Why I back independence as a working-class Socialist - Simita Kumar
I was at a food insecurity husting recently and I ended my statement saying that I believe in socialist policies, earning a lot of jeers from colleagues of the unionist persuasion.
I am proudly a member of the SNP and wholeheartedly believe in an independent Scotland and the right of self-determination by its sovereign people. I am also a socialist. To some, these identities are a contradiction; to me, they are inseparable.
My politics are rooted in my life experiences: coming from a working-class background, I am proud of my academic achievements. Those achievements weren’t based on my parents’ ability to pay, but on my own ability to learn and develop within a system that, at its best, values merit over wealth.
You’ll hear a lot of politicians tell you,”we’re not hearing people on the doors talk about independence” and that we should be focusing on the “cost-of-living crisis, NHS, energy, and housing”.
All of these issues are vital. However, an independent Scotland is not just a quest for a better nation; it is the essential mechanism for addressing these topics.We cannot build the nation we want while the foundations are controlled by a government we didn’t vote for.
I want more funding towards public services. I want a fairer society built on the equal distribution of wealth. I believe our NHS must remain a public treasure; an American-style, insurance-based healthcare system should frighten us all. Yet, as long as we are tethered to a failing British state, our ability to protect these values is under constant threat.
Why are we facing the highest energy bills in an energy-rich Scotland? Why is our food so expensive? I’ll tell you why: we’ve had 14 years of Tory austerity that is now being sustained by a timid Labour government. We are also grappling with a hard Brexit we never voted for, driven by Reform’s Nigel Farage.
At the hustings, party representatives kept saying we should be ‘lobbying’ Westminster more instead of seeking a second referendum. Scotland represents less than 9 per cent of the seats at Westminster – we’ll never be a priority!
Scottish people must get a referendum if that is the will of the electorate. If we cannot leave (or even allowed to vote on it), how can this truly be a voluntary union? The status quo is a trap.
As a socialist, my priority is equity of opportunity for all. In Scotland, that well-being is being strangled by a Westminster consensus that prioritises neoliberal stability over human dignity.
Please don’t trust Labour who will break more promises or the Tories who have no plans except their obsession with the SNP. Reform is adamant about destroying Scottish power and the Lib Dems remain in a’no man’s land’ of indecision (one look at the devoid leadership at Edinburgh council is all the evidence).
If you want a socialist future, you need the tools to build it. On May 7 the choice is clear. Make it both votes SNP.