Foreword by the First Minister
Since May last year, the Scottish Parliament has had a clear majority of members who support independence and are committed to giving the Scottish people this choice in a referendum.
The Scottish Government is determined that the choices people make for independence will be informed.
To this end, this is the first in a series of new Scotland documents designed to contribute to a full, frank and constructive debate on Scotland’s future.
Independence alone does not guarantee success for any country. For Scotland, the pursuit of a richer, fairer and more prosperous country will depend on the democratic decisions taken after the declaration of independence and the good governance of elected governments.
But the question is this: in an independent Scotland, the decision-making power will be with the people who live here, not the Westminster governments, who do not receive the support of the people of Scotland and who pursue policies such as Brexit that are deeply harmful. for the interests of Scotland.
In addition to setting out the Scottish Government’s view of the possibilities for independence and how the greater powers it includes can be used to make Scotland richer, happier and fairer (recognizing that others will have different and equally valid ideas), this series of documents will answer key questions about the transition to independence and the infrastructure that will be needed for the effective governance of an independent state.
Of course, with regard to this last point, it is worth noting that Scotland has come a long way since 2014. In the years since the last referendum, much nation-building has taken place. For example, in income Scotland we already have our own tax agency, and in Scotland for social security – our own social security agency. We also have an independent Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Scottish National Investment Bank. In other words, significant parts of the institutional infrastructure that an independent state will need and which did not exist in 2014 are now available.
The series of documents that will be published in the coming months will set out details on all the key issues that people will want to be informed about.
However, any case of change must inevitably begin with an analysis of the status quo.
Has Scotland’s position as part of the United Kingdom allowed us to reach our full potential – and will it do so in the future, especially now that the United Kingdom is outside the EU?
The analysis presented in this paper, comparing the economic and social performance of the United Kingdom (and therefore Scotland in it) with a number of comparative countries, suggests – to a large extent – that independent countries the size of Scotland are doing better.
This raises fundamental questions for anyone with the highest ambitions for Scotland.
Why are Scotland-sized neighboring independent states richer, happier and fairer than the United Kingdom?
Why do they, and other countries in northwestern Europe, regardless of size, often outperform the United Kingdom in a number of key welfare measures?
And in essence, if these countries can be successful, why not an independent Scotland, given the abundance of talent, resources and natural advantages we have?
From the evidence in this document, it is clear that the status quo does not allow Scotland to reach our potential and that the UK economic model and decision-making in Westminster are holding us back.
It follows that if the status quo does not work, we need to ask how best to fix it.
It is hard to imagine that being part of the United Kingdom outside the EU – and with a UK government acting to limit, not expand, the economic autonomy of our Parliament – will help Scotland fill in the gaps in performance outlined. here.
This – and the documents that follow – will strive to do is to demonstrate that becoming an independent country, while building a close and constructive partnership with the rest of the UK and with our fellow Europeans, can and will help Scotland. to compare the results of our neighbors and realize our potential.
This is not an abstract question – it is about the prosperity, profits, opportunities and well-being of everyone in Scotland, now and for generations to come.
We are a brilliant country in so many ways – but a look at many of our European neighbors tells us that we can do better. This should excite and inspire us. But first we need to equip ourselves with the independence forces they already have.
In this first document, the Scottish Government presents key evidence in support of the informed, inclusive debate that the people of Scotland deserve. We look forward to hearing from others as we work together to build a better Scotland that we know is possible.
Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP Prime Minister of Scotland
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