Monday 28 October 2024

We are the people, claim politicians, but who are the people?

By Bill Heaney

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has today said that Holyrood must rediscover the “common ground” that unites mainstream Scotland since the Edinburgh parliament has become “disconnected from the real world”. 

Findlay, just like Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, appears to be leading a party who are out of touch with the people who elected them.

They too have a class problem and suffer from a failure to connect with 21st century Scottish society, which is the same problem Labour have had since the Prime Minister made his now infamous “no tax increases for working people” pre-Budget speech.

Russell Findlay said politicians must rebuild trust with the public by focusing on their true “hopes, concerns, and aspirations”.

The Scottish Conservative leader said the Scottish Parliament “no longer grasps where the majority of Scotland stands”.

Findlay said he will make the case for a “decent society” which rewards hard work and doing the right thing.

He put forward suggestions of starting points to build a smaller state with lower taxes that delivers more “efficient” and “effective” public services.

Findlay said: “Many people across Scotland believe that our politics is rotten with a lack of trust in politicians now deep-rooted and unlike anything I’ve known in my lifetime.

“Rebuilding the bond of trust with people is the job and the duty of every single politician.  A starting point must be integrity.  When promises are made, they must be kept. When mistakes are made, they should be admitted and explained.  We must be honest and upfront with people.”

He added: “We need to get back to a point where politicians and the public are part of the same conversation.  Talking with each other, not past one another.  When I was a journalist, I earned trust by listening to people’s concerns.  But the SNP government would rather just pretend to listen.”

Findlay said what many journalists these days are afraid to say: “These so-called consultations are very often a sham, mere acts of performance. A government that goes through the motions of pretending to listen, with minds closed and decisions already made.

“For politicians to rebuild public trust, we must strive for meaningful discussion — not the SNP’s ‘we know best’ attitude.  And this means that we also need to understand what people want to talk about.  We [should] do this by identifying where the common-sense political centre ground really lies.”