John Swinney
First Minister of ScotlandArguing that progress on the NHS, child poverty, and living costs shows what can be achieved with focused leadership, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney contends that only independence can unlock the country’s full potential.
When I took office, I made a commitment to the people of Scotland: that my government would focus relentlessly on the things that matter most to families and communities across our nation.
That is what I have strived to do every day as First Minister – and we have made real progress in key public services like the NHS, in supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis, and in my number one goal of eradicating child poverty in Scotland.
Progress on the Frontline
On the health service, long waits are now falling, GP numbers have increased, and operations performed are up, including record levels of hip and knee operations. That is making a huge difference to the people across Scotland who rely on our NHS.
And unlike south of the border, we have avoided pay-related strike action in our NHS. If the UK Government would like some tips on how to reach agreements with healthcare professionals, the SNP Government will be happy to provide them.
And we continue to see falling child poverty in Scotland, at a level significantly below that in the rest of the UK.
Our game-changing Scottish Child Payment continues to keep an estimated 40,000 children out of poverty, and this year, we are going a step further and increasing this to £40 per week in the vital first year of a child’s life.
And on the cost-of-living crisis, we are taking all the action we can. We have abolished peak train fares in Scotland – saving commuters up to 48 per cent, and we have frozen fares entirely for this year.
And while we ask people who earn the most to pay slightly more, our decisions on income tax mean that 55 per cent of people in Scotland can expect to pay less than if they lived south of the border.
A Different Path From Westminster
But whether on child poverty, the cost-of-living crisis, or so many other issues, it is undeniable that Scotland finds ourselves held back by the often inexplicable decisions taken by the UK Government.
We have a UK Labour Government that promised to cut people’s energy bills by £300 – but they are around £200 higher than when they came to office. In an energy-rich nation like Scotland, we pay some of the highest energy bills in Europe. It just does not add up.
On child poverty, the UK Labour Government completely fails to match our ambition.
On the economy, the failure of Brexit is continuing to cause real damage and not a single major Westminster party is willing to face up to that fact.
Indeed, what we see from the entire Westminster political system is either an inability or a refusal to confront the fact that the UK is fundamentally broken.
It has an economy that does not work for people, living standards as flat as a pancake, rampant inequality, and a politics that all too often seems to look out for itself and the establishment, rather than those they are meant to represent.
The Westminster establishment has had multiple chances to fix things. And Scotland cannot afford to wait much longer.
The Case for Independence
It is now clearer than ever that if Scotland is to truly meet our potential, we cannot be tied to the Westminster system.
We need the fresh start of independence, and that is what I will be offering the people of Scotland.
This article features in the new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.
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