By Laurie Moffat Cowdenbeath 2026 Holyrood Candidate for Sovereignty
Published: March 30, 2026
The momentum behind the Alliance to Liberate Scotland (AtLS) has put Sovereignty’s policies under fresh scrutiny. Registered with the Electoral Commission on February 3, 2026, AtLS unites Sovereignty, Independents for Independence and grassroots activists around one clear message: “Independence nothing less, independence nothing else.” The Crowdfunder is live and already raising vital funds for a nationwide campaign ahead of the May 7, 2026 Holyrood election, with coverage spreading across pro-independence outlets. More Scots are asking what we really stand for.
Greater visibility has also drawn commentary—some fair, some misleading. Much of the harshest criticism has come from a prominent Scottish independence blogger whose often divisive writing appears, on close reading, more focused on attacking pro-independence fringe groups than on advancing unity against the British state. Instead of strengthening the movement, this kind of rhetoric fuels smears and distractions that hold us back from the goal we share.
My recent X post was a quick effort to correct the record, highlighting the progressive, centre-left nature of policies like Annual Ground Rent (AGR) and Negative Income Tax (NIT) as part of a broader rebuttal to the “far-right” label that has been wrongly applied to Sovereignty as a party. This article expands on that thread, giving a clear, honest overview of our balanced approach as set out in our democratically approved resolutions.
We refuse to be boxed into the tired left-right divide that has dominated Scottish and British politics for too long. We reject the groupthink of both the dogmatic left and the rigid right. Sovereignty is an honest, pragmatic, problem-solving party dedicated to what actually works for Scotland and its people.
Our policies reflect this balance: socially centre-right protections for dignity, family and individual rights; economically centre-left reforms that reduce inequality, reward effort, support small businesses and fund public services fairly; and transcendent constitutional and practical positions that place Scottish sovereignty, personal liberty and Scotland-first governance above ideological labels. This is not inconsistency—it is common sense shaped by Scotland’s real needs.
Socially Centre-Right: Protecting What Matters Most
We draw on centre-right values of personal responsibility and community protection—always applied with compassionate and empathic care:
- Defend the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, investing in palliative care and suicide prevention while opposing assisted suicide or euthanasia that endangers vulnerable people.
- Protect women’s sex-based rights, including single-sex spaces (refuges, prisons, changing rooms, sports), and ensure women can speak freely on issues that affect them.
- Centre family autonomy and parental rights: support joint tax filing for couples, practical help for crisis pregnancies, and affirm parents as primary decision-makers for their children.
- Oppose gender ideology indoctrination in schools and ensure gender dysphoria is handled professionally and humanely without undermining sex-based protections.
These commitments safeguard dignity and stability without excessive state intrusion.
Economically Centre-Left: Fairness, Opportunity and Real Prosperity
We pursue centre-left reforms that reduce inequality, reward work, support small businesses and give ordinary Scots greater control:
- Explore Annual Ground Rent (AGR) to shift taxation from earned income and business rates onto unearned land values, targeting speculation rather than effort. This could replace council tax and business rates, make housing more affordable, tackle poverty and homelessness, ease pressure on small businesses, and fund the NHS, schools and a new Scottish Central Bank. As a committed Georgist with close ties to the Scottish Land Revenue Group, which directly inspired this resolution, I draw inspiration from land reformers like Andy Wightman—former Scottish Greens MSP and author of the 2010 report A Land Value Tax for Scotland, whose ongoing Who Owns Scotland project continues to expose and address unfair land concentration.
- Explore Negative Income Tax (NIT) to replace the complex benefits system with simple, direct cash top-ups for low earners, tapering smoothly to remove poverty traps, cut bureaucracy and encourage work.
- Establish a Scottish Central Bank and our own currency on day one of independence for real economic sovereignty. Protect jobs in key sectors like oil (while pursuing a balanced, worker-centred energy transition) and oppose punitive green policies—such as ULEZs or blanket ICE bans—that disproportionately burden working families and small businesses.
These measures promote economic justice, simplify systems and direct resources toward public goods, families and thriving local enterprises.
Transcendent/Constitutional & Practical Policies: Putting Scotland First, Beyond Ideology
Many resolutions focus on sovereignty, personal freedoms, justice and Scotland-specific issues that do not fit neatly into left-right categories:
- Assert the legitimacy of a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) if pro-independence parties secure a majority in 2026.
- Pursue armed neutrality for an independent Scotland—staying out of NATO and other military alliances to prioritise peace and Scottish interests.
- Secure full independence from both the UK and EU, while pursuing friendly global trading relationships.
- Protect the right to pay in cash and oppose mandatory digital ID systems that threaten personal privacy.
- Reform indeterminate sentencing by abolishing Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentences and resentencing where appropriate to ensure fair justice.
- Protect Scottish waters and fisheries with dedicated enforcement, long-term priority for Scottish boats, and opposition to Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) that harm coastal communities.
These positions show our commitment to a sovereign, free and fair Scotland—issues that can unite people across the political spectrum.
Escaping Groupthink: Pragmatic Solutions for Scotland
Sovereignty is not captive to any ideological camp. We do not chase extremes or virtue-signalling. Every policy is debated and approved democratically at Annual Congress on the basis of evidence and what works for Scotland—not what fits someone else’s orthodoxy.
This distinctive mix—socially centre-right protections, economically centre-left reforms, and transcendent constitutional and practical stances—sets us apart. We are not “far-right,” “far-left” or anything in between. We are pro-Scottish sovereignty, anti-establishment dogma, and dedicated to solving problems with whatever tools deliver the best outcomes.
A Young Party, Open to Your Voice: Policies as a Work in Progress
Founded in 2020 to mark the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, Sovereignty is still young and evolving. Our policies are works in progress, shaped by members at Annual Congress—the party’s supreme decision-making body. Your ideas matter: if you share our core tenets of independence, liberty, family and national wellbeing, your voice will be heard, respected and valued.
We particularly welcome people with a centre-right social outlook (emphasising responsibility, family autonomy and protection of the vulnerable) and a centre-left economic mindset (focused on fairness, reducing inequality and practical reforms like AGR and NIT). Perspectives such as my own Georgist influences—drawing from the Scottish Land Revenue Group and reformers like Andy Wightman (via his Who Owns Scotland project and broader land reform work)—help enrich our debates and keep policies grounded in Scotland’s real needs.
You do not need to agree with every detail today. Join us, propose motions, contact our Head of Policy or Party Secretary, and help shape the pragmatic, people-first Scotland we all want—in an honest, empathic and compassionate way that puts people before prejudice.
Full membership is open to those 16+ who share most or all of our objectives. It brings real power: voting at Congress, shaping policy, and being part of a family-friendly community of like-minded Scots.
If you are tired of polarised politics that puts ideology before people—or if recent debates have left you looking for a clearer, more honest voice for independence—join the movement. Read the original X post that sparked this here, explore our full approved resolutions at sovereignty.scot/policy, head to sovereignty.scot/join to become a member, or support my campaign in Cowdenbeath.
Together—with honest debate, empathic listening and compassionate action—we can build the independent Scotland our people truly deserve.
Laurie Moffat is Sovereignty’s candidate for Cowdenbeath in the 2026 Holyrood election.
Views expressed align with the party’s democratically approved positions.