Since John Swinney’s coronation as leader of the SNP, we reached out to him to ask if he would consider sharing his vision for Scotland with our readers. Even though we currently only have three readers [Editor: six on a good day!], he agreed not only to share his vision, but also a series of epistles – if you will – that he believes Scotland needs to hear. Dear readers, we give you – Honest John Swinney:
I’ve heard many Scots tell me that Independence means Freedom. An independent Scotland would be free. Free from the Tories. Free from Westminster. Free to rejoin the EU. These are lies we like to tell ourselves, but as leader of a soon to be independent Scotland I am compelled to tell the truth. Independence does not mean freedom from consequences. Independence does not mean freedom from responsibility.
Freedom is a cheap slogan. An easy word to yell as if we were all Australian actors being paid exorbitant sums of money to butcher history in the name of a good story. Even the anarchist knows that freedom does not mean freedom from consequences. Would an independent Scotland be wealthier? Not in the short term, no. It is likely that most Scots would be poorer. Especially the poor. Longer term, it would depend in part on how well Scotland was governed, and since most governments don’t have a single clue how to improve the economy governing in this case would mean repealing laws and deregulating rather than trying to micro-manage everything as my predecessors Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon did. The only way Scotland would prosper in the long term is if more Scots started working. Not only that, but took ownership of their work. As my favourite author once wrote: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” There is a lot to unpack in these statements. We can apply these to any work situation we find ourselves in. Some in the SNP appear to be chaffing at the oppression of Westminster, considering themselves slaves to a brutal colonial slave master. If these people chose to serve their employers, and if out of work – go and get a job and serve well in that job – then Scotland’s economy would boom.
If we have less people needing benefits, there will be less need for taxes. If there are less taxes, people will have more money to spend. More profits can be made and wages can increase. It is a virtuous cycle. There are consequences everywhere we turn. Some consequences are bad for us and bad for those around us. Other consequences are a gift, a blessing. Freedom means accepting the consequences of our actions and our in-actions. Will you join me in accepting the limits of our freedom and using that to prosper Scotland?