The Point

Last updated: 27 June 2022.

Three weeks to go, an appeal to fellow citizens of Scotland: the Greens

 

The Point marks the 21 days to go till referendum day, with a magnificent seven appeals to undecided voters from both rank-and-file activists and leading figures in the YES movement.

 

Scotland’s Future – A Green Perspective

James MacKessack-Leitch, Green Party Convenor in Moray.

The debate on which we have embarked upon is about far more than whether decisions should be made at Westminster or Holyrood. We have the opportunity to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to live in; what kind of society we want to build; what kind of economy we want to run; and how to do so while protecting the environment around us.

Few generations have the opportunity to answer such defining questions, and it’s a crucial time to do so. All of us - Scotland, the UK and the whole of humanity - are facing unprecedented challenges in the 21st century, largely of our own making.

For decades, the world has been dominated by an economic model which has allowed the exploitation of people and natural resources on a scale never seen before. As a result we’re seeing a return to levels of inequality not seen for nearly a century. This same economic model is systematically destroying the environmental conditions on which our civilisation depends. And over recent years we’ve seen this economic model begin to fail even in its own terms – yet most politicians can’t see beyond the simplistic mantra of getting back to business-as-usual.

Greens around the world have been making these arguments for years. We’ve been leading the 21^st century case for transformational change in our economy, our society, and our politics. What’s different now is the opportunity Scotland has to take control of that future and build a political culture that’s capable of transformation.

We live in an uncertain world. Much of that uncertainty is a result of the damage we have done ourselves. Voting Yes to Scottish independence will not reverse that damage overnight, but it will open the door to a better future, if we choose to step through.

Right now, I am sad to see the utter dominance of the debate by the economy and currency, because to my mind the solution is both simple and obvious.

In the short term of course we can use the pound, but it’s not a long term option, and it’s clear that Scotland will only be able to exercise full economic independence if we stand ready to develop our own currency. That’s it.

Continuing in the vein of slaying the elephant in the room, there are those who still make the case for a Yes vote with tired old slogans about “Scotland’s oil”. Even if there was no environmental consequence from burning fossil fuels, Scotland’s remaining reserves would only offer an economic future for a few more decades. I want an independent Scotland to be successful far longer than that!

Instead we must support a more diverse range of petrochemical uses which don’t involve greenhouse gas emissions. Scotland has the skills to do that, and with the remaining portion of oil and gas income funding public investment in renewables to replace future revenue, we have the opportunity to make this transition rapidly. The UK will only ever see North Sea oil as a revenue source; Scotland could see it as a springboard, taking us from reliance on polluting and finite energy sources to the clean technology of the future.

But what really drives me is the opportunity to create a true democracy.

Our politics is too often conducted in a polarised, confrontational atmosphere and in a situation remote from those that it affects. This is very much evidenced by the present London-centric system, and people feel disconnected with the decision making that affects our everyday lives.

Greens want to see that power returned to the people, not just from Westminster, but from Holyrood, and Local Authorities as well – independence is a first necessary step on that road, because the best decisions are made by local communities that are fully engaged, not in offices dozens, or hundreds, of miles away.

After all, our local authorities provide the public services we value most highly and use daily: children’s education, road repairs, care-homes, social housing, planning, public transport, parking, waste collections, cultural events… the list goes on. Despite this, less than 40% of us vote in elections and local government has been largely ignored in the debate on Scottish independence.

The referendum debate gives us the opportunity to rethink how all our powers are distributed. Whether we form a new country or remain in the UK, a stronger local democracy must be delivered in Scotland. A Yes vote will resolve the long-standing question of whether more powers should come from Westminster to Scotland, but also opens up the space to decide how we should share those powers across the country. A Green Yes vote in September is for a ‘double-devolution’ of power - bringing far more power to local communities, and recognising that power is granted from the people, up, not the government, down.

This isn’t wishful thinking, the unprecedented grassroots movements in the referendum debate show that people can be engaged in politics, that we can debate the issues that affect our future, and that ultimately, we can find the solutions ourselves and in our communities, without the need for a distant and centralising parliament.

There is no doubt that we have the ability tread a progressive path in the world, and if we can take this opportunity there is a chance to build a new political culture that is capable of transformation, and that provides future generations with the basis of a fair, just and sustainable society.

Can it be done?

I cannot predict the future any more than you, but there are two things I have learnt that helped me make my decision: hope beats fear, and nothing that’s worth doing is ever easy. 

That’s why, on the 18^th September, I’ll be voting for a Green Yes.