THERE appears to be growing belief within the independence movement that there is no excuse for not holding a referendum immediately because, despite a lack of evidence, it is self-evident that independence would win handsomely.
It is also taken for granted that there is no case for the Union, with correspondents asking “what are Unionists afraid of?”
The other major theme is that Nicola and the Scottish Government will not call a referendum because they don’t want one and should therefore resign immediately. Numerous correspondents never miss an opportunity to vent their hatred of Nicola at every opportunity and such attitudes appear to be growