Thrive

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.

We need optimism. And contagious stories of inspiration. Told out loud. In the open. Repeatedly. So, folk can engage emotionally, dare to dream of better – and go get it. Scotland is a social democracy stuck in a Conservative state that’s preoccupied with its own lost imperial status. And stuck, Scotland cannae thrive.

Let’s cast aside preconceptions. Whichever way you voted in 2014 – if you did – the world, Europe, the UK, Ireland and our Nordic neighbours have all changed. Scots need the freedom to change too – the freedom to flourish.

Author Biography

LESLEY RIDDOCH is an award-winning broadcaster, writer, journalist, independence campaigner, podcaster and land reform activist. She writes weekly columns for The National and is a contributor to The Guardian, BBC Question Time, Scotland Tonight and Any Questions.

She is founder and Director of Nordic Horizons, a policy group that brings Nordic experts to the Scottish Parliament and produces a popular weekly podcast. Lesley has presented You and Yours on BBC Radio 4, The Midnight Hour on BBC2 and The People’s Parliament and Powerhouse on Channel 4, and has been a columnist for the Herald and Scotsman newspapers. She founded the Scottish feminist magazine Harpies and Quines, won two Sony awards for her daily Radio Scotland show and edited The Scotswoman – a 1995 edition of The Scotsman

written by its female staff. She was a trustee of the Isle of Eigg Trust that pioneered the successful community buyout in 1997. She has presented and co-produced films about the Faroes, Iceland, Estonia and Norway. Lesley was awarded a PhD, the Fletcher of Saltoun Award for her contribution to Scotland’s civic life and Independence Campaigner of the Year award in 2020. She lives near the sea in north Fife.