SCOTLAND should have “Digital Citizenship” for all of its people, former SNP depute leader Angus Robertson has said.
He told The National: “I think the ‘Scottish Digital Citizenship’ idea is a really good one to push as the Scottish Government could do it for devolved services, and begin to establish the concept of Scottish citizenship as a positive, future-oriented thing in people’s minds
“Kate Forbes is the minister with responsibility for digital things and I’ve already spoken to her about the concept.”
Writing in his exclusive column in The National today, the former MP for Moray says Scotland should follow the lead of Estonia and gear up to be a digital society.
READ MORE: Angus Robertson: We should introduce a Scottish Digital Citizenship
Robertson points out that Scotland is well-placed for such a transformation, adding: “Scotland doesn’t have to look very far to see how other smaller European countries are pioneering new technology, providing real advantages to citizens and the economy. Estonia has been named as “the most advanced digital society in the world” and absolutely revolutionised the relationship between citizens and public services.
“The Baltic nation only emerged from Soviet rule less than three decades ago, yet has pioneered direct access services to the public which are the envy of pubic administrators the world over.
“Starting with e-governance in 1997 they moved on to e-Tax in 2000, X-Road in 2001, digital ID in 2002, i-Voting in 2005, public safety in 2007, blockchain in 2008, e-Health in 2008 and e-Residency.
“As a country which has experienced the abuses of totalitarian government and the first full-scale cyber attack by a hostile state actor on national systems, the Estonians are extremely sensitive to issues of privacy and security. However, they have not let these challenges put them off.”
Robertson argues that Scotland is in a strong position to emulate much of Estonia’s best practice.
He contends: “While devolution limits the power of Scotland’s Government and Parliament to deliver the full range of services that Estonian citizens enjoy, there is still wide scope of areas where it can.
“I strongly support the introduction of ‘Scottish Digital Citizenship’ for everyone who lives in Scotland and uses public services here.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ensuring Scotland has a skilled and productive workforce, both now and in future, is central to our ambitions for our labour market and economy.
“Automation, and wider technological advances, will have an impact on Scotland’s labour market and the demand for skills will change as our businesses adapt.
“It’s crucial Scotland is able to take advantage of these opportunities, which is why the Scottish Government will publish a Future Skills Action Plan later this year.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here