The Scottish Government is determined that the people’s choice of independence will be informed. To this end, this is the first in a series of Building a New Scotland documents designed to contribute to a full, honest and constructive discussion of Scotland’s future. Independence alone does not guarantee success for any country. For Scotland, the ambition of a richer, fairer and more prosperous country will depend on the democratic decisions taken after independence and the good governance of the governments elected. But the point is this: in an independent Scotland, the crucial decision-making power will belong to the people who live here – not to the Westminster governments that do not have the support of the people in Scotland and pursue policies such as Brexit, deeply detrimental to Scotland’s interests. In addition to presenting the Scottish Government’s view on the prospects for independence and how the greater power it entails could be used to make Scotland richer, happier and fairer (recognizing that others will have different and equally valid ideas) , this series of documents will answer key questions about the transition to independence and the infrastructure that will be required for the effective governance of an independent country. Of course, on this last point, it is worth noting that Scotland has already come a long way since 2014. There has been a great deal of nation-building in the years since the last referendum. For example, in Revenue Scotland we now have our own tax office and in Social Security Scotland we have our own social security office. We also have the independent Scottish Budget Committee and the National Investment Bank of Scotland. In other words, there are now significant parts of the institutional infrastructure that an independent country would need that did not exist in 2014. The series of works to be published in the coming months will set out details on all the key issues that people will want to know about. However, any case of change must inevitably begin with an analysis of the “status quo”. Has Scotland’s position as part of the UK allowed us to make the most of our potential – and will it do so in the future, especially now that the UK is outside the EU? The analysis presented in this paper, comparing the economic and social performance of the United Kingdom (and therefore Scotland within it) with a number of comparable countries, suggests – overwhelmingly – that independent countries the size of Scotland are doing better. This raises fundamental questions for all those who have the highest ambitions for Scotland. Why are Scotland’s neighboring independent countries richer, happier and fairer than the United Kingdom? Why are these, and even other countries in northwestern Europe, regardless of size, often outperforming the United Kingdom in a number of key measures that determine prosperity? And, basically, if these countries can be successful, why not an independent Scotland, given the abundance of talent, resources and natural resources we have? It is clear from the evidence in this document that the status quo does not allow Scotland to meet its potential and that the UK’s economic model and Westminster decision-making are hindering us. Therefore, if the status quo does not work, we should ask how to fix it better. It is hard to imagine that being part of a UK outside the EU – and with a UK government acting to reduce, not extend, the parliamentary autonomy of our parliament – would help Scotland fill the performance gaps reported. here. What it seeks to do – and the documents that follow – is to show that becoming an independent country, while building a close and constructive partnership with the rest of the United Kingdom and with our fellow Europeans, can and will help Scotland to meet the performance of our neighbors and fulfill our potential. This is not an abstract issue – it’s all about prosperity, profits, opportunities and prosperity for everyone in Scotland, now and for generations to come. We are a brilliant country in many ways – but a look at many of our European neighbors tells us we can do better. This should excite and inspire us. But first we must equip ourselves with the forces of independence they already have. In this first paper, the Scottish Government presents key elements to support the up – to – date, comprehensive discussion that the people of Scotland deserve. We look forward to hearing the views of others as we work together to build the best Scotland we know is possible. Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSPFirst Minister of Scotland
