Dear {name}

You will have had your Democracy!

The most significant political development of the past fortnight is not Nigel Farage’s latest stunt. It is the imminent arrival of Andy Burnham in Downing Street and what his early positioning tells us about Scotland’s place within the UK.

Burnham talks about decentralising power and “rewiring Britain”, but he has already told Scottish Labour MPs that he is unwilling to consider another independence referendum. Westminster may be prepared to move some powers around, but it still insists that Scotland cannot decide its own future.

Scotland is a nation, not an English region waiting to be included in a scheme designed in Manchester or London. No prime minister of another country should have the right to grant or deny Scotland permission to choose independence.

Burnham is presenting himself as a champion of reindustrialisation, domestic energy production and strategic manufacturing. Grangemouth will be an early test of whether those promises extend to Scotland or whether investment and political attention remain concentrated elsewhere.

The powers needed to secure Grangemouth’s long-term industrial future - including major energy, taxation, trade and regulatory levers remain largely at Westminster. We have already seen the consequences of Scotland lacking control over decisions fundamental to our economy.

Britain is about to get yet another prime minister Scotland did not choose, promising change while retaining Westminster’s veto over Scotland.

The independence movement must now get its act together, unite around a credible route forward and demonstrate that only independence can put Scotland’s future and Grangemouth’s future firmly in Scotland’s hands.

Yours for Scotland,

Martyn Day

SNP Candidate for Falkirk East and Linlithgow

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