THE 2016 Holyrood election campaign was perhaps unique in our democracy, in that only one of the political parties standing in the election put themselves forward as a credible party of government.
While the SNP set out a comprehensive manifesto that detailed how the party would, for example, work towards closing the attainment gap in our schools and protect our NHS, the other main parties spent most of their time talking about the SNP, and how they hoped to be the best runner-up.
The Tories in particular were content to develop their theme as being the party of No, and defining themselves by what they are not, in their case the SNP. This negative stance included setting themselves up as opposed to issues that they had failed to vote against in the last parliament, such as the child protection measures introduced to support and identify vulnerable young people and their families.
So what is the point of a Parliamentary Opposition?
This afternoon at Westminster the Queen will give a speech in the gilded setting of the House of Lords, laying out the Tory government’s plans for the next twelve months. This will be followed by a week of debate along the corridor in the elected chamber.
Undoubtedly these plans will be held up to scrutiny by MPs. But the SNP group will also be taking this opportunity, as we always do, to set out our positive vision for how the UK Government could make different choices.
Over the last few weeks and months, the SNP’s Westminster group have been developing our own proposals to make Scotland a better place to live, work and do business. Rather than opposing for opposition’s sake, over the next week we’ll set out a constructive and achievable agenda for Scotland.
Firstly, we will call for a summer budget, which would serve to implement a modest 0.5 per cent increase in public spending. We need to begin to address the social damage caused by the austerity policies chosen by successive Westminster governments. Given the challenges faced by our wider economy, we also want to introduce practical measures to boost productivity, act as a catalyst for innovation, attract trade and grow our exports.
The SNP’s alternative economic plans will also set out our specific proposals for a Fair Tax Bill, which would enable Government to properly clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion to ensure that everyone pays their way, and an Energy Security and Investment Bill to support renewables and the wider energy sector. This London-centric Government has let Scotland’s energy sector down, and we must begin to make amends now.
The 21st century requires a modern parliament that is representative of the people, holds government to account and ensures that legislation is fit for purpose. Retaining a system that embeds party donors, cronies and those rejected at the ballot box in the legislature would be unthinkable in an emerging democracy, so why not here?
That’s why I back our plans to make radical and democratic reforms of both parliament and the electoral system to bring our politics into the modern era. Further work is also required to ensure the promises made to the people of Scotland about the future powers of Holyrood during our referendum campaign are kept, hence the need for a new Scottish Home Rule Bill.
While other parties are content with the erosion of human rights, particularly through the Tories’ desires to take us out of the European Convention on Human Rights, the SNP wants to take an altogether different path in order to protect equality and promote access to justice for all.
I particularly welcome plans brought forward by our Home Affairs team to adopt a balanced, sensible and evidence-based approach to migration, maximising the benefits to Scotland’s economy that migrants bring, while treating people with respect and decency.
We can also play an increasingly positive part in the world by introducing more effective regulation of the international arms trade, and through ensuring that the Scottish Parliament has the final say about whether Trident is based on Scotland’s shores.
This is a positive, constructive programme that would address the damaging economics of austerity, enhance our democracy, combat social inequality and improve our standing in the world.
At every opportunity over the coming year I’ll look forward to working with my fellow SNP MPs to ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard loudly and clearly in the corridors of Westminster. When we do so, it will be driven by a desire to promote a better Scotland, not simply to oppose the status quo. Other parties in Scotland should take heed.
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Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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