IN the face of rising costs and economic uncertainty, the SNP have stepped up to help Scotland’s communities. In contrast, the Westminster parties are offering very little to help people now and in the future.

I was especially delighted to hear First Minister John Swinney outline his plans for a social tariff for energy, broadband and mobile bills. The policy would support those on low incomes and disabled and elderly people and ensure that no-one in Scotland goes without those essentials.

Funded through a mix of general taxation and by skimming the excess profits of energy companies, it is sensible, pragmatic and one that will make a tangible difference to our communities.

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This was something I supported in the previous parliament and one that I know would do a world of good for people in Stirling and Strathallan, as well as the rest of Scotland.

Scotland is blessed with an abundance of natural energy resources yet under Westminster we are faced with some of the highest energy costs. The UK’s energy market is demonstrably broken and none of the Westminster parties has a plan to drive down energy costs for families across Stirling and Strathallan.

That such a policy needs to be brought through the House of Commons only serves to reinforce our case for why Scotland needs independence. If we had full control over energy and telecommunications, our Parliament at Holyrood could have introduced this well before the election was called.

As it stands, it has been the SNP making the case for Scotland at Westminster for the merits of this policy, something that the Tories, Labour or the LibDems are willing to do.

I would hope a Labour government might be more open to the idea of a social tariff than a hard-right conservative one, but the only way this necessary policy will even be heard is if there is SNP representation advocating for Scotland’s needs.

A similar point could be made about EU membership. We all know that Brexit has been a bad idea implemented terribly. The UK is out and the only realistic route for Scotland to get back in anytime soon is through the SNP and independence.

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Staggeringly, even though we are the most pro-EU party in Scotland, one pro-EU site which provides guidance on tactical voting has largely backed Labour in Scotland despite Starmer excluding even single market membership for the UK.

With myriad similar websites popping up all over the place, and taking into account the broken nature of the UK’s first-past-the-post electoral system, the questions that matter for those in the pro-independence camp are:

  1. Who is best placed to move the dial towards Scottish independence?
  2. Who will be the most effective advocate for Scotland’s interests in the next Westminster parliament?

I am standing for the SNP in Stirling and Strathallan because I believe that we can be the answer to those questions.

The SNP are offering a radical change, yes, but one where we know that Scotland’s best future lies back in the EU, not drifting aimlessly in the Atlantic with the rest of the UK.

In contrast, all that the Westminster parties can offer is more austerity, more cuts to public services and more misery for our communities.

We can and must do better.

Scotland has fantastic resources at its disposal. We have a well-educated, innovative and resourceful population. We want to be part of the world, not cut off from it.

The SNP have a positive vision to share that Scotland can do better than the Westminster status quo and it’s one that I believe is resonating with our communities across our nation.

On July 4, vote SNP to put the powers back into Scotland’s hands.