Stronger for Scotland

It was June 23rd when the UK voted to leave the EU.

It came as a shock to many when the results started to filter showing that working class England had broken overwhelmingly for the leave vote.

Watching the news you could be forgiving for thinking that we in Scotland were perfectly happy to accept being dragged out of the EU as Tory lords, MPs and other leave campaigners managed to talk through the night without addressing the simple fact that Scotland as an entire country embraced membership of the EU.

The comfortable remain win that had been predicted by pretty much the entire political establishment failed to materialise, panic seized the investors and companies with billions being wiped out and with the pound reaches lows not seen since 1980s.

Unlike the investors and companies however we cannot let panic determine our response to the situation that has presented itself, we must not be the rabbit caught in the headlights of the oncoming truck.

Instead we must take ownership of this situation though it is not one of our making and we must as a party plot a course to ensure that the Scottish people are not dragged out of the EU against their expressed democratic will.

And while some in our party have urged caution we must not shy away from our willingness to hold a second independence referendum to ensure our membership of the EU if that is what is required. Proceed with caution but proceed we must.

Our beautiful outward looking country must now be treated as an equal partner in a family of nations as we have been promised, or else we must seek to leave the UK before irreparable damage is done to our interests.

Our Summer Independence push has therefore taken on a whole new level of importance and urgency. While the risks of reopening the independence debate may be unknown, the risks of perpetual unshackled Tory Government are known and very real.

So this Summer we must do all we can to reach out to no voters and welcome those that change their minds with open arms because this is a fight that is much larger than party politics, it is about the established interests of the Scottish people.

I would also appeal to the other parties both within and outwith the Scottish Parliament to unite behind the Scottish Government while they fight for Scotland’s corner.

And as SNP members, fight we must. Our campaign slogan during the last two elections was “Stronger for Scotland”. It is time to show the people of Scotland once again that we mean business, we have work to do.