The National:

This is from a newsletter from Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, called Reinventing Scotland. It explores the wellbeing economy. Sign up here to receive it every Tuesday at 7pm. 

TWO weeks ago, I wrote that the single biggest barrier to progressive change on wellbeing and independence is our reliance on the language of politics to lead that change.

It seems the more controversial I try to be, the better the feedback. So here comes another one.

If you are waiting on politics to solve all your problems, if you are waiting on politicians to deliver a transition to a wellbeing economy or Scottish independence … you will wait your entire life.

(Image: PA)

Not only does the language of politics generate tribalism and erect barriers to engagement, the mindset of politics is itself a self-limiting force that blocks positive change. Don't get me wrong, we need a pro-indy majority in Westminster if there is to be any progress on independence. What I am saying is that if we rely solely on politicians and politics, it's never going to happen.

So what do we have to change?

Come July 5, politics must take a back seat to a civic, cultural and creative independence movement that can reach across politics to bring people to independence. Key will be to communicate the purpose of independence and that should be the creation of a wellbeing economy, dumping neoliberal capitalism in the dustbin of history, starting in Scotland.

The failing political mindset

Politics is a system of control and politicians are simply players within that system. The job itself experienced by all elected members is: not to be wrong, to deny, to reframe, to avoid answering questions. That pressure is reflected not only in their language but in their thinking, and all parties, once they get near power, are forced by the system to adopt a negative and defensive political mindset as they campaign. This is the opposite of what I would call the Wellbeing Mindset.

The problems with the political mindset

Political Mindset makes politicians think tribally and defend set positions rather than engage with people who might disagree with them or even be undecided. Discussions become focused on quick solutions to current challenges, not on longer-term opportunities. Critical debate leads to disbelief and distrust and triggers negative brain chemistry. Anxiety. Conflict. Fear. And the communication channel has closed.

Understanding the Wellbeing Mindset

The Wellbeing Mindset on the other hand is when you have no axe to grind, no skin in the political game. Campaigns that emanate from this mindset emphasise connections and shared culture and that creates openness to discussion. It's less of a campaign and more of an exercise in identifying and agreeing on shared values, allowing the fair evaluation of pros and cons and shared discovery of possibility. This generates trust and empathy and triggers positive brain chemistry. Connection. Hope. Motivation. Resilience. And the communication channel is open and positive.

This is what's Believe in Scotland activists say when they remove party insignia and don our high-viz vest. As soon as people realise they are not talking to a political party, the mindset of campaigner and the potential indy supporter changes and so does the language and the direction of the conversation.

Short-termism equals long-term problems

The political mindset leads to bad decisions and bad policy. It forces politicians to chase short-term solutions to win elections, to come out on top in debates, often severely damaging the long-term wellbeing of society. The system dictates current, highly visible (even trending) issues to dominate political discussion rather than allowing a focus on sustainable, long-term solutions to recalibrate the system.

Reforming the Unreformable!

Every election sees every politician promise more money for the NHS or creating graphs that show they (really) spent more than the last government. However, healthcare in the UK is a hugely complex system managed by thousands of disparate bodies, trusts, councils, NGOs, all with their own agendas and competitive budget needs.

The political mindset stops all positive systems-led reform because it cannot understand such complex systems. Want to win an argument about a shortage of beds on Question Time? Promise more beds, blame bed blockers, blame administrators, offer money, get a short-term win and a round of applause from the political addicts in the audience.

However, short-term political horizons overlook preventive measures in public health which are crucial in creating long-term societal benefits. Add more beds and they will just fill up – if they don’t, the opposition will attack the wastage in all these expensive unused and unnecessary beds. You can't win.

Throwing short-term money at failing systems such as the NHS just adds a new system element, creating new (and worse) log jams within the system.

The Wellbeing Mindset takes time, it requires a holistic system review, bringing together thousands of bodies and decision makers to review the system and understand the inflows and outflows of patients, the blockage points, external influences, historical and cultural barriers, the leverage points within the system where system flows can be changed most effectively through partnership and considered communication.

The solution might cost the same but the money would be allocated differently with a great deal more almost certainly being spent on preventative medicine.

We don't have a National Health Service … we have a National Keeping People Alive and Alleviating Pain Service and it's expensive and impossible to sustain. Try asking your MP to explain how a National Preventive Medicine Service and Wellbeing Education System might operate.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp is the CEO of Business for Scotland, the chief economist at the wellbeing economics think tank Scotianomics, the founder of the Believe in Scotland campaign and the author of Scotland the Brief.