Proposals for new constitutional rights for an independent Scotland

A written constitution developed by the people in Scotland and their elected Parliament would help a newly independent Scotland take on the challenges of the future, according to First Minister Humza Yousaf.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the latest ‘Building a New Scotland’ prospectus paper detailing the plans, the First Minister said the drafting of a new constitution would enable people in Scotland to shape the new country.

The Scottish Government favours a constitution which would include:

• recognition of the NHS in Scotland, giving the right to access a system of health care, available free at the point of need
• stronger protections for human rights and equality, including upholding and fulfilling the right to an adequate standard of living as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• the right for workers to take industrial action
• a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons being based in Scotland

The fourth paper in the ‘Building a New Scotland’ series will set out more details on the proposals and the evidence that informs them. 

First Minister Humza Yousaf said:

“Our proposals would provide an opportunity for people in Scotland to shape the newly independent country and create a permanent, modern, written constitution to describe the type of country Scotland would be and how it would be governed. Successive UK Governments have taken Scotland in the wrong direction and with independence we would radically shift where power lies and put it back in the hands of the people who live in Scotland.

“The constitution would set out how democracy, rights and equality would be at the heart of everything we do as an independent nation. It will see the introduction of a constitutional right to heath care available at the point of need, a right to an adequate standard of living as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and protection for workers to take industrial action. And, what we will not see under these proposals, are nuclear weapons on the Clyde. This proposed constitution would ban nuclear weapons from an Independent Scotland.

“With rights in Scotland under threat as never before, because of the actions of the UK Government, and the Scottish Parliament being undermined, independence has never been more urgent or essential.” 

Background

Building a New Scotland series  

The previous three papers have set out evidence showing independent countries comparable to Scotland are wealthier and fairer than the UK; how Scottish democracy can be renewed with independence;  and the macroeconomic framework, including currency arrangements, for an independent Scotland.