Post referendum Scotland is
becoming ever less predictable by the day. A soulless and directionless party
losing their leader last week the latest in a series of staggering and headline
grabbing events signifying that far from a No vote settling the constitutional issue
of Scotland and the UK, it’s led to an unprecedented and seemingly un-controllable
shift in Scottish politics. The leading faces of the Tory funded BetterTogether
campaign are suffering a self-created meltdown, all in front of the media and
public (we did warn them), the 3 independence parties in contrast have saw unparalleled
recruitment as the next stage of Scotlands home rule journey begins. Note that it’s
a journey, friends, not a short trip…
We did ultimately lose the
referendum, and despite the increase in membership and desire to keep the
campaign together and working cooperatively, we have to examine and think
strategically about how best to do it. The first initial and obvious way to do
so is through a Yes alliance in the upcoming 2015 Westminster elections. I am
delighted to report that my party, the SSP, voted for such an alliance at our
annual party conference on Saturday past. However I accept that ultimately the
decision rests with SNP members due to the parties’ size, financial ability and
the voting system of FPTP. This alliance, must in my opinion, not simply be a
re-run of the Referendum, but a Devo-Max alliance. 3 parties temporarily
putting aside our desire for Independence to respect the wishes of the Scottish
people and to ensure that Westminster delivers on its pre Referendum promises of devolution max. To claim that a majority of pro-independence MPs equals a
mandate for Independence is pure fantasy and ignores the best feature of the
Yes movement; the empowerment and politicisation of local people across the
country. Likewise, the argument that 2016 elections to Holyrood are the “independence
elections” is again pure fantasy.
However, intertwined with such an
alliance MUST be our role in the anti-austerity movement. A poll for You-Gov
tonight puts UKIP at a staggering 17% while the Tories and Labour remain in a
dead heat at 33% each. The possibility of a Tory-Ukip coalition is now not
merely campaign soundbite, but ever approaching reality. The best scenario we
can hope for is a Labour government, which is also committed in its entirety to
the austerity agenda and would ultimately see the same amount of cuts as a Tory
government in Westminster. What we as an Independence movement have to do is to
reorganise in the background, ensuring our newly found relationships remain relatively
solid at a local level, realising our mistakes, and to be prepared for when the
next referendum occurs, which is now I believe a formality. While doing this
however we MUST be out in full force against the austerity politics of
Westminster and highlighting and helping the plight of those affected. The
people behind the statistical information are our main concern.
What we have approaching is going
to be a brutally tough few years for the working class population of Scotland,
and the lower middle classes who will continue to see their incomes squeezed on
account of tax breaks and economic policy designed to benefit the few. People’s
lives will be affected, potentially ruined, by the impacts of these rounds of
cuts. What we as a movement, wider than the 3 parties although absolutely encompassing
them in the process has to do is to ensure that we are the first point of
protocol for those affected. We need to be in this for the long haul and not
just for political posturing, but for our belief in the common good and a
common resolve to help our
community and friends.
Take the next step in the home
rule journey, don’t jump ahead of the population and kill Independence stone
dead and allow the momentum to evaporate. And never let the values and
aspirations which dominated the Yes movement be forgotten about or put onto the
back burner. As it is our commitment and resolve to fulfil these values, and
our commitment to match the now vastly increased ambitions and expectations of the wider
population that will see an Independent Scotland, still within our lifetime.
