Brexiteer and Scottish nationalism offer little hope amid cost-of-living crisis, soaring mortgage rates and NHS's woes – Scotsman comment

All our politicians should be focussed on delivering competent, effective and pragmatic government

As joyous celebrations of the seventh anniversary of the Brexit referendum conspiciously failed to take place because virtually no one thinks it has worked out well, the UK faces a monumental economic crisis.

While Brexit cannot be blamed for the entirety of our current plight, there is little doubt that it has been and will continue to be a drain on efforts to restore our fortunes. Even the archest of arch-Brexiteers seem to agree things have been going badly or even “failed”, although their conclusion – that this is because we have not ‘Brexited’ successfully – sounds like the sort of excuse cult followers make when their leader’s various bizarre predictions fail to come true.

The Brexiteer-obsession with reducing immigration continues to be portrayed as a major issue, despite a job vacancy crisis. Meanwhile, politicians in Germany, recognising that labour shortages are a threat to their economy, have passed legislation to make it easier for migrant workers to move there.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s ruling party is meeting in Dundee to discuss another nationalistic project, independence, despite no prospect of this happening any time soon and the weight of pressing issues facing the nation. To paraphrase Nicola Sturgeon, will we continue to see the SNP take its eye off the ball?

What all our politicians should be focussed on, as we have said repeatedly, is delivering competent, effective and pragmatic government with the aim of tackling the cost-of-living and energy crises, moving towards a net-zero economy, improving our education system, fixing the NHS… the list goes on.

Politicians who rely on selling implausible dreams inevitably come a cropper as reality intervenes. For the Conservatives, soaring mortgage rates will provide a steady drip, drip of voter discontent as fixed-term policies come to an end. Public anger may reach boiling point at about the time of the next general election.

For many, voting for Brexit was an understandable act of despair at the status quo. What the country needs now is politicians capable of inspiring hope not by waving a flag, but by drawing up an effective plan to get us out of this mess.