Building a New Scotland is a series of papers published by the Scottish Government that seeks to lay out a prospectus for Scottish independence. The Scottish Government has proposed holding an independence referendum on 19 October 2023.
History
On 7 September 2021, Nicola Sturgeon stated that she would resume the case for independence and restart work on a prospects for independence.
On 13 June 2022, Nicola Sturgeon published the first independence paper.
On 14 July 2022, Nicola Sturgeon published the second independence paper.
Reaction
On 15 June 2022, Alyn Smith an SNP politician welcomed the release of the first independence paper as a breath of fresh air and stated that the paper proves that the UK does not work for Scotland.
On 16 June 2022, Douglas Ross the leader of the Scottish conservatives stated that Nicola Sturgeon had her priorities wrong and should concentrate on recovery instead of independence.
Series titles
Series breakdown
Modern World: Wealthier, Happier, Fairer: Why Not Scotland? The first paper in the series examines other countries in Europe of similar size to Scotland and compares economic and social indicators with the United Kingdom.
Renewing Democracy Through Independence
The second paper sets out the current context of Scotland within the United Kingdom, and why independence would allow for democratic renewal.
A stronger economy with independence
The third paper set out the economic case for independence, where the focus would be on building a inclusive, fair and wellbeing economy. The document set up a path for a new currency, re-joining the European Union and using remaining oil reserves to build a wealth fund.
Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland
The fourth paper in the Building a new Scotland series sets out how people in Scotland can create a new independent country and how independence could transform where political power and decision is made in Scotland, by replacing Westminster sovereignty with the sovereignty of Scottish people resident in Scotland. It highlights how a written constitution could implement rights and equality, by proposing to secure the right to strike and giving constitutional recognition to NHS Scotland. Additionally, it demonstrates how a permanent written constitution could be developed by the Scottish electorate and the Scottish Parliament.
Citizenship in an independent Scotland
Paper five of the series sets out the vision of the Scottish Government to adopt an inclusive model of Scottish citizenship following independence for the population, regardless of if they were born in Scotland or define themselves as primarily or exclusively Scottish, and identifies who would become a Scottish citizen at the point of independence, and who could become a Scottish citizen through a process of citizenship application.