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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's future according to politicians sounds bleak
From a lack of bold visions to talks of increasing misogyny, politicians weren't exactly awe-inspiring at an event on Scotland's future yesterday. Scotland 2050. An event you may think promises chat about flying cars and robots taking over our jobs. In earlier discussions there were certainly mentions of AI and technological change but the pull for Scottish political correspondents like me was politicians setting out their visions for Scotland in the future. This offered the likes of the First Minister and the Scottish Labour leader a chance to set out bold and ambitious plans. The need for politicians to do so is becoming all the more pressing. Recent studies such as the Youth Poll show that young people are losing faith in the political systems and are worried about their future. Yet, listening to politicians yesterday I was left more fearful and depressed about where we will be in 25 years. READ MORE: Why FM is suddenly talking about Scottish independence John Swinney looks to the past as he plans for the future The Herald's Unspun Live heads to the Edinburgh Fringe In conversation with Cherie Blair, Kate Forbes told us the "destructive nature" of social media "cannot be overstated". The deputy First Minister branded actor Rupert Everett's recent description of Nicola Sturgeon as a 'witch' as 'abhorrent' and 'totally misogynistic'. Ms Forbes went on to say that we have been talking about the issue of misogyny for the last six or seven years and 'it's only got worse in that time'. As commendable as it is for Ms Forbes to speak out against this, this reality may push more women, who fear the ever-growing threat of online abuse, away from public life. How we prevent this still remains uncertain with a preventative measure- the Online Safety Act - yet to be fully implemented. It's not as if political leaders are cloth-eared when it comes to paying heed to issues such as youth apathy. When Anas Sarwar began his keynote speech with talk of what sort of Scotland he wants to see for his 16 year-old son, he understood the assignment. The future is the younger generation. But then a myriad of questions followed. 'What does a prosperous, hopeful and thriving Scotland mean for the NHS, housing, workforce, skills, education etc?' he posed. 'Care to tell us, Mr Sarwar?', I thought. (Image: staff) Tickets for Unspun Live at the Edinburgh Fringe are available now — click here to book your place. Five minutes in, he spoke of using Scotland's 'maximum levers' to 'make it fit for future generations'. He's also said we need to 'do things differently' to achieve 'positive outcomes', as he mentioned cutting taxes. 'Tinkering around the edges is not going to work', he insisted. And I agreed but my brow furrowed as I tried to work out what his plans for a future Scotland were, away from abstract language... Setting out his vision, the First Minister spoke of the growing risks to democracy because of misinformation, more frequent conflicts, increasing inequalities and climate change. Although an impending reality it's not exactly the most stirring way to begin a speech on our future. 'The Scotland of 2050 will be shaped by a series of unpredictable forces', he warned as if leading an intergalactic space mission into the ominous unknown. For Mr Swinney, a prosperous future will ultimately be achieved through Scotland becoming an independent country and rejoining the EU. Yet with no clear strategy to achieve this, I cannot imagine his words are setting the heather alight amongst Indy supporters and others. After the speech, a former SNP MP told me the First Minister needs to be given space to set out his plans for a future Scotland. But with 11 months to go till voters head to the polls, politicians really need to unveil plans to inspire future generations soon. Although important to raise, nobody will be inspired by talk dominated by a 1984-esque dystopian world view full of Andrew Tate-bots that awaits us.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Calls to oust Swinney ‘self-indulgent rubbish', says former SNP MP
Mr McDonald, who lost his seat at the last UK General Election, told The Herald's Unspun Live podcast the First Minister needed to be 'given the space' to work out the way forward on his plans on domestic issues and independence. SNP rebels met up following the party's shock defeat to Labour at the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. The Herald revealed that these SNP members held a secret meeting to discuss removing John Swinney citing a lack of an independence strategy from the First Minister. 'I think any talk from so-called rebels and discontent…that's just self-indulgent rubbish,' Mr McDonald said today. Asked in what way it is self-indulgent, Mr McDonald said: 'I think the First Minister understands the mood of the country…I was in Westminster when the Tories chopped and changed leaders all the time. 'Do you really believe that if we had a fourth leader eleven months out of the election that that would change things for us? 'Only a fool would think that so these calls are not serious. 'I think he needs the support of his colleagues and the loyalty of his colleagues to put forward what is the second part of his project. He's done stabilising now he needs to do vision and plan. 'He's got to do that on domestic governance…and he's got to do that on independence as well. I think what he needs to be supported in doing is marrying together the ambitions of the party…and the mood of the country who I think are open to this debate but I think if we were to foist it upon them in a sort of tub-thumping way I don't think that would work for us at all.' READ MORE: Kate Forbes slams Rupert Everett over 'witch' comment SNP rebels in bid to oust Swinney after by-election defeat Why FM is suddenly talking about Scottish independence He added: 'He is the type of politician who I think by instinct elevates the national interest over the party interest and the party needs to give him the space and trust him to do that.' Today, the First Minister used a speech at a conference about Scotland in 2050 to stress the need for the country to become independent and rejoin the European Union. He told those in attendance that it is understandable Scotland is an afterthought to the UK Government but the country should not accept it. Mr Swinney said: 'For me, most importantly, it's about deciding to take Scotland's future into our own hands. 'It's only, in my view, by taking charge of our own destiny, with our own hand on the tiller that we're better able to ride the waves of change, that we're better able to shape our own future. 'That does not mean a Scotland standing alone, but rather a nation that has worked out its place in the world and the contribution it wants to make to the world.' However, one SNP insider who was present at the meeting which discussed ousting Mr Swinney as leader told The Herald the issue of independence is still 'buried under a pile of slogans'. Commenting on Mr Swinney's speech today, they said: 'It's a step forward - John woke up and remembered what party he leads. But if there's a strategy on independence it's still buried under a pile of slogans. Mood music and vibes alone won't cut it. "He's not out of the woods yet. He needs to come forward before recess with a plan on how he will mobilise our vote-base - and what infrastructure will be in place to achieve that - that's what we need to see. Taking the office of First Minister last year, Mr McDonald said Swinney had to 'stabilise the party' and 'engender a ceasefire' in the SNP. Mr McDonald said: 'When he took over the party last year…the party was a bin fire at that point. A total bin-fire. "And then had the total wipe-out at the General Election in which yours truly was a victim. 'I think he had two jobs to do. Firstly to stabilise the party and engender a ceasefire with itself and he has done that with some considerable success, I think', Ms McDonald commented. Speaking to The Herald after Mr Swinney's speech, Mr McDonald said we are now beginning to see the 'early contours' of people questioning what 'Swinneyism' is. 'What is Swinneyism when it comes to independence? And, look, John Swinney is, it will be no surprise to any of your readers or listeners, a gradualist and I think the party needs to understand the mood of the country on this. 'The First Minister needs to be given the space to work out what the way forward is whether that's on domestic government or on the independence question and I think you started to see that this afternoon.' 'He's got to marry together a sense of impatience in the independence cause and a mood in the country that is deflated, that isn't wild about politicians generally and that feels a sense of decline…' The SNP member who was an MP for Glasgow South from 2015-2024 said the recent by-election was 'disappointing', however, he said it must not be 'misread' by party members. Asked if the by-election has dampened spirits in the party, Mr McDonald said: 'I hope it does the opposite. I hope it puts rockets up some backsides to be honest. We have no right to win the next election. 'That was disappointing for the party. I think that it was down to ground game more than anything. I think we slightly misjudged the Reform stuff. 'I think there is a job for the party to be done in its ground game and upgrading its campaigning systems and all the rest of it. 'Hamilton was obviously a result that was sore not just in terms of everyone saying this is a done deal…But let's not misread the failure at that by-election. 