A future as a real Partnership of Equals

The historic summit in Cardiff between Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Sinn Féin leaders Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald marks a pivotal moment in the political history of these islands.

For the first time, leaders across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland standing firmly for self-determination have united to send an unequivocal message to London: Westminster’s time is coming to an end, and constitutional change across these islands is inevitable.

From Scotland’s perspective, this summit is not merely a political gathering; it is a clear declaration that the broken status quo imposed by Whitehall can no longer stand.

While opposition Westminster obsessed politicians in Scotland repeatedly demand that the Scottish Government focus solely on daily governance, their real motive is transparent.

They claim the public does not want to hear about independence, yet hypocritically attack the majority of MSPs returned by Scottish voters.

Expecting the SNP to ignore independence after winning an explicit mandate is like hiring a plumber and then ordering them to ignore the leaking pipes.

Opposition figures have gone so far as to tell independence supporters to “shut up” and have spoken openly about “killing” the movement.

However independence is a perfectly honourable position – as even former Scottish Tory leader Baroness Ruth Davidson once conceded.

But their growing histrionic hostility towards the democratic choices of the Scottish electorate reflects a deep disregard for the voters themselves.

The opposition desperation to silence this debate stems from a simple truth: Independence directly addresses the daily priorities of the Scottish people while exposing the broken and unfulfilled promises made by the Westminster parties in the 2014 referendum.

The real reason they don’t want the SNP talking about independence is because they don’t want the Scottish people reminded of their broken promises.

The case for Scottish independence is rooted in the stark contrast between the promises made by Westminster parties during the 2014 referendum and the reality Scots face today.

The Westminster threat to Scotland’s NHS

In 2014, anti-independence campaign said that continued Westminster control was best for the NHS.

However, Westminster blocked legislation designed to protect the NHS from being opened up to US healthcare corporations in post-Brexit trade deals, treating our public health service like a garage sale item.

In addition, proposed NHS protections were stripped from UK trade legislation, while Westminster systematically clawed back powers from Holyrood against the spirit of the 2014 devolution settlement ‘ treating Scottish self-governance like a library book they keep threatening to withdraw from circulation.

And despite Scotland overwhelmingly voting to Remain in the EU in 2016 on the promise of being an equal partner in the UK, a hard Tory Brexit was imposed – driving a devastating exodus of EU staff from the NHS.

So when it comes to health and impact of Westminster policies since 2014 it’s no wonder opposition politicians don’t want to talk about their independence referendum promises.

The economy and the EU

Take the economic model dictated by Westminster – and made worse by Brexit – which has left Scotland severely disadvantaged. In 2014 the anti-independence campaign said Scotland benefited from the “economic security” of Westminster control and that a ‘No’ vote would keep Scotland in the EU.

Instead Scotland’s economy has been dragged out of the European single market against its will whilst Northern Ireland has maintained single-market access and is subsequently outperforming other parts of the UK while Scotland has been left stranded like a passenger whose train was cancelled without warning.

Yet in the past ten years we’ve had empty supermarket shelves, supply chain delays, and extra delivery costs as a direct result of a Brexit that Scotland rejected.

The UK consistently lags at the bottom of northern European league tables, burdened with higher poverty rates, greater inequality, and lower GDP per person than comparable independent European neighbours – resembling a broken-down car parked next to a fleet of sleek electric vehicles.

Again, those broken economic promises show why it’s clear the Westminster obsessed politicians want to avoid independence being discussed.

Do you feel £1,400 better off every year?

The financial arguments presented to Scots in 2014 have crumbled under the weight of UK-wide economic mismanagement.

During the 2014 campaign, Whitehall’s Treasury claimed that letting Westminster control the main economic levers would leave every Scot £1,400 a year better off.

Ten years on, independent analysis and economic realities show that Scottish households are instead around £3,000 a year worse off due to Westminster austerity, wage stagnation, and Brexit-induced inflation.

Their “Union Dividend” turned out to be as illusory as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow – except instead of gold, every Scot was handed a £3,000 bill.

Getting the messages became more expensive

Westminster politicians also warned that Westminster would mean lower food prices at the checkout.

Instead, with continued Westminster control, Scottish consumers have faced historic spikes in grocery inflation. The imposition of trade barriers, customs checks, and labour shortages stemming from Brexit – which Scotland voted against – has directly driven up the cost of everyday essentials, turning a routine weekly shop into a pound shop version of ‘Supermarket Sweep’.

Scottish power needs Scottish control

Perhaps the most glaring injustice Westminster politicians don’t want voters to hear is about energy policy.

Anti-independence politicians repeatedly asserted that Westminster was necessary to keep energy bills down.

Today, households across Scotland face exorbitant energy bills, pushing thousands into fuel poverty despite Scotland producing vast surpluses of electricity and natural gas.

Scotland holds a massive amount of Europe’s wind and tidal energy potential, positioning the nation to lead the global transition to net zero. Yet Westminster continues to obstruct this progress.

A promised £1 billion carbon capture facility for the North East of Scotland was repeatedly dangled, delayed, and cancelled by Westminster ministers – a game of political football where the goalposts are moved every time Scotland gets ready to kick.

Grid connection charges imposed by Westminster mean Scottish renewable energy producers have been charged the highest rates in Europe simply to transmit green electricity into the grid, which is like imposing a penalty tax on a bakery for baking bread.

Time for a real Partnership of Equals

The Cardiff summit demonstrated that the momentum behind constitutional change is growing across all nations of these islands.

The choice facing Scotland is not between standing still or taking a risk – it is between remaining trapped in a failing Westminster economic model or taking control of our own resources, economy, and international relationships.

The opposition parties run scared of discussing independence because they cannot defend their broken promises on the NHS, the economy, climate change, or household living standards. Trying to defend the UK’s current economic performance is like trying to convince someone that a leaky bucket is actually a revolutionary water-storage system.

They also repeatedly promised that a ‘No’ vote would deliver a Partnership of Equals; but as the past twelve years have shown that pledge was well and truly broken.

That’s why the Westminster party politicians are running scared of the voice of the Scottish people, who hold the fundamental democratic right to choose a genuine and real Partnership of Equals within these islands with independence.