Why the issues at stake in this Scottish election are absolutely fundamental
Today’s Scottish election is expected to see significant increases in support for both the hard-left and hard-right and the return of the SNP’s brand of divisive politics
If there is one word that sums up the public mood, it is probably “scunnered”. People are unhappy about the high cost of living and many are decidedly gloomy about their future prospects, with the young generation often regarding the idea of buying a house as an impossible dream. It sometimes seems like the last vestiges of hope, which suffered such a terrible blow during the 2008 financial crash, are being slowly, inexorably, crushed.
So it’s not hard to see why some people might seek solace in the easy answers of a new ‘promised land’, a ‘magic money tree’ or ‘it’s all the fault of foreigners’. Nationalism, socialism and the scapegoating of minorities have proved incredibly popular at times during human history, but it has seldom ended well.
The only economic system that has ever worked effectively for a sustained period is capitalism. And the happiest periods of human existence have been when the raw power of the free market has been shaped by democratic control. Mainstream parties may debate the degree to which this should be done, but they believe in the same system. That progress has stalled of late is no reason to abandon it.
MSPs must remember who they work for
The rise of hard-left and hard-right populists represents a fundamental departure from this political consensus. Meanwhile, the SNP’s two-decade pursuit of independence has created a deeply polarised public discourse in Scotland, while opening up an increasingly damaging rift with the Westminster government, initially with the Conservatives and now, increasingly, with Labour.
In hard times, we need our governments to work together to make them better, not waste time on petty feuds that distract from the real issues and push necessary but hard choices down the political agenda.
Today, the public will go to the polls and the MSPs they elect must always remember who they work for – not their own ambition, their party or leader, the people of Scotland.
And we are counting on our elected representatives to work in the national interest, find real solutions to real problems, and, finally, restore that lost sense of hope so we can once again look forward, with confidence, to a brighter future.
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