'I think John Swinney is still on the right course, I think Kate Forbes is still on the right course and I think they have a much better understanding of the mood of the country than the government that came before them.' Mr Swinney spoke at the same conference today which was later addressed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. The Labour leader used his speech as a pitch for his party ahead of next year's election. 'If I'm being blunt about it, tinkering around the edges is not going to work,' he said. Mr Sarwar added that next year's election being treated as an 'auction' is also not going to work. 'One political party will offer you 1,000 nurses, another will offer you 1,100 nurses, or one party will offer you 1,000 nurses and another will offer you 1,000 police officers, another one will say 1,100 police officers,' he said. 'That is not going to fix the challenges facing our country right now and it's not going to build the kind of Scotland we need for our children and our grandchildren.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Why FM is suddenly talking about Scottish independence
Six weeks ago John Swinney delivered his programme for government setting out his plans for the year ahead. Some 12 months out from the next Holyrood elections the First Minister told MSPs his focus would be on "eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, delivering high quality and sustainable public services". At no point did he mention independence. The SNP's founding goal was not noted once in his speech nor in the 46-page accompanying document. Instead, there were announcements on scrapping peak rail fares, on creating 100,000 more GP appointments and the lifting of the blanket ban on rail passengers drinking alcohol while travelling. READ MORE: But what was also telling was that the lack of any talk around independence did not even merit any news coverage. That's because of the implicit acceptance by the SNP, by opposition parties and by the media that independence was now "off the radar", as Nicola Sturgeon pointed out in January. Nobody was actually expecting the SNP's fourth First Minister to say anything about independence. Now there are strong reasons why he didn't mention it. First, Mr Swinney's SNP has not got a majority in Holyrood with his minority government requiring the support of opposition parties to get his legislation passed. Earlier this year the SNP - perhaps wary of giving the Greens too much influence following the collapse of the Bute House Agreement last year - struck an agreement with the Lib Dems (as well as the Greens) to support the Budget. But Alex Cole-Hamilton's price for his party's support was that Mr Swinney's government must not spend a "penny" promoting independence nor that the government spend time debating the issue in Holyrood. Tickets for Unspun Live at the Edinburgh Fringe are available now — click here to book your place. The second reason why Mr Swinney left out independence from his programme for government is likely grounded in what polling suggests are voters' priorities - namely, cutting NHS waiting times, improving living standards and tackling the cost of living through growing the economy and improving education. YouGov research in March put independence much lower down the list of priorities for Scots with just 14% saying it should be a top priority for the Scottish Government. However, what may explain Mr Swinney's about turn - giving a big speech today making the case for independence - is a pressing need to motivate SNP supporters. The same YouGov polling in March found that independence is a high priority for this group of voters ranking third as their policy priority (behind health and education). The SNP's defeat in the Hamilton, Larkhall, Stonehouse by-election, losing the seat to Labour, saw the party's support drop there from 46% in the 2021 election to 29% on June 5. It is certainly a wake-up call to the party - and of course Mr Swinney - showing it that the SNP needs to regain the support of a large number of former voters, some of whom may have stayed at home or voted for other parties two weeks ago. The SNP's hope is of course that ramping up the independence message ahead of the next Holyrood election will persuade disgruntled SNP voters to back them to win again. The First Minister will be hoping for the same outcome - and that another win will secure his own position for the next parliamentary term amid rumblings of discontent in his party. We'll find out whether the strategy works when Scotland heads to the polls in less than a year.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
John Swinney looks to the past as he plans for the future
