IT is a shame that the independence movement in Scotland has got itself in a bit of a mess over Europe and even independence itself.
Just because you do not like the EU, does NOT mean you are anti-European. The EU is not Europe and Europe is not the EU. However, it should give the most ardent EU supporters pause for thought to see Mariano Rajoy moving troops and police into Catalonia in order to stop a vote, not even to stop independence, just to stop the right to vote.
Is this the democracy Scotland has been fighting for? And more importantly, is it the democracy we want?
The slogan 'independence in Europe' used to mean something a lot less sinister than it does now. What does the EU have to say about Spain's actions in Catalonia? Nothing. Also, who was one of our most scathing opponents at indyref 1? Mariano Rajoy.. I think we have to be clear on a number of things going forward.
Firstly, as far as I can see, it is not up to Nicola Sturgeon if we hold another referendum or when. It is the mandate of the Scottish Parliament to do so.
Secondly, do not forget that we are in a mess over Brexit due to voting No in 2014. We wrote 'MUG' on our foreheads and told Britain to just keep kicking us, and they have and will, with the added spice that we also have to be punished for daring to come so close to upending them. If we had voted Yes, Brexit would have been immaterial.
We also have to frankly admit how disastrous the No vote was in 2014, economically but more so democratically, and we have to stop apologising for fighting for independence. We should not just be proclaiming the SNP as a good party of government, which they are, but also shouting loud and clear about the budget choices forced on us by trying to make amends for Britain's austerity policies. The next time someone criticises the SNP for not enacting something, we need to tell them exactly why that is, that we are spending money we can ill-afford to make good the bedroom tax, the tax credit rape clause, pensions problems and so on.
Can I stress that we should not hate No voters and we should always argue the case for independence with good humour. However good an argument we have, if we are bludgeoning people with it, they are hardly likely to vote Yes. But a mistake we are making now is to try and win over certain No-voting groups we think we can turn, such as EU voters, who voted by 57% to stay in the UK.
Worse, some are trying to exclude groups like other-Brits from the vote at all, on the grounds that they will vote No again (presumably EU voters make the cut as they are 'for turning'). We are also getting tangled up in whether Remainers would be more likely to vote Yes or No to Scottish independence.
The point is we will never have a cast-iron guarantee of a Yes vote in indyref 2, and I think that is what Nicola Sturgeon is trying to get before calling a vote. In doing that, she is at risk of betraying the primary thing the SNP stands for, independence.
Ruth & Co are proud unionists, but we are defensive about independence. It would be disastrous again if we lost indyref 2, but it would be even more disastrous if we were so scared of losing that we never hold another referendum at all. We have a majority NOW in the Scottish Parliament, but there is no guarantee it will continue into the next Parliament, so the chance may evaporate if we do not take it soon. Future generations would hate us not if we lost, but if we lost our chance at independence by being scared of losing.
We need to simplify our approach to indyref 2. It is not about being £500 a year worse off or better off, it is not even about being in the EU or not. Brexit, austerity, Trident and everything else foisted on us are all the direct result of voting No in 2014, and we need to point this out, not to scapegoat anyone but to make people see the main point of independence, which was always democratic rather than economic. We should also take Ruth on when she accuses us of being divisive. Of course we are, but so are they, we can't be anything else when it is a yes or no question.
And lastly, good luck to Catalonia on Sunday, for a peaceful vote and a Yes vote.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel