Post referendum thoughts- Where do we go from here?

This is a piece I never ever wanted to write, and one I thought I would never need to write. I was confident, in my heart of hearts, that if the Scottish people were ever fortunate enough to be asked the question of self-determination that we would always say Yes; I was wrong.

Since the exhausting but memorable day of Thursday 18^th September 2014 (in-between one or maybe even two light alcoholic beverages) my mind’s been pondering on so many questions: Where did it go wrong? Where do we go from here? How bad is this for Scotland? Will we ever get a chance of this again? Do I have it in me to fight for another chance, never mind fight a referendum campaign again? I’ve went back and forth, coming to what I thought was a conclusion before returning to square one again, but I’m going to try piece together my thoughts in a coherent way here…

1-      Where did it go wrong? – After analysing really the entirety of the last 2 years of my life in this campaign, I’ve came to the conclusion that really, we couldn’t have done much more than we did. We came up against the might of the British Establishment; we took on the media, the civil service, the UK government, big business, and the security services. Armed only with the biggest and most vibrant group of everyday people we could muster, a few clipboards and the like and a message of hope and transformation, we took the UK and its ruling elite to the brink of extinction. We lost because of two reasons; i- The elite and the privileged came out to protect their privileges. The second was the pensioners of Scotland were frightened to death, by a dishonest and ruthlessly fearful No campaign. I was manning several polling stations on the day in the East End of Glasgow and no campaigners were urging elderly voters to “go in and protect your pension”. I wouldn’t do anything different over the past 2 years. I wouldn’t suggest anything that the groups I was involved in working with could have done differently. We were unlucky, defeated on the night but withholding a lasting legacy.

2-      Where do we go from here? – It’s this which has really dragged me from conclusion to conclusion over the past 2 days. It’s clear that a strategy is needed to move forward, but we’re all at the moment at odds and ends as to what that strategy must be. I’ll split this into three sections. Firstly, the 2015 elections to Westminster, then the 2016 elections in Holyrood and council elections of 2017, followed lastly by the future of the left.

When I say we, I mean the Yes movement. That’s what it is now, a movement. We began as a campaign and ended as a movement. We need to keep that movement together. The potential for a coalition of SNP, SSP, Greens, RIC and Woman for Indy to take several seats at Westminster as a “Scotland alliance” is clear. We polled 1.6 million across Scotland on Thursday night, the partners in crime of the No campaign will go their separate ways in May next year. They will be scrapping over the same votes. We can utilise and harvest every vote, in constituency areas that we won in the referendum we have the potential to oust some key Labour figures. We can offer the people that their vote will matter in 2015. They don’t just have the choice of two right wing parties, they can vote for an alliance which will have the potential to: table motions on Trident renewal, an end to the Bedroom Tax, an end to the Welfare cap, increased social housing development. Real changes which will affect lives not just in Scotland, but in the UK as a whole. I want to make this clear- that is what I see as the only and best way forward for us as movement in the elections of next year. I have no problems about damaging the Labour parties’ chance of a majority Government. They chose this route, they chose to defend Westminster and its horrific voting system. The days of sitting at the back of the bus, shutting up and voting Labour are over.

Now, onto the 2016 Scottish elections and 2017 council elections… What we have in both of these elections, is a far better voting system in both the AMS, and STV. The obvious answer to local elections is that the parties ask their voters to only give preferences to the pro Independence parties. In cities like Glasgow in particular, if that’s replicated across the board, coupled with many Labour voters who could never ever give a preference to any of the partners of their coalition, we could potentially gain overall control of Glasgow City Council.  At the very least we could build a far bigger local government base for all 3 pro Independence parties right across Scotland. In terms of 2016, the key is to get as many pro Independence MSPS in the chamber as is possible. There is the potential there for parties to work constructively with each other across areas where the anti- Independence parties are on a shoogly nail, and where support for Independence peaked in the referendum. Pragmatism and cooperation is key going forward

The left can be very proud of our efforts in this campaign. We dragged the mainstream debate, at times kicking and screaming it must be said, to the left. We brought ideas of renationalisation, wealth redistribution, opposition to nuclear weapons, greater local democracy, a green revolution to the forefront. The big question now is what next for us as Socialist movement. As a member of the Scottish Socialist Party, I’ve been both overjoyed and extremely proud of our recent explosion of membership. We have now recruited 2000 new members across Scotland since end of polls Thursday night. However, I was also a campaigner and organiser within the Radical Independence Campaign, I met and campaigned alongside comrades who are and wish to remain out with the party political system. I want to keep campaigning alongside those activists now and into the future. The best way in which I see forward for the socialist movement as a whole is a Socialist alliance. One which allows us to keep our separate identities as the ISG, SSP, non-aligned or whatever you wish to be, but one which allows us to conduct selection processes and elections in a way which allows for the growth of the movement as a whole, not personalities or egos.  An alliance which can, and if we work hard enough will, tap into the Socialist voice of Scotland to the full.

3-      Will we ever get this chance again? – It was my belief right through this campaign, and it remains my belief now, that we will never get the opportunity of Independence again. At the moment, I have no desire to participate in another referendum campaign. I accept the wishes of the Scottish people, they voted to remain part of the UK on Thursday. I feel we all need to accept that and move on and work with what we have. I believe now however, as I have all my life, and will continue to believe all my life, that Scotland should be an Independent country. Should the circumstances of the UK we chose to remain a part of change, such as the removal of the UK from Europe against the wishes of the Scottish people, I may be convinced that then is the right time to revisit the question of Independence, The only way I will accept our Independence however is through the sovereign will of the Scottish people via referendum.

The last two years have been the best few years of my life. I witnessed my community and my friends become engaged in politics, and have no wish to watch that fade away again. My desire to help those forced to go to a foodbank, sanctioned, or had disability rights taken away from them are as strong now as they were 2 years ago. I am as committed to a socialist Scotland now as I was two years ago. I am as resolute in my belief in the advantages and benefits of an Independent Scotland to the majority of the population now as I was two years ago. Those are my thoughts on the direct future ahead. The goal remains the same, but we've got to outmaneuver the defence in a different way.  Be proud of your efforts, be proud of all you worked for. It was not in vain, we have changed Scotland beyond belief. One day, Scotland will reap the rewards.