Thrive by Lesley Riddoch sampler
Why won’t Scots simmer down? Why batter on about independence when folk voted No a decade back? After all. Scotland’s not as populated as Yorkshire, nor as wealthy as London. But it’s also not as Conservative, as keen on Brexit, or as willing to flog public assets to Tory party pals. So does Nicola Sturgeon’s departure terminally damage the case for independence? The answer, with all respect to her legacy, is no. Scotland has bigger fish to fry. In this book, Lesley Riddoch makes an impassioned call to action, weaving academic evidence with story, international comparison and anecdote to explain why Scotland is ready to step forward as the world’s newest state.
Why won’t Scots simmer down?
Why batter on about independence when folk voted No a decade back?
After all. Scotland’s not as populated as Yorkshire, nor as wealthy as London. But it’s also not as Conservative, as keen on Brexit, or as willing to flog public assets to Tory party pals.
So does Nicola Sturgeon’s departure terminally damage the case for independence?
The answer, with all respect to her legacy, is no.
Scotland has bigger fish to fry.
In this book, Lesley Riddoch makes an impassioned call to action, weaving academic evidence with story, international comparison and anecdote to explain why Scotland is ready to step forward as the world’s newest state.
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14 <strong>Thrive</strong><br />
of Scottish failings and inadequacies are so oft retold and<br />
exaggerated as to require little repetition, while other very<br />
real sticking points remain undiscussed – along with remedies<br />
deployed <strong>by</strong> more equal and successful northern neighbours.<br />
Scots hyper know the received wisdom about Scotland and its<br />
downsides. So, <strong>Thrive</strong> is an attempted corrective, which will<br />
doubtless be read in conjunction with the gloomy, contrary<br />
opinions produced <strong>by</strong> a sceptical mainstream world. Having<br />
said that, it’s not my intention to pretend Scotland or Scots<br />
are a cut above. We are an ordinary country with our own<br />
strengths, assets, problems and demons. Indeed, the mark<br />
of readiness to proceed is an unsentimental, clear-eyed<br />
recognition of our own national character – flawed but entirely<br />
good enough to construct a new, independent country. Just<br />
like all the other ones.
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