 For those who support independence things have got that bit more exciting, the Brexit shambles is a perfect illustration of why we need strong politicians to stand up for Scotland and take a different direction.
It also shows why we need to have a conversation now about what we want for the future of Scotland. In the independence referendum the choice was between staying with UK and (so we were told) the EU, or building our own future as a strong independent country. Clydebank was a Yes town and voted overwhelmingly to forge our own future but not everyone agreed and we are now part of a very different UK to the one that the no side promised which will see us dragged out of the EU. Coming out of the most important part of the EU, The Customs Union will mean the loss of an untold number of jobs. So whether you voted for independence or to stay in the UK, we need to be thinking about where we go from here. The Growth Commission report published recently is the perfect vehicle for stimulating that conversation. It was commissioned by the SNP almost 2 years ago and offers the opportunity to consider what the future aspirations for Scotland should be, where the opportunities are (and there are plenty) but also where constraints might be and what needs to change so that we can boost economic growth and manage our finances to build the country we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Many of the people who voted no to independence tell me they worried about the economics of independence. The growth commission explains how Scotland can thrive economically and is worth a careful read. I was struck by how outward looking the Growth Commission was. They took their inspiration from the 12 most successful small developed countries in the world. The report argues Scotland has economic potential that far outstrips its current and long-term performance, we have to find ways of turning that around. This is an approach I agree with, there are loads of small countries, with much fewer resources than Scotland, who do better than we do, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, we can look at what these countries are doing and design solutions tailor-made for us. But the most startling thing that jumped out at me from the Commission’s findings was if we had simply followed the different path they suggest, then austerity and all the abject misery it brought with it, would never have happened. You can read the report here https://www.sustainablegrowthcommission.scot/ |
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