“You’re crazy”, said one of my friends, “There is no such thing as a politics-free approach to a country’s future.”
He’s possibly half right. But, as a floating voter who has voted for just about every significant party that the UK has offered, I know that he’s not all right. There’s a different way to see things.
I was born in India at the tail end of the British Empire. History tells us that there are four or five aspects to the success of an empire. These are: military might, business and trading power, a cultural perspective, political acumen, and administrative ability. Each of these perspectives is valid in its own right, although only truly successful if they all fit together. So it is with a country or nation, if on a smaller scale. A country has to have all of the elements for success: economic, political, cultural, military and administrative.
Where does Scotland fit?
The trouble is that discussions around Scotland’s future have become dominated by only one of these dimensions – politics – and an attempt to frame a culture through that lens. Brexit, independence, federalism, fair societies, equality, social justice are all used to define the options.
Frankly, I am tired of that perspective and the bickering it causes. I am also tired of hearing about who has the most politically-correct agenda on the environment, healthcare, and education. I am tired of hearing very little on how the UK or Scotland can turn themselves around. I am tired of hearing from Digby Jones about whose money it is that is rescuing Scotland post-Covid, rather than how to make that turnaround.
Why we need a politics-free approach
I also have no real interest in who will run Scotland for the next 5 years. Whether or not it is run by the initiative-heavy SNP, the strange One-Nation Tories, the confused Labour, or the struggling Liberals – it does not matter to me. What I want, instead, is the answer to a much more fundamental question: how can we ensure Scotland’s success?
Instead of getting bogged down in the politics, I would rather ask: what would be the best investment in Scotland’s future (by whomever – England, an Independent Scotland, the UK, or the EU) that would provide the best return for whoever wishes to take that risk?
Finding a way forward
Should we focus on growing and exporting trees, or on investing in a renewable energy export business to replace oil? Is becoming even more dependent on financial services and tourism the best course of action, or simply the obvious default if we do nothing else? Is tripling R&D and future health businesses the way forward, or should we continue relying on the marine, food and drink sectors? What other options do we have? What’s the meat in the sandwich?
For that reason, would the politicians please tell me realistically: what is the best strategy for building a healthy, wealthy and wise Scotland – politics-free? We need to stop putting the political cart before the economic horse. Can our leaders tell me how we are going to be a real success in 50 years? I want them to stop using terms like independence, Brexit, federalism, free market, currency choice, education policy, border policy, and immigration as a way to define our options. Because that, unfortunately, will simply perpetuate even more confusion.
Featured illustration credit: Jasper Affonso and Henry Affonso