Latest Articles & News
The dog that didn't bark - what Starmer didn't say to Scotland
At Labour’s Scottish conference Keir Starmer made a plea to independence supporters to lend their vote to Labour at the next General Election. Standing on a stage carefully clear of Union Jacks - in contrast to the UK conference - Starmer claimed to personify “the change Scotland needs”.
But what does the Labour offer really amount to? What Starmer DIDN’T say in the speech is as important as what he did.
The UK enters recession – Three points Scots need to know
The UK is now officially in recession. It is doing worse than comparable countries in terms of both growth and inflation and has earned the nickname “Stagnation Nation”.
Scotland’s people are being let down. An independent Scotland back in the EU could hope to achieve the kind of growth and prosperity that similar sized countries without the same amount of resources achieve. Instead it is being dragged down by the choices Westminster makes. Here are three points Scots need to know
Believe in Scotland raises a glass to the independence grassroots with new Scotch Whisky.
Believe in Scotland is excited to launch its own Scotch Whisky and whisky glasses, with all profits going to fund our grassroots independence campaigning. The whisky is being launched in partnership with Art of the Dram.
Five things Scots need to know about Ireland's constitutional future
There will be a poll on Irish unification within the next 6 years, by 2030, Mary Lou McDonald the Sinn Fein president told Sky News last Thursday – a few days after her party’s Michelle O’Neill became First Minister of Northern Ireland. She said: “Irish people, north and south, will make that call without coercion or impediment.” She also reached out to British viewers, saying: “Please respect our right to make that decision.”
The Big 2024 Independence Movement Survey
Can 2024 be the year independence takes and sustains a lead in the polls? How confident are you on the road to independence? Are you up for it, or scunnered by political roadblocks? What's your activity and motivation level? Who should make the running now, the grassroots or still the politicians?
These are just some of the questions we need answers to – we will publish the results on the Believe in Scotland website later this month.
Please let us know what you are thinking and how you are feeling by clicking below and taking part in the third annual Big Independence Movement Survey!
Get Started
How long can Scotland afford to let England control its borders?
As part of the UK, Scotland has given control of its border into the hands of the larger country to the south. However many independence-supporting MPs Scotland elects, it will never be enough to give it a meaningful say over immigration at Westminster.
Under the devolution settlement, Holyrood does not have the right to be consulted – or even informed – on immigration rules.
Whatever the political colour of the next Parliament, immigration policy is something that will continue to be decided above Scotland’s head without any regard to what works for Scotland or what the Scottish people vote for at the ballot box.
Media Watch – Five ways Scotland is damaged by biased news reports of doctors strike
Today marks the end the strike by NHS junior doctors in England - for now. Most media outlets have continually ignored that there has been no strike in Scotland - the Scottish government agreed to gradually restore doctors’ pay levels last summer.
Many viewers in Scotland will have been shouting at the TV this last week asking: “What about Scotland?” when it is omitted from UK-wide reports - even though Northern Ireland and Wales, which also face industrial action, are mentioned.
At the same time, Scottish media outlets have uncritically carried misleading claims by Unionist parties about Scotland’s health service. Both UK-based and supposedly Scottish media have demonstrated a lack of balance in their coverage of the situation.
Here are five ways this pattern of news reporting is damaging to Scotland.
Child poverty gap between Scotland and UK widens - but an independent Scotland could do better
A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation this week confirmed the UK’s shocking position in terms of child poverty - which is now almost a third, 31% in England and 28% in Wales. The report found Scotland has a “much lower” child poverty rate of 24%.
A report from UNICEF, last month, provided us with comparable child poverty statistics for most advanced economies. It showed the rapid progress the UK has made in terms of child poverty - in the wrong direction. With a rise of 20% in a decade, the UK is doing twice as badly on this metric as any other country in the report.
UK Government gives Scottish exporters a new Brexit hammering
New border checks and packaging rules for trading with the EU loom – this means Scotland’s exports to the trading bloc are likely to fall. That will be bad news for the Scottish economy.
Who are Believe in Scotland Youth?
Young people are the future of Scotland. It is they who have the most to gain from independence and the endless opportunities it entails. It is, however, the demographic of the young that are the least connected to the Yes movement. Despite often showing the highest support for independence of any age group – with the latest poll showing a 72% support for Yes among 16-25 year olds – they are continuously poorly represented across the movement. This is a problem not just for the Yes movement but across the entirety of Scottish politics. Young people feel disenfranchised and disconnected from politics and politicians. So, how do we create a change?