We’re not reaching our full potential
I know some may say I’m biased when I say Scotland is the best country in the world to grow up and live in, but I truly believe our little patch of the world is something special and a wonderful place to work, learn and thrive.
I’ve spent all of my adult life working for the betterment of my country and my hometown – and it certainly won’t come as a shock to anyone who knows me that I believe Paisley to be the best of the best – so being Paisley’s MSP is the honour of a lifetime and a job I certainly don’t take lightly.
It’s for these reasons, alongside a hundred more, that I get so upset when I see our town and our country unable to live up to its full potential under the ever-oppressive thumb of an outdated institution whose leaders have no regard whatsoever for the everyday people who live here and make our country what it is.
The damage that’s been caused after over a decade of Tory austerity is profound and the disaster of Brexit – something Scots voted overwhelmingly against – is something we will be seeing the negative effect of for decades to come.
Our First Minister spoke at the London School of Economics last week and as the event he attended was hosted by the European Institute, it wasn’t a surprise that his comments centred quite largely around Brexit, its impact and its destructive outcome for people, businesses, and industry here in Scotland.
It goes without saying that ‘Broken Brexit Britain’ is not the place I want to see my grandkids grow up in and if the recent UK Budget is anything to go by, it’s clear for all to see that those in power down in Westminster are not concerned with making things better or protecting our public services.
Instead, their priorities lie in tax cuts for the richest in society while the rest of us quite literally pay the price.
Despite the disaster of the UK Government, the Scottish Government is continuing to mitigate the worst of the Tories’ appalling plans – yet with one hand tied behind our backs, it is impossible to bring about the changes we really want to see to their fullest potential.
It will only be with the full powers of independence that we can truly make a better future for ourselves – for Scotland but also for the rest of the UK as the positive impact our little country could make on a wider scale would undoubtedly benefit the rest of the island.
That’s why I have believed so passionately in independence for Scotland for as long as I can remember and why I will continue to push for the powers to build that better country and rekindle a much greater sense of possibility and hope.