Self belief

The polls are indicating a possible increase in support in Scotland for the Tories on the back of two factors, the deathbed choking rattle of Labour, and the single policy of a pledge to stop independence.

It staggers me, after all the Tories, and latterly New Labour, have done to Scotland to hear statements like “I can’t stand that Sturgeon, Labour and the Tories have destroyed the country but I couldn’t vote for her. We are too wee, the industry is all away, and it’s not coming back”.

I don’t see it myself but what is it about Nicola Sturgeon that perfectly rational, decent working folk would find to dislike?

To my way of thinking Nicola Sturgeon is far less polarising in her outlook and the way she presents herself than Alex Salmond, whom I also admire, but I can understand those who perceive his confidence and articulation as arrogance.

Is independence seen as such a huge threat to standards of living, savings and pensions in a country which, if it doesn’t become independent, will,in around three years time, suffer from its master’s self-inflicted economic vandalism on a scale likely to trigger a recession which will take many years to get out of?

Are there really so many Scots around that are comfortably off with an I’m alright Jack, it’s not my problem, attitude? Are they resentful about the likes of free prescriptions for all, and free tertiary education? Do they believe the media negativity about the Scottish NHS when clearly over the last few years it is head and shoulders better in many of the key indicators than it’s southern version?

Are there enough of them that aren’t touched by austerity measures in some way? Many of us lived through the worst excesses of the Thatcher years. Some would say things are starting to look worse now than even then.

The Trussell Trust which operates Foodbank services across the country, including a network of 52 Foodbanks in Scotland, have just released their report for 2016/17.

That report tells us that the number of Scots receiving emergency three day supplies of food for that period was around 145,000, including 47,995 children, a rise of 9% on the previous year. Just think about that for a minute.

You live in a country rich in natural resources, with a world class food and drink sector, with innovative new technology in energy renewal with the potential to boom, creating a new and lucrative source of revenue from exports. These are advantages other countries can only dream about. Yet nearly 150,000 times in a single financial year citizens of your country were at the extreme stage of desperation where they had to attend a Foodbank to fill their, and their children’s bellies.

I can’t believe , in fact I refuse to believe, that the people of Scotland would vote in large numbers for the party that wants women who have been raped to prove it in order to receive benefits to feed a child born as a result. I refuse also to believe the people of Scotland will vote in large numbers for a party that uses the excuse of perpetual ‘austerity measures’ to slash disability payments to the sick and vulnerable, whilst giving corporations huge tax incentives to protect profits.

If it does happen, I fear that three hundred years of Scottish cringe and propaganda has done its job, the cash cow will continue to fund the Great British Swindle, and no, Scotland will never amount to much.