THE next Yes campaign needs to be bolder when it comes to the economics of independence, the Scottish Greens have said.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s fifth anniversary of the 2014 vote, co-leader Patrick Harvie warned the SNP not to repeat the mistakes of last time. The MSP, and former member of Yes Scotland’s advisory board, said the SNP had been “caught in the trap laid by Better Together which saw them make a continuity case for independence”.
Harvie added: “It became about retaining the monarchy, membership of Nato, the pound and various other trappings of the UK’s discredited system. This meant things like currency became a major factor in the result. Unfortunately, the SNP’s response to that has to become even more conservative.
“The much-heralded Growth Commission suggested tight spending controls, extended use of the UK’s currency and continued austerity. It would create a little Britain, not a new Scotland.”
Harvie called for the other pro-independence party to back the Green New Deal, which, he argued, “is all about building a fairer, more sustainable Scotland by abandoning the failed economic orthodoxy and becoming a forward-looking European nation”.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown rejected Harvie’s criticisms of the Growth Commission.
Brown said: “The Tory austerity model has failed Scotland. Our economic plan, as set out by the Sustainable Growth Commission, shows how an independent Scotland could use the powers of independence to grow our economy and invest in our public services.
“The opportunities of independence stand in stark contrast to the economic damage posed by Brexit – replacing uncertainty and fear with optimism and hope about Scotland’s future.”
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