Today marks the 12th anniversary of the first post on Newsnet. Over 10,000 articles have been published by succeeding teams of editors and contributors. I thank them all for the considerable time and dedication they gave to keep Newsnet going.
The articles published have promoted independence and the capacity of Scotland to thrive with independence when we have full direct control over all the taxes raised from Scotland and absolute control over how they are spent to the benefit of the people of Scotland. We do not need Westminster to decide how our money is spent, supposedly on our behalf, when we would make decisions that are appropriate to the requirements of the Scottish economy and Scotland’s place in the world.
To mark this anniversary we have given the Newsnet masthead a makeover and over the coming days we will have extra coverage of Scottish and international issues for our readers and will go on to produce more articles as we move closer to finally being able to have a 2nd referendum with a very different background to that of 2014 and the outcome of the 2016 EU referendum when England, and narrowly Wales, chose to leave the EU.
Every day, and for many months to come, the reality of the impact of leaving the EU is making trade with our European friends ever more difficult. Brexit has damaged Scotland’s high value exports and added to international supply chain issues because Brexit involves a mountain of paperwork for EU suppliers and our own exporters.
Making our own decisions as a sovereign nation is Scotland’s logical choice as is rejoining the EU. We have seen how Ireland’s trade as a member state and, Northern Ireland’s as member of the single market and customs union has benefited both parts of Ireland.
As an ancient nation incorporated within a union that no longer meets our present or future needs or aligns with Scotland’s core values our choice to leave is a matter of right in international law.
I took over as editor three and a half years ago, although I had been a contributor for much longer. I sense a movement gaining momentum in the months to come as preparations for the detailed case for independence is prepared to place before the people of Scotland.
Newsnet will be covering the journey ahead as we step up coverage of political, economic and social issues. Only we the people of Scotland can decide what our future should be in the years and decades ahead.
Russell Bruce, Editor
