Two recent conferences in Scotland, including the Labour conference, failed to address pressing issues such as Brexit, UK-EU relations, short-term letting controversy, visitor levy, business rates, and the shape of retail, tourism, traffic congestion, and housing crisis [d80ad9fc] [c3a3f7ca]. The events lacked focus and practicality, with lengthy speeches, irrelevant information, and lack of audience involvement [d80ad9fc]. Conferences should be problem-focused, practical, and engage the audience from the start [d80ad9fc].
In a recent live BBC Scotland debate, the leaders of five of Scotland's political parties - John Swinney (SNP), Douglas Ross (Scottish Conservatives), Anas Sarwar (Scottish Labour), Alex Cole-Hamilton (Scottish Liberal Democrats), and Lorna Slater (Scottish Greens) - clashed on how to tackle the cost of living crisis for working families [bf1e6f5f]. The debate also saw questions being raised about the NHS and independence [bf1e6f5f]. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross announced that he will stand in the upcoming election, despite previously planning to stand down [92a10248]. The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats stated that voters are more concerned about getting GP appointments than independence [92a10248]. John Swinney launched the SNP's general election campaign, expressing that the party puts people's interests first [92a10248]. The SNP hopes to hold on to its status as the third-largest party at Westminster [92a10248].
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has questioned the process of using a majority of seats won under first-past-the-post as a mandate for independence. Harvie believes that the power to hold a referendum should be devolved to Holyrood instead. The UK Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a second independence referendum without Westminster’s approval. Harvie does not believe that the Westminster electoral system could genuinely count as a mandate. However, he agrees with SNP leader John Swinney that the Scottish Parliament already secured a mandate in 2021 when pro-independence parties won a majority of seats. Harvie is confident that support for independence will grow beyond the current levels if there is a clear period of campaigning [008d940e].
In a recent appearance on the BBC's Question Time Leaders' Special, SNP leader John Swinney emphasized the importance of Scottish independence in making Scotland a fairer and more equal country [a70fed61]. Swinney highlighted the SNP's commitment to eradicating child poverty, strengthening the economy, and addressing immediate problems like NHS waiting lists. He expressed his desire for Scotland to be like Denmark, Ireland, or Sweden as an independent country, which he believes are more prosperous, equal, and fairer than Scotland and the United Kingdom. Swinney also defended the need for fossil fuels in the transition to net zero and stated that new oil and gas licenses would be assessed based on their compatibility with climate change objectives. He reiterated his respect for the right of the people of Scotland to decide their own future and called for a confident vote for the SNP to turn their manifesto into reality [a70fed61].
The Scottish Greens are calling for the next UK government to devolve all tax and employment powers to Scotland, along with enhanced borrowing powers. The party's manifesto includes the full devolution of taxation and employment powers, including powers over corporation tax, inheritance tax, environmental taxes, minimum wage, and alcohol and tobacco levies. The Scottish Greens also support independence and want the devolution of powers to call referendums. They argue that Scotland currently manages only around 40% of its taxes and 60% of public spending. Co-leader Patrick Harvie emphasizes the need to rapidly expand and enhance the powers of the Scottish Parliament and communities to protect the environment and transition to a greener economy. The party criticizes the Labour Party and the Tories for refusing to allow the people of Scotland to vote on their future. They believe that the people who live in Scotland should have the power to make choices about wages, taxation, and borrowing. The Scottish Greens argue that with more powers, Scotland could have avoided the pain of Tory austerity and economic policies that were voted against. They hope to work together with MSPs and activists from all parties to ensure that Scotland is no longer constrained by devolution [ab70fb36].
The Guardian published two editorials. The first editorial discusses the SNP manifesto in Scotland and how it is becoming harder for the party to blame Westminster for issues. The second editorial focuses on GDP as a measure of economic growth in Britain and questions its relevance in the election [40cc7e9e].
According to a conversation between Soumaya Keynes and John Burn-Murdoch from the Financial Times, the role of the economy in elections is a crucial factor in both the US and the UK. They explore the relationship between the economy and voting behavior, the impact of economic changes on different voter groups, the influence of culture and values on voting, and the role of immigration in political debates. They also discuss the brokenness of the US and UK political systems, the potential outcomes of upcoming elections, and the challenges of the first-past-the-post voting system in the UK [f0c7c5a4].
The common theme in these inputs is the struggle for political identity, as both Labour and the SNP grapple with defining their positions and addressing the concerns of their constituents [d80ad9fc] [c3a3f7ca] [06c87f70] [a54a259a].