere in the UK, we can elect a strong team of SNP MPs to stand up for Scotland - and ensure that David Cameron is locked out of Downing Street, which would benefit the whole UK.
That is Scotland's democratic right.
Any claims from the Tories that this is somehow illegitimate aren't just constitutionally illiterate or anti-SNP -they are offensive to everyone in Scotland. Labour or SNP, Yes or No - people in Scotland's voices and votes count just as much as anywhere else in the UK. For the Tories to argue against this only highlights how little they really care about Scotland - showing up their hypocrisy during the referendum last year.
They seem to forget that the referendum changed Scotland forever - people are no longer content to let Westminster make decisions for us, or to accept the imposition of unelected Tory governments.
On May 7, Scotland's voice will be heard loud and clear if people vote SNP, whether the Tories like it or not. Scotland will make our presence felt.
The Westminster establishment are already in a panic at the idea of Scotland holding the balance of power after the election. And we can give the Tories something to really complain about - by electing a strong team of SNP MPs in May to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street.
The Prime Minister told us we were a valued member of the family of nations - now Scotland can take him at his word and make our voice heard like never before.
Angus Robertson, SNP Westminster Leader
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