AFTER years of misguided Tory austerity, the UK has the dubious distinction of being one of the most unequal countries in the developed world. And earnings still struggle to regain their pre-recession levels. Additionally, the people and businesses of Scotland face substantial penalties from a Brexit they overwhelmingly voted against. But, of course, it doesn’t matter what Scotland wants or needs, it will always be outvoted 10:1.
It surely begs the question, why shouldn’t Scotland regain its independence? An independence it earned and cherished for a thousand years before it was bullied and bribed into an unequal union with England in 1707?
I have just finished looking through the Sustainable Growth Commission’s conclusions:
- Scotland is already one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
- Per head of population the Scottish economy is as strong as France, New Zealand or Japan and wealthier than the rest of the UK, except for a London-centred financial sector that is being, and will be further seriously, damaged by Brexit.
- The country is an energy powerhouse, with unexploited renewables, a hundred years of oil reserves, world-leading universities and a strong export-based economy.
- There is no reason why Scotland cannot match the richest, healthiest and happiest countries in the world if it has full control over its affairs and resources, for example:
- Finland: Continue building an innovative economy that learns from the success of Finland’s approach to public-sector support for research and development,
- Denmark: Create a fairer society equal to Denmark, with a strong social security system and low inequality,
- Norway: A society that benefits from its natural resources, rather than spends this bonus like a drunken sailor on shore leave
- Ireland: Scotland can emulate Ireland’s success in growing its population, with new incentives to attract the best talent rather than suffer from an immigration policy driven solely by English voters’ concerns and the xenophobia of people like Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The model already exists. Like other countries that gained independence and went on to prosper enormously (Norway, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and so on, not to mention the host of colonial breakaways like Australia, New Zealand and Canada), Scotland can follow their example.
The Growth Commission report confirms that the only reason to continue as a junior, irrelevant member of a failed union is because of fear of change. But, as Nelson Mandela said, your choices should reflect your hopes, not your fears.
As Scotland’s population changes, with hopeful youngsters taking their place and the fearful older generations fading away, Scotland’s future independence seems very desirable, very feasible and very necessary for its people to prosper.
David Cairns
Finavon
I HAVE read with interest the many articles and letters that followed the publication of the Growth Commission report. After hearing – albeit faintly – the sharp intake of breath from those who read that oil revenues are not part of the plan for future growth, I read in an article that England, especially the south and south-east, could see significant water supply shortages by 2050. Scotland is generously supplied with many gifts – scenery, history, whisky, etc – and predominantly RAIN. In order to demonstrate our non-reliance on oil income, we need to start now building the pipelines to the Border so that we can sell our most abundant resource when the need arises.
Heather MacLean
Fort William
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