My Christmas gift idea is a truth-telling political movement

Even those gaudy inflatable Santas on people’s lawns look slightly more deflated than they should be. It’s not just the usual seasonal stress – the shopping, the awkward office parties or the impending anxiety of new year resolutions. No, the general air feels heavier, like a collective sigh that has lasted for months if not years.

If there were such a thing as a national check-up, I’d suggest we’re overdue for a serious diagnosis. And this isn’t just Scotland’s problem. The condition runs deeper and it’s systemic.

But here in Scotland, where independence is the obvious alternative to the current malaise, I think we’re stuck in something of a holding pattern: frustration without resolution. Yes, independence is polling well – but what does that really mean?

The latest polls put support for independence at 54%. Good news for the Yes movement, on paper. But I can’t shake the feeling that those numbers don’t reflect bubbling enthusiasm for the project of self-determination so much as sheer exasperation with the way things are.

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Five months ago, voters across the UK placed their hopes in a Labour Government. Keir Starmer's party promised change, pledged to undo the damage left by 14 years of Conservative rule. But people don’t feel the gears turning, the momentum shifting toward something better. Instead, there’s a lingering sense of apathy and frustration. The two-child benefits cap is still here. The Winter Fuel Payment has been cut.

Were Labour voted in out of sheer enthusiasm for its vision? Most likely not. It was simply the less bad alternative to a Conservative Party mired in scandal and inertia.

If Labour’s promises of change don’t deliver, and people don’t see a meaningful shift in their circumstances, where do they turn next? For Scotland, the answer can be independence.

But let’s be clear: the rise in Yes polling doesn’t necessarily signal a wave of enthusiasm for independence either. It feels more like a rejection of the central government’s inability to fix what’s broken, coupled with a yearning for a credible alternative.

So, is it just that we all happen to have a tiny bit of depression – or is the UK’s economic model at the root of so much of this feeling?

Let’s call it what it is: extractive. The British economy does not reward work, or effort, or creativity. It rewards the ownership of assets, capital, and rent-seeking behaviours. For years now, wages have stagnated, yet costs have skyrocketed.

Housing is treated like a speculative asset rather than a human right. Public services are eroded, and inequality is baked in as a feature, not a dysfunction.

But this isn’t just about abstract economic theories; it’s about lived experience. Take housing. Politicians often say the solution to the housing crisis is simple: just build more houses. But this misses the point entirely. In an extractive economy like the UK’s, building more houses alone doesn’t solve the crisis.

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The system ensures that housing remains a commodity, a tool for extracting wealth rather than a secure foundation for living.

Without addressing the extractive nature of the economy, any additional housing supply risks being swallowed up by the same cycle of speculation and profiteering.

Consider public services. Even when budgets increase, the benefits often don’t reach the people who need them most. Why? Because the extractive economy prioritises outsourcing and profit-driven models over direct investment. It’s the same with wages: the gap between the richest and the rest grows wider, as stagnant pay and insecure work become the norm.

These aren’t accidents; they’re features of a system designed to funnel wealth upwards. The poorest in Britain today are significantly worse off compared to their counterparts in more equal nations like Germany, Denmark, France, and Belgium. This is simply unacceptable. Here’s the source of much of my frustration. There is no shortage of analysis detailing exactly how extractive capitalism works and why it’s failing people. Economists, writers, and activists have laid it out.

Yet how often do we hear politicians explain this in plain terms? How often do they connect the dots between people’s struggles – rising rents, food bank use, stagnant wages – and the structural failures of the economy? How often do they present independence not just as a way to escape the United Kingdom in its current form but as a means to rebuild the system in a completely different way?

It's not enough to say that Westminster is bad. Personally, that argument doesn’t do much for me. The challenge is to articulate why the situation is so bad – and, more importantly, how independence can be the foundation for a fairer, more sustainable model.

This means confronting the realities of neoliberalism head-on and making the case for radical structural reform.

Because this isn’t just about Scotland. People are tired – tired of politicians talking in circles, giving them nothing new. Too often, it feels like they’re merely describing the weather outside: “Oh, people are struggling, it’s tough out there.”

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Yes, we know. What we’re waiting for is a proper diagnosis. When we know your diagnosis, we know what you’re intending to fix. Without that clarity, it’s just noise.

And that noise is exactly why so many are switching off. We need more from our politicians in Scotland – much more. We need them to talk about emancipation. Emancipation from this broken economic system.

Independence must be about giving people real alternatives – a fairer economy, a stronger safety net, a country that works for everyone, not just those at the top. It’s not enough to say Scotland can do better than Westminster. Politicians need to prove it with specific, actionable ideas.

Look at what’s happening in France. French leftist politicians, from the centre-left to the radical left, are saying the words.

They are giving people a clear diagnosis: explaining the systemic failures, showing how to regulate, legislate, and repair. They are pointing to a path forward. They may not have won a parliamentary majority in the last elections, but they emerged as the largest force.

Why? Because they offered concrete solutions and treated voters as capable of understanding complex problems.

This isn’t just about policy; it’s about trust. When you name the problem and offer a credible plan, people listen.

Scotland’s pro-independence movement can learn from this. Independence needs to be framed as an act of emancipation – from the entrenched inequalities of the UK economy, from decades of stagnation, and from the hopelessness that comes with it.

This is about giving people the tools to build a life with dignity, security, and opportunity. More than walking away from Westminster; it’s about walking toward something better.

Independence needs to be a bold vision, not just an escape hatch.

I’m not asking for a Christmas miracle (or am I?). I’m asking for clarity, honesty, and courage.

If pro-independence politicians want to cement their case, they have to go beyond slogans and platitudes. They have to explain, in clear, unapologetic terms, why the current system is failing and how Scotland can build something better.

So, as the polls tick up and the festive season rolls on, all I want for Christmas is this: a political movement that dares to tell people the truth.

The system is broken. It’s not your imagination. It’s not just bad luck. It’s not a blip that will magically fix itself.

And independence isn’t just a way out – it’s a way forward.