This week's Community Column is written by Ross Greer, Scottish Green MSP for the West of Scotland region.

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Scotland’s future is European. That means putting our future in our own hands first.

On January 31, Scotland was dragged out of the EU against our democratic will. Technically, we entered a transition period where EU law and membership of the single market continues to apply, but this only delays the damage that will be inflicted by a hard Brexit until the end of the year.

As of now though, the UK no longer has a seat or a say at the European table. For a few months at least, we are rule-takers but not rule-makers.

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The UK Government has damaged its international reputation beyond description during this sorry saga.

Scotland, on the other hand, has never had a warmer reception in Brussels or the capitals of Europe. They know we did not vote for this, or for the hard-right government delivering it. And they know that Scotland’s representatives have been locked out of Brexit negotiations.

They know, because we’ve told them, that the Scottish Parliament and Government have been overruled, ignored and treated with contempt by Westminster, just as the Welsh have been.

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All attempts by the devolved governments to compromise were rejected out of hand, often without even being read, by the Conservatives.

The UK is not the union of equals they promised us in 2014.

That’s why I relaunched the Green Yes campaign on the same day we left the EU. Our vision for a bold and progressive independent Scotland, playing our full role at the European table as an equal partner, has never been more urgently needed.

Independence will allow us to build a truly democratic nation, where the people of Scotland actually get what we vote for.

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We can replace the UK’s economic model, where the priority is to pull wealth and talent to London at the expense of everywhere else. And we can deliver a Scottish Green New Deal, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in the clean industries which will quite literally save our planet.

With independence, we can step out from the shadows of a Westminster system which has failed us. We can play our full role in the world, working with our friends and allies for peace and progress.

That’s our Green vision for Scotland’s future and we’re ready to deliver it.

READ MORE: Catch up with all the latest Helensburgh and Lomond news headlines here