Fairness, for 'a that

Hosting the Burns Supper at Gala Rugby Club on Friday was a real privilege, and what struck me most was the warmth in the room. There was great conversation, plenty of laughter, and that easy sense of shared purpose you only get when people who care about their communities come together.

We were there to celebrate Robert Burns, and as always, his words felt incredibly current. Burns wrote about dignity, equality, and the worth of ordinary people. Those ideas are not stuck in the past. They still shape how many of us think about the kind of country Scotland can be.

One line that stayed with me all evening was “a man’s a man for a’ that.” Burns was making a bold point. A person’s value does not come from rank, titles, or wealth, but from their “pith o’ sense” and “pride o’ worth.” Character matters more than status. Decency matters more than display.

Those words carry a personal resonance for many of us too. I was reminded that this song was one of my dad’s favourites, for exactly those reasons. It was played on the pipes at his graveside, a final tribute that spoke not of titles or achievements, but of the simple, enduring worth of a person’s life. That is the quiet power of Burns’ words.

That same message feels just as relevant when we talk about Scotland today. There is a strong belief that equality should not only be a fine sentiment, but something reflected in how decisions are made and how power is used. For me, the case for Scottish independence is about making sure the wellbeing of people comes before the “tinsel show” of distant power structures.

That is why efforts to tackle poverty and support families carry such weight. They are about more than numbers on a page. They are a practical expression of the idea that no one is worth less because of the circumstances they were born into. It is about protecting dignity and making sure opportunity is not reserved for the already comfortable.

Burns also believed deeply in the voice of ordinary people, and that spirit still runs through Scotland’s democratic tradition. The idea that the people are sovereign speaks to trust in our communities and confidence in our nation. It is the belief that Scotland’s future should be shaped by those who live here and care about what happens next.

With music, poetry, and shared stories, the evening felt like more than a celebration of tradition. It was a reminder of the values that continue to guide us. A love of culture, a commitment to fairness, and a quiet confidence that Scotland can choose a future that reflects the best of who we are.