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The case for Scottish independence has never been stronger, but the SNP’s strategy isn’t working.

Read more: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/scotland-independence-sturgeon-new-referendum/

Asylum seekers are subject to poor conditions, lack of social integration, prohibited from working, and a broken Home Office system. Part 2 of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Asylum Provision in Scotland is published today with damming evidence on the Immigration system of the UK.

Poll shows 57% of voters want to rejoin the EU

As the government desperately tries to shift the political focus away from the economy and onto immigration, the public have a different set of priorities.

57% now support rejoining the EU. This means that Rejoin has opened up a 14-point lead over 'stay out', on 43%.

"Two polls published this week indicate that voters in Scotland are losing faith in UK governance.  A poll ... found that 50% of Scottish voters had more trust in the economic competence of  Holyrood than  in the UK Government. Only 28% had more trust in Westminster’s economic competence. ... Polls indicate the emergence of a Scottish independence mindset" according to Believe in Scotland.  Read More

A You Gov poll gives very low numbers of MPs for the Conservative Party if an election were to occur now. "Polling by YouGov has indicated that if a snap general election were called, that ... Labour would win 529 seats with a majority of 408, the SNP would be second with 51 seats and the Tories with only 30 seats. ..."  Read More 

[Scotland has a continuting] "struggle with its “dual public sphere”, an uncomfortable hybrid of UK-rooted media institutions and both established and emerging Scottish news titles with very different perspectives and priorities.

"One of the key institutions of British life, the BBC, is ideologically rooted to a form of unionism and day to day it orbits around business in Westminster. "

Believe in Scotland today sets out three lessons for Westminster that stem from the Edinburgh Agreement. 

Equal Partners, Delay, and Scotland in a stronger position than in 2011.

https://www.believeinscotland.org/blocking-a-referendum-could-backfire-on-westminster/

A useful corrective From Bella Caledonia to the wilder speculation about London control of trade union actions. Especially in the current railway dispute.

Independent Scotland would be wealthy enough to fund a just transition to renewables – and lower electricity bills.

At the time of the 2014 referendum, voters were told it was too late to benefit from Scotland’s oil and gas. They would run out in 15 years, leaving Scotland depending on energy imports from England.

Now, a windfall tax could raise £2 billion on the oil companies’ huge profits. And England imports most of its energy from Scotland. But Scots don’t benefit from that – they are charged more in energy bills than the rest of the UK. 

In an article in this month’s edition of Scottish Left Review (www.scottishleftreview.scot/scotland-as-a-centralised-state) he deplores Scotland’s over-centralised system of government. Lesley Riddoch has written extensively about the shortcomings of local government in Scotland compared to every other European nation.