Time to leave behind madness
Last week was a busy one for me and while I have never been shy about my views on Westminster and the case for Scotland to become an independent nation, I think it is safe to say that case has never been stronger.
Now is the time, once and for all, for us to send an unequivocal message to the UK Government that we would be better off alone and finally in control of our own finances and choices.
Despite being one of the main designers and propagators of the pathetic and misleading campaign of fear during the 2014 referendum, Gordon Brown finally admitted last week, during an interview with the Financial Times, that there was no positive case being put forward by those who oppose Scotland choosing its own path, and the case for Scotland becoming an independent country was in fact stronger.
While this is something I have known for as long as I can remember, it just highlights how awful the UK Government regime is these days that a former Prime Minister and Labour Party leader is happy to concede “the forces pulling Britain apart are greater than the forces holding it together”.
As Gordon Brown comes to this conclusion, too many people living and working in our town are needlessly suffering as the shameless scaremongering and broken promises that were hallmarks of the ’No’ campaign cast their shadows today.
Time and time again we were promised affordable food prices, reasonable energy bills, stable mortgages, secure pensions, a fully funded NHS and above all, security in our place within the EU.
They told us that voting yes for independence was a damaging gamble and the only way to protect ourselves and our families was to remain in the United Kingdom.
However, after over fourteen years of austerity, a revolving door of leadership – only more chaotic and unmoored as the one before – and a disastrous Brexit that we have only just begun to feel the full effect of; I think it is fair to say the Tories have well and truly made a mockery of what Scotland was promised.
Household costs have skyrocketed while living standards have stagnated, and businesses have suffered after being torn out of the EU against our will by politicians Scotland didn’t vote for.
Interestingly, Labour have been nowhere to be seen as working families right here in Paisley struggle.
Instead, they have been too wrapped up in their own inner conflicts as they fall so far to the right they have embraced Tory policies and even praised Margaret Thatcher.
The only way to leave this menagerie of madness is to continue to put our trust in the SNP Scottish Government and show the UK once and for all that Scotland can stand on her own two feet far better than we can within an outdated and self-serving institution that has never valued our people or our needs.