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Scottish Elections

So, we’re in the electioneering period now for the Scottish parliamentary elections and the press is going full on unionist.

I have been a LibDem voter and member my entire adult life. There is only 1 election which I haven’t voted LibDem and that was the Westminster GE in December 2019. That time I “loaned” my vote to the SNP.

I will be doing similar this time. I will be voting SNP in the representative column and Greens in the Party list PR column.

Since 2016, hardening in 2019, I see Scotland’s brightest future outside of the UK. UK politics is dominated by England. This is obvious because it has far the largest population. However, the direction of travel, apparently, for the English electorate is further to the right while I am firmly a social democrat. I believe I the Scandinavian model of high taxation/high investment which I believe creates a happy, healthy, supportive society.

I am opting for SNP/Greens as they are overtly campaigning on an independent independence ticket. I think there has been a fundamental shift since 2014 and the question needs asking again. I value my European citizenship, stolen from me, far more than I value by UK citizenship so the break up of the UK is, in my opinion, necessary and due.

I hope the SNP manage an actual majority in Holyrood and that the momentum for independence continues. The Tories are worried. They have no viable political leadership in Scotland now. They have a liability in London and have broken promise after promise.

The claims that now is not the time for a divisive referendum I think is wrong. If not now, when? We’re coming out of a worldwide shock. The whole world needs to change. Surely now is exactly the time. Surely independence now means we can forge the path we want as we rebuild from the double whammy of Brexit and Covid.

Now is the time and now is the hour.

To people who argue the SNP have been incompetent. There are many areas in which I agree. But, incompetence in trying to do the right thing is better than incompetence when trying to line the pickets of the rich! Until we achieve Independent nationhood we will have an SNP government. Once we achieve independence, we can re-address who we want to lead us and I suspect, the major centrist parties will embrace the new status and will see power spread across the board. I don’t believe an independent Scotland will have permanent SNP government, I see a rising Lab/Lib support kicking I’m very quickly as the differences between the parties focus on policy not ideology.

The Tories, I suspect, will still struggle to have relevance. Possibly even more so.