A warning from Scotland for the UK as a whole
Stephen Daisley has written a powerful article,
"Will the SNP ever be able to govern?"
which describes the failure of the SNP government of Scotland.
He argues that the obsession with independence has distracted the Scottish government from paying proper attention to other issues from education and health to policing. In his words,
"Independence, and latterly Indyref 2, became an all-consuming obsession that sucked political oxygen out of the more mundane matters of health and education. The SNP became a government of one issue and every other issue became a victim of neglect."
This should serve as a warning to the UK as a whole, one which applies to those on both sides of the 2016 referendum and particularly the hardliners on both sides.
Our obsession with Brexit must not be allowed to do for other issues in the UK what the obsession with Independence has done to them in Scotland.
Yes, Brexit is important. But it is not the only thing which matters.
Attempts on the one hand by some hardline Brexiteers to sabotage any attempt to keep a constructive relationship with the rest of Europe, while on the other hand some hardline Remainders are equally determined to try to frustrate the referendum result, must not be allowed to cause all the other important issues which demand attention to be neglected.
"Will the SNP ever be able to govern?"
which describes the failure of the SNP government of Scotland.
He argues that the obsession with independence has distracted the Scottish government from paying proper attention to other issues from education and health to policing. In his words,
"Independence, and latterly Indyref 2, became an all-consuming obsession that sucked political oxygen out of the more mundane matters of health and education. The SNP became a government of one issue and every other issue became a victim of neglect."
This should serve as a warning to the UK as a whole, one which applies to those on both sides of the 2016 referendum and particularly the hardliners on both sides.
Our obsession with Brexit must not be allowed to do for other issues in the UK what the obsession with Independence has done to them in Scotland.
Yes, Brexit is important. But it is not the only thing which matters.
Attempts on the one hand by some hardline Brexiteers to sabotage any attempt to keep a constructive relationship with the rest of Europe, while on the other hand some hardline Remainders are equally determined to try to frustrate the referendum result, must not be allowed to cause all the other important issues which demand attention to be neglected.
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