Just to impress how important the First Minister's speech was on Monday, introducing him, Kate Forbes told the great and the good of Scottish public life—squeezed into Glasgow University's Imaging Centre of Excellence—that her boss was about to make a 'landmark speech.' On Sunday, the Scottish Government told journalists it was a 'major speech,' while the previous day, John Swinney's official spokesman described it as a 'keynote event.' Was it really that big a deal? Well, it might be—if it works. Read more from Unspun: The SNP leader told us the status quo is no longer sustainable—that demographic pressures, fiscal constraints, climate change and rising demand are leaving public services straining at the seams. He said bold, collective action was needed—that there had to be a fundamental shift in how public services are designed and delivered. Central to this transformation, Mr Swinney said, were four key elements: 'empowerment, integration, efficiency and prevention.' They were, the First Minister reminded us, the four principles of the Christie Commission. Fifteen years ago, you might remember, the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services in Scotland, chaired by Dr Campbell Christie, was tasked by Mr Swinney with examining the long-term challenges facing public services—including budget pressures, demographic change, rising demand and persistent inequalities. The Commission's report—let's call it a landmark report—called for community-driven, preventative and collaborative approaches to address these systemic challenges. Key recommendations included prioritising prevention to reduce long-term costs, enhancing performance through technology, and closer working across sectors. Sign up to Scotland's top politics newsletter and get it directly to your inbox. Perhaps the biggest example of post-Christie reform was replacing the country's eight police forces with one. Mr Swinney pointed to it on Monday as a success: 'The creation of a single Scottish Police service has led to over £200 million in savings over legacy arrangements, while crime has continued to fall to near record low levels.' But it's fair to say, progress has been uneven at best. (Image: Damian Shields) Tickets for Unspun Live at the Edinburgh Fringe are available now — click here to book your place. In a 2021 blog post looking at Christie ten years on, Audit Scotland said there had been a 'major implementation gap between policy ambitions and delivery on the ground.' They gave a number of examples, including the paltry progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Dr Christie was quite clear that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to reform was that 'institutions and structures resist change, especially radical change.' Is that still true? In his speech, Mr Swinney told the public sector leaders he wanted them to leave with a clear sense of his ambition and commitment 'to this national project of renewal.' 'I want you to feel enthused, but more importantly empowered. This will only happen if we, if you, make it happen. 'People often tell me that they feel as though they do not have permission to deliver the change in their organisation that they know is needed. Well today, let's give each other that permission.' John Swinney's right that the Christie principles are more relevant than ever, and maybe with modern tools, like AI, the implementation gap can be overcome. What was interesting was how receptive the audience was to the First Minister's message—but also how sceptical they were that he could deliver it, that, as one questioner put it, the lofty goals would "bump into reality." A landmark speech? Perhaps. Now he just needs to stick the landing.
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Tories struggle to be heard after election skelping
'We stopped Nicola Sturgeon converting her gender bill into law. And we have watched Labour try government — but Sir Keir Starmer keeps dropping the ball.' But for all the jibes, the problem facing Mr Findlay's party is that they are struggling to even get on the pitch. READ MORE Findlay: Tories can win seats at Holyrood election despite polls pointing to drubbing Tories unveil plans for 'Scottish first' medical student training policy For Women Scotland threaten SNP with fresh legal action over Supreme Court ruling The party suffered its worst-ever defeat at last year's general election, slumping to just 121 seats UK-wide — a loss of 244. In Scotland, the scale of the collapse was slightly masked. Despite a chaotic campaign that saw Douglas Ross alienate members and then quit before polling day, the party managed to hold on to five of its six seats. Although the Tory vote halved, support for the SNP — the main challengers in each Conservative-held seat — declined even more sharply. The ghosts of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak continue to haunt the party, while the spectre of Nigel Farage looms ever larger. The latest projections from Professor Sir John Curtice, based on last month's Survation poll, paint a bleak picture for next year's Holyrood vote. His modelling has the Tories slumping to fourth place with just 13 MSPs — less than half their current tally of 30. The SNP would return 58 seats, while Reform UK would leapfrog the Conservatives to become the main opposition on 21. Labour would win 18 seats, with the LibDems and Greens on 10 and 8 respectively. Mr Findlay did not shy away from the scale of the challenge, admitting that a huge effort would be needed to even earn the right to be heard. Yet despite the grim outlook, the party is hopeful. 'You would think we had no right to be as upbeat as we are, but it is the phenomena of the Conservative Party,' said Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland. 'Against all of the odds, we are feeling genuinely optimistic and positive.'I think we knew that 2024 was going to be terrible. Having taken that skelping, I think people are back to renew the party — and that is the strong statement of both Russell and Kemi's remarks.' 'We are sitting in a much diminished form at Westminster, our worst ever election result in over 250 years of the Conservative Party really being in existence. And really beginning the fightback,' shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie told Unspun Live, The Herald's politics podcast. 'And that is where we are right now — beginning that long, hard slog of regaining the trust of the British people, hopefully with a view to getting back into power in short order in four years' time.' Mr Findlay has settled into the role of party leader. He is much more relaxed and less like the deer trapped in the headlights he resembled when he took over from Douglas Ross last September. He is putting the effort in. One Tory staffer said the boss had rehearsed his 42-minute address at least eight times before delivering it to party members on Saturday lunchtime. It was an unashamedly Conservative speech with a raft of policies rooted in the party's traditional values: tax cuts funded by £650 million in savings from slashing quangos and civil service jobs; scrapping the SNP's 2045 net zero target; and a pledge to train more Scottish medical students to reduce NHS reliance on immigration. For years, Scottish Tory speeches at conference have been dominated by saying no to indyref2. That was in Mr Findlay's speech, of course — but it was his programme for government that was to the fore. 'The way we beat Reform is by having good, proper policies in place. We have not seen very much from Reform policy-wise,' North East list MSP Douglas Lumsden told The Herald on Sunday. 'I still think there is enough time [to turn things around]. It is 11 months before the election and this is about building a positive message we can take next year. 'We absolutely need to move on from the past.' The scale of the party's challenge — and the threat from Reform — was made painfully clear earlier this month at the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, where the Tories came a distant fourth. In a seat where they had won 17.5% at the last Holyrood election, they only just managed to hold on to their Reform took 26% of the vote. While Labour's surprise win has led to grumblings in the SNP, Mr Lumsden insists the party is united behind Mr Findlay. 'We are 100% behind Russell. There is no briefing at all from anyone. Russell has a brilliant personality and the more people who get to know him the more they like him — so we need to promote Russell.' READ MORE While Mr Findlay's position might be safe, the same cannot be said for Kemi Badenoch. Potential leadership hopefuls are on manoeuvres. The leader of the opposition delivered her speech on Friday. It was only her second trip to Scotland since becoming leader in November. 'There is a lot of work to be done, a lot of messaging, a lot of renewal — and she has got the runway that Russell and the rest of us do not have,' Mr Kerr said. 'I am not worried about threats to her leadership. She is letting her colleagues get on with it. She is not a leader who is lying awake worrying about a challenge to her leadership,' he added. 'Anybody who is going to contest Kemi or Russell for leadership right now is mad — because the challenges will not change.' Mr Kerr compared Ms Badenoch to Margaret Thatcher: 'I am old enough to remember our first female leader and the same stuff was being said about her in terms of her role as Leader of the Opposition and her performance and PMQs — and look what happened to her.' 'You know, we have been written off as a party before,' Mr Findlay told The Herald on Sunday. 'There are many people at this conference who have been around for a very long time, and they have seen some pretty dark days. 'And you know what keeps people going? You know that resilience that we all saw in the hall today — it is because we know that what we stand for is right. 'We stand for personal responsibility, lower taxation, fairer taxes for people, integrity and ensuring the very best public services. We want a Scottish Parliament that is entirely focused on delivering for Scotland — not the fringe obsessions of the SNP and Labour.'So we will be fighting for every single vote.' Murrayfield is used to resilience and fighting talk — it is also, however, no stranger to the wooden spoon, a fate Mr Findlay will be desperae to avoid next May.
