Scotland must be allowed to decide its own future and the time to choose is fast approaching.
That was the message from First Minister John Swinney as he launched the Scottish Government’s latest paper on independence, warning that “a regional opt-out is being applied on democracy” while Westminster moves further from the priorities of people in Scotland.
Speaking in Leith, Swinney made a clear pitch for a new independence referendum before the end of the decade, pointing to a new generation of voters, over a million of whom were too young to vote in 2014 who now deserve to be heard.
“This is not about me or the SNP,” he said.
“It’s about the people of Scotland.”
Swinney’s address marked the publication of a new paper in the Building a New Scotland series, focused on the principle of democratic choice.
He contrasted the Scottish Government’s actions on health, education and public services with what he described as “brutal” policies from Westminster, warning that the UK is shifting dangerously to the right, and that Scotland risks being left behind.
“Everywhere I’ve been this summer, I’ve heard the same thing: times are tough, but people still believe in Scotland,” he said.
Under the SNP, he noted, peak rail fares have been abolished permanently, GP numbers are up, hospital operations are increasing, and child poverty is falling, even as it rises elsewhere in the UK.
“We are standing up for Scotland,” he said.
“But Westminster is making people’s lives worse.”
Swinney also issued a sharp warning over the political tone on immigration and asylum, calling it “utterly chilling” and pledging that Scotland would remain a place of sanctuary.
“Our saltire is a flag of welcome,” he said.
“Refugees are welcome here.”
The First Minister drew comparisons to Ireland, Denmark and Norway, “countries just like us” that are, he said, wealthier and fairer than the UK and said Scotland should have the same right to choose.
“Scotland is not a region,” he said.
“We are a nation.”
He argued that the UK’s treatment of Scotland contradicts its own claims of being a voluntary union, with more democratic provisions offered to Wales and Northern Ireland than to Scotland in recent years.
“You can’t just support democracy when it suits you,” he added.
“If you’re not prepared to hear an answer you don’t like from the people, then you cannot call yourself a democrat.”
The speech closed with a call to come together, across parties and generations, and assert Scotland’s democratic right to choose a different path, built on fairness, equality, and control over its own future.
