11 OCTOBER, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: "COMPASSION. SOLIDARITY. LOVE" THE WORDS USED BY NICOLA STURGEON WHEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE COUNTRY SHE WANTS SCOTLAND TO BE, IN CONTRAST TO THE POLICIES OF THE UK GOVERNMENT RELATING TO REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS. AND IT WAS COMPASSION WHICH SHINED THROUGH IN A DIGNIFIED, PRECISE AND ARTICULATE SPEECH DELIVERED TO SNP MEMBERS AND SNP MSP'S AT THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY CONFERENCE IN ABERDEEN ON MONDAY.
IN AN ERA IN WHICH WE HAVE SEEN INEQUALITY GROW ACROSS THE UK, AND BORIS JOHNSON'S SCANDALOUS LEADERSHIP WHERE TRUTH AND HONESTY SEEM TO BE IRRELEVANT, NICOLA STURGEON HAS SHINED AS A LEADER. SHE HAS LED SCOTLAND ABLY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, AND HER GOVERNMENT HAVE IMPLEMENTED POLICIES FOR THE GOOD OF THE LESS FORTUNATE.
IN CONTRAST TO THE UK GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO SCRAP THE TOP RATE OF TAX IN RESPONSE TO THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS, STURGEON'S GOVERNMENT HAS BANNED EVICTIONS AND FROZEN RENTS FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER, HELPING TO GIVE STRUGGLING TENANTS SOME CERTAINTY AND SECURITY. THIS ONCE AGAIN SHOWS COMPASSION, FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE AND THOSE STRUGGLING WITH THE COST OF LIVING IN A POST-PANDEMIC COUNTRY.
STURGEON SPOKE IN A WAY WHICH PORTRAYED SCOTLAND AND HER GOVERNMENT AS AN ACTOR ON THE WORLD STAGE, SPEAKING ABOUT WOMEN IN IRAN, GIRLS IN AFGHANISTAN, MEN AND WOMEN IN RUSSIA OPPOSING PUTIN, AND THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE. OF COURSE, SHE SPOKE ABOUT THE CONSERVATIVES, AND ITS "DISASTROUS" POLICIES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS, AND CRITICISED THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER AND CHANCELLOR OF THE UK GOVERNMENT. BUT SHE DID NOT DWELL ON THIS.
MUCH OF THE SPEECH FOCUSED ON SCOTLAND AS A COUNTRY WHICH CARES FOR ITS PEOPLE, AND IS WELCOMING TO ALL PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE WORLD, AND HOW SCOTLAND CAN SHINE AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION. WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THE POLITICS OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY OR NOT, YOU CANNOT DENY THEY HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF SCOTLAND AT HEART. THEY HAVE A BELIEF, AS DOES NICOLA STURGEON, AND THEY DO NOT WAIVER FROM THAT BELIEF, THAT SCOTLAND WOULD BE BETTER OFF AS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
STURGEON'S SPEECH DID NOT FALL INTO THE NONSENSE UTTERED BY THE LIKES OF BORIS JOHNSON OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS, SHE STUCK TO THE MESSAGE, SHE CRITICISED OTHERS WHERE NECESSARY BUT ULTIMATELY SHE SHOWED HERSELF TO BE A MORE THAN CAPABLE LEADER. A LEADER WHICH SPEAKS WITH AND ACTS WITH COMPASSION AND LOVE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT EVEN IF YOU DID NOT BELIEVE IN INDEPENDENCE SHE WOULD REPRESENT YOU AND DO HER BEST FOR YOU. THAT WAS BELIEVABLE. UNLIKE HER COUNTERPARTS AT WESTMINSTER.
