Stephen Thompson, Councillor & Dumfriesshire SNP 2026 Candidate

Graphic styled like the Stranger Things logo, red neon text reading “Strange Things Said by UK Politicians About Scotland” on a dark background with blue smoke.

🧵 Westminster politicians have said some wild stuff over the years about Scotland…

Here are just a few of their real quotes – and a reminder of why Scotland needs the power to choose its own future.

The SNP introduced free tuition and we will always ensure Scottish students do not pay tuition fees.

Meanwhile in England, students pay over £9,500 a year and Labour will put fees up every year.

Education must always be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.

Frozen fish on ice with headline text ‘GUTTED – How Westminster slashed funding to Scotland’s fishing industry.

Scotland’s fishing industry makes up more than half of the UK’s total catch.

Yet Labour’s new funding plan gives us less than 8% of the support.

They’re gutting our industry to boost England’s - just like they have with others.

🎯Last night’s Debate Night audience gets it - Scotland’s future must be Scotland’s choice. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A majority of MSPs supporting independence would be enough for any nation within a properly democratic UK to decide its own future, and that's been the case since 2011 in Scotland, but a majority of SNP MSPs makes our Referendum undeniable.

Scotland must have the right to decide its own future.

Declare your support at yes.scot/signup/

Labour left pensioners in the cold by removing their Winter Fuel Payment.

Your SNP Scottish Government is delivering Pension Age Winter Heating Payments, from November 2025, for every pensioner - 880,000 pensioners across Scotland will receive the payment.

Large bold text reads “These people agree that Scotland’s future is for Scotland’s people to decide.” Below, handwritten-style text asks: “So what changed?” Grey torn-paper design background. SNP imprint along the bottom.

Labour, Tories and Liberal Democrats are all on record stating that Scotland’s future should be Scotland’s choice.

So here’s the question every Scot deserves an answer to - what’s changed?

It's your right to decide - sign the declaration. www.yes.scot/decide

📢 Martha: "As a young person who couldn't vote in the last election, we deserve the right to decide for ourselves how we shape our future and how we build a Scotland going forward."

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

There’s little evidence to suggest the UK Government has the ethic to see it as respecting democracy rather than concession or magnanimity under power and control yet still it must be sought.

Post Office Ltd is the UK Government's state owned postal company which has been on a privatisation journey for years and has stripped rural Scotland of branches. It is not "Post Office Scotland" as some grifters tried to palm-off to Dumfries and Galloway Council a few years ago.

Majority of MSPs supporting independence = formal request for Section 30 Order.

The only thing blocking Scotland's right to choose is the UK Government.

Things have changed since 2014.

@snp.org @dumfriesshiresnp.bsky.social

a graphic which reads “RECORD HIGH NUMBER OF HIP AND KNEE OPERATIONS LAST YEAR” overlayed on a picture of surgeons handling a surgeons lamp. A bumper at the bottom of the image reads: SNP ALWAYS PUTTING SCOTLAND FIRST.

We’re sorting Scotland’s NHS. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💪

Thanks to SNP investment, hip & knee replacements hit a record-high 17,399 last year, with the total number of operations up 7.7% this June vs last.

More patients getting the care they need under the SNP. 👏

Tuition fees in England and Wales rise to £9,535 Maintenance loans have also gone up, meaning students can borrow more to help with living costs.

University tuition fees in England and Wales, as of today: £9,535

Tuition fees in Scotland: £0

That’s the difference the SNP makes. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Report shows increase in undergraduates from most deprived parts of Scotland - Scottish Funding Council New figures show that 16.7% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university were from the 20% most deprived areas in 2023-24.

New figures from SFC show that 16.7% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university were from the 20% most deprived areas in 2023-24, up from 16.3% in 2022-23.

www.sfc.ac.uk?news=report-...

We must have a choice about our future.

In 2011, a majority of SNP MSPs were elected by the people of Scotland, and an independence referendum followed.

A graphic showing a tweet set onto the background of a scottish lake. The tweet reads: “Despite what Labour are claiming, Scottish water is world renowned. 87% of Scotland's entire water environment is assessed by SEPA as having a 'high' or 'good' classification for water quality - up from 82% in 2014. Public ownership is not just possible, it works in Scotland!” The tweet is quote tweeting another tweet, which reads: “My letter to UK Gov Minister Steve Reed asking him to retract his false statements about the condition of water in Scotland. IWC was able to report we’re in a much better position than rUk with 87% “high” or “good” status. Public ownership works.“

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The SNP will always keep Scotland’s water in Scotland’s hands.

The current fiasco in England shows that public ownership works.

Scottish Water delivers a better service, reinvestment not profit, and 20% lower bills than England. 🚰

Hospital At Home: Virtual ward service 'life-changing' for elderly patients The expansion of a 'virtual ward' service across Scotland has saved over £50m and kept around 15,500 people from staying in hospital.

🏥 Hospital at Home is an outstanding service introduced by the SNP Government.

✅ More dignity for patients.
✅ More room in Hospitals.
✅ Lower costs for taxpayers.

Now we’re expanding the service even further ✅
news.stv.tv/west-central...

We have the energy, we can have the power

Western Europeans would support allowing an independent Scotland to join the EU

Denmark: 75% support
Germany: 68%
Spain: 65%
Italy: 64%
France: 63%
Britain: 46%

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Scotland's Just Transition with Miriam Brett from Future Economy Scotland Podcast Episode · Scotonomics · 26/06/2025 · 37m

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

What are the limits of what we can do before we need to change the game?

A young girl reaches up toward a ladder just out of reach. The text reads: "Independent Scotland could end child poverty.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Scottish Parliament’s child poverty measures have seen a “parting of the ways” with England & Wales.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Bevan Foundation is calling for Wales to emulate what Scotland is doing as a powerful and effective way to lift children out of poverty: bit.ly/44MnHTW

SNP Government vows not to cut Adult Disability Payment after UK benefit changes Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish Government "will not let disabled people down or cast them aside".

While Labour cut PIP across the UK, we won’t let disabled people down here in Scotland.

We will not cut Scotland’s Adult Disability Payment - our equivalent of PIP.
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic...

The SNP Constitution

Aims:

(a) Independence for Scotland; that is the restoration of Scottish national sovereignty by restoration of full powers to the Scottish Parliament, so that its authority is limited only by the sovereign power of the people...

(b) the furtherance of all Scottish interests.

Communities and customers in not just in Dumfriesshire but all over Scotland should be able to benefit if we implement a fair National Energy Policy, but are we getting the best deal from energy businesses currently on our nation's land? www.scottishrenewables.com/our-industry...

Cllr Stephen Thompson, Cllr Christian Allard and David Stainthorpe campaigning for Katy Loudon SNP in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election

Dumfriesshire and Aberdeen helping Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse elect Katy Loudon SNP @dumfriesshiresnp.bsky.social @christianallardsnp.bsky.social @katyloudonsnp.bsky.social

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Swinney reignites Scottish independence campaign with 'democratic majority' call.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2514514...

SNP Candidates assembling in Edinburgh to mark the start of the 2026 Holyrood Campaign. One of my very mild super-powers is to be mostly hidden or somehow obscured in group photographs...

Very humbled to be part of the group of SNP Candidates for 2026 and part of a much bigger movement working for Scotland's independent future @snp.org