We must learn from the past year
Thank you to my constituents in Renfrewshire South for returning me as their MSP.
It’s been a quick few weeks since the election, and I’ve been hitting the ground running. I was honoured to become Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth when the ministerial team was announced.
I am proud to be part of the Scottish Government, particularly in this session where there will be such a tight focus on recovery from the covid pandemic.
I know that the work will help my constituents here, and my priority is to continue to be an accessible MSP giving a voice to local people and communities.
It is imperative that we learn from the past year, and we have seen in many instances that change can be made if the will exists.
We have seen this in the embracing of technology not just across employment, but in our interaction with family and friends, as well as in our community and voluntary groups.
I know from speaking to groups such as Include Me 2, the pandemic has caused a shift in the way that services are delivered and has allowed them to reach out to people in new ways to include them in their outreach.
As we move towards our fairer, greener economy we will take these lessons with us. This also includes the opportunity to look at how our decisions are made and where our priorities lie.
The SNP has this week published the findings of its Social Justice and Fairness Commission to present a route map for delivering a fairer Scotland.
These findings are based on the central principle that the function of government is to make life better for everyone and ensure that no one is left behind.
The pandemic has highlighted existing inequalities, and this route map sets out how we could begin to tackle them not just with devolution, but with the full powers of an independent country.
The report concludes that the way decisions are made in Scotland must be inclusive, consensual and empowering for people and communities, enabling them to shape their own futures.
Democratic renewal is at the heart of a wellbeing society – we can only have good and fulfilling lives if we each have a voice in shaping the decisions that affect us.
It further states that they believe that decision-making must be based on human rights and equality, because we want to build a society where no one is left behind.
And, third, they contend that Scotland should pursue the development of policies that prioritise wellbeing – harnessing deliberative democracy methods founded on our collective values around human rights and equality.
I hope that this will be the start of a serious conversation about the country we wish to see post-covid, and that the ideas and principles are ones that we can take forward and discuss.
If we want to see change on a large scale, helping reduce inequalities and making a fairer country, we need to build consensus and take others with us.
I look forward to taking part in this conversation and speaking to constituents about their priorities and ideas for how we make Renfrewshire South flourish as we rebuild our economy.
My constituency office remains closed due to covid restrictions, but I am still holding virtual surgeries every week. Please contact my office at tom. arthur.msp@parliament.scot to make an appointment.