Strong Foundations for the Campaign Ahead

The local SNP starts the year with strong foundations for the campaign ahead.

We are seeing real, measurable progress. NHS waiting lists are falling, GP numbers are up, and more people than ever are getting the operations they need. Our schools are delivering record literacy and numeracy levels, with rising attendance and more teachers in classrooms. Business investment is at a 20-year high, unemployment remains lower than the UK average, child poverty is falling, and our renewables sector continues to power Scotland’s future.

That progress didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of choices made here in Scotland, under the SNP leadership of John Swinney, and because of the hard work of NHS staff, teachers, public servants, businesses and communities right across the country.

However, many of the pressures people face every day are beyond the powers of the Scottish Parliament. Energy bills in an energy-rich country are indefensible. Living standards are stagnating. The UK economy is broken, and Westminster is drifting ever further rightwards and away from Scotland’s needs and values.

Independence is not an abstract idea. It is the practical next step to build on the progress we are already making.  Independence gives us the ability to properly fund our NHS, bring down energy costs, invest Scotland’s wealth in Scotland’s people, and choose a modern, progressive future at the heart of Europe.

Scotland is proving what it can do. With independence, we can do so much more.