Independence is our path to a kinder, fairer, more welcoming Scotland

by Eoghan
Posted on
2 years ago
2 min read

Why do you back Scottish independence?

The main reason I support independence is because I want to help make society a wee bit kinder and fairer, I want it to be more open and welcoming.

I want to know that people can live good lives, and not be judged on disability, or skin colour, sexuality, or gender identity.

I want a better society – and I think that Scottish independence is the quickest way to at least work towards that.

Why is the Westminster system not working for Scotland?

If you look at the options on offer down south, Boris Johnson and his potential successors, I don’t see much hope in that.

I want a future where I’ve got hope.

I mean, people think that you couldn’t do worse than Boris Johnson, but the Tories are basically having a contest to see if they can – because either they’re trying to outdo themselves on being unspeakably authoritarian or just incredibly cruel, because it plays to parts of their base.

What sort of message does the Tory leadership contest send to Scotland?

The Tory leadership contest is dismal… like, spectacularly so.

The whole impression that this leadership contest gives, from beginning to end, is that they are completely out of touch with Scotland.

They just don’t have the slightest clue. I mean, they’re out of touch with a lot of everything else as well – but Scotland just especially so.

What do you think about Tories and Labour increasingly working together, and both supporting Brexit that Scotland never voted for?

The way that both Tories and Labour have just let Brexit go through, or indeed actively pushed it during a pandemic, despite the fact that Scotland voted against it… it’s just disregard.

Labour could have tried to moderate, or they could have tried to listen to Scotland in any capacity, but instead they just waved Brexit through and damn the consequences.

What does democracy mean to you?

Democracy can be a lot of things, it can have a lot of expressions – but fundamentally, it’s about giving people a choice over their own future.

And that’s what people like Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have explicitly said that they want to deny – and actually let’s not mince our words, that’s also what Keir Starmer has said he would look to deny.

What gives you hope about the prospect of an independent Scotland?

There are a lot of things we could do better once we actually have a full suite of powers as an independent nation state.

We’d be able to actually engage in co-operative foreign relations and work with our neighbours across Europe – and that will include the rest of the UK.

🎥 Watch the third film in our #PeopleOfYes series, with the people of Perth commenting on the Tory leadership contest and setting out why they back independence.