Thrive : the freedom to flourish

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.