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John McCallum: Why I chose #ReformUK

Why I Stand for Reform.

I was born in Scotland and during my life I have had to leave to find work. No matter the government, people like me had to take our skills out of the UK and even when we got our own Devolved Government, nothing changed.


I had hoped that once the Devolved Government had some wide-ranging elements of control of the economy and with the powers to issue bonds and raise funds that the Scotland I once knew, the smart, hard working people, like my father and his kin, would have work again back home.

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 9 March 2021. Pictured: Johnn McCallum. Candidate photos and photoshoot for Reform UK Scotland Party for the up and coming Holyrood Scottish Parliamentary Elections in May 2021. Michelle Ballantyne MSP is Leader of the Party. Credit: Colin Fisher

20 years later I return again at the then of my working life to find that Scotland is poorer again and the only growth is division and a rising hatred obvious on Social Media and policy. The blame game, the deflection, the constant answer for all that ails Scotland of “It is not us, they hold the power, we are poor because of them”.

This is not true, our devolved government has failed to use its powers
fully to go in a direction that will grow Scotland’s opportunities. They have gone down the road of dab investment and bad decisions that will cost Scots over a Billion pounds that we do not have and for the next 35 years almost the burden of just one of these failed investments in a smelter in Fort
William will be taken from our taxes.


I had to do something, I cannot stand by and let this happening without voicing some objections, I cannot let our children grow up knowing we allowed our Government to make all these ridiculous investments and promising jobs that never come year on year. How many of us agree that it is not acceptable?


What jobs are there for our young when people on furlough are finally made redundant, this is going
to be a fact, do not lie to yourself, look around at the many closed businesses small, medium and large that are dead or dying now. We are losing John Lewis, Jessops, bars and restaurants, small specific retailers that used to give the young their first jobs and what jobs are left will be fought over by the people on furlough now.

Do we accept this? No was my answer, I must do something. I ask you all to do the same and avoid fanciful promises of a land of milk and honey and come to the reality that Scotland needs to wake up. The bribes offered, same as every election, never actually happen, so we must work with what
we have. We have some great people in Scotland, we have a huge potential of energy and invention in our children but our government has failed them educationally with the attainment gap growing, child poverty growing, parents on poverty line wages and zero hour contracts meaning you cannot get a mortgage.

14 years our government has had to tackle even one of the issues but failed on all. We must push out government to use all the tools it has to improve life for all in Scotland and division is not the answer. Working together, collaboration, cooperation and determination to leave a legacy where our children can say our lives are better because of what we, their parents and
grandparents have done and held our government to account and made it work for us and not for the Party.


This is why I am standing for Reform UK Scotland

John McCallum