Put Scotland f irst, not independence

AS the SNP holds its latest party conference, it is a testament to how thoroughly Covid-19 has changed our lives that conducting these events via Zoom is no longer remarkable. as in so many areas, scots have simply adapted to their circumstances.

What has not changed with the times is the sNP’s record. Going into the pandemic, it was sluggish and mediocre and, 18 months on, it is a scorecard of failure.

the NHs groans under the burden of huge waiting lists as medics struggle to work their way through the backlog of postponed operations.

the ambulance service is in such disarray that the health secretary has urged scots to ‘think twice’ before calling 999.

the scandal of hospital-acquired infections at the Queen Elizabeth in Glasgow seems to grow by the day.

scotland’s drugs death epidemic remains a national humiliation as well as a personal tragedy for the families affected.

In education, the attainment gap between the most and least well-off pupils remains stubbornly wide. the underlying issues have been festering for years, not least the refusal to confront flaws in the Curriculum for Excellence. the examinations regime has repeatedly proved itself to be unreliable, to the detriment of children from the most deprived parts of the country.

small businesses have been poorly served, despite being the lifeblood of the economy. Measures on lockdowns and vaccine certification have been introduced at the last minute, often amid scenes of chaos, with businesses left to pick up the pieces. It is no wonder that relations between the business community and the scottish Government are at an all-time low.

Yet, despite these problems, and polls this week showing support for breaking up the UK sinking as low as 37 per cent, the Nationalists are still determined to pursue the divisive policy of independence.

Whatever is said from the podiums, whatever scripted soundbites are delivered over Zoom, ending the United Kingdom continues to be the sNP’s one and only priority. Given the scale of the challenges that lie ahead, and the significant powers of Holyrood to address them, it underscores a paucity of vision on the part of the sNP.

More than ever, scotland needs a government that puts the country ahead of the constitution. the sNP is more interested in dreaming of the country it wants than in running that country it has.