It's time to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands and escape the Brexit chaos
For our General Election series, SNP's Ian Blackford writes that, the 12th December is "Scotland's chance to demand better, end austerity, escape Brexit and shut the Tory party out of Scotland."
It's time to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.
The upcoming general election is set to be one of the most important in Scotland’s history.
After a decade of devastating Tory austerity, years of continued Brexit instability, and a broken Westminster system that is acting against Scotland’s interests, our message is clear – a vote for the SNP is a vote to escape the Westminster chaos and to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.
The SNP manifesto for this election sets out a positive and progressive vision for how to build a better Scotland. It is a manifesto to benefit this and future generations.
In Westminster, Boris Johnson’s right-wing Tory party is completely in thrall to the Brexit Party and pursuing extreme Brexit plans that will harm our economy, hit people’s livelihoods, and put our NHS up for sale in a Johnson-Trump trade deal.
Despite the rhetoric, the reality is that Brexit will not simply ‘get done.’ It will be the start of lengthy and complex talks that will see the erosion of workers' rights and environmental and food standards.
Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn is utterly incapable of getting off the fence on one of the biggest issues facing the UK – despite the threat of job losses and harm to living standards.
All forms of leaving the EU will be devastating for Scotland – leaving us poorer and worse off. The best deal for Scotland and the UK is to remain in the EU.
On December 12th, only a vote for the SNP is a vote to escape Brexit and to ditch the Tories.
People across Scotland will face a clear choice at the ballot box between a broken and bleak Westminster system, or a positive vision for an independent Scotland that will allow decisions about Scotland’s future taken by the people who live in Scotland, wherever they come from.
At this election, SNP candidates will champion Scotland’s interests and put forward a progressive agenda to tackle some of the biggest issues facing families and communities.
With a strong group of SNP MPs at Westminster, we will fight to protect Scotland’s place in Europe and escape the chaos of Brexit and bring forward legislation for an NHS Protection Act, to guarantee trade deals will not undermine our health service or open it up to profit driven exploitation.
We will keep fighting to end the decade of devastating Tory austerity, which has driven up poverty and foodbank use and seek to tackle the drug crisis by pushing for the devolution of drug policy so we can take the action urgently needed.
The SNP are calling for the devolution of immigration powers so we can introduce a system that works for Scotland and to scrap the immoral and costly Trident nuclear weapons system.
We will propose a bold Green Energy Deal to tackle the climate emergency and build on the already world leading targets the SNP has set.
At stake at this election is who will decide Scotland’s future – Boris Johnson or the people who live and work in Scotland?
This election is Scotland's chance to demand better, end austerity, escape Brexit and shut the Tory party out of Scotland once and for all. A vote for the SNP is a vote to have control of your own future.
And that decision will be made by the people of Scotland alone.
The choice over a better future is not something Westminster can reject – that is undemocratic, unsustainable, and yet another reminder that this is far from being a partnership of equals.
Ian Blackford is SNP Westminster leader and prospective parliamentary candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.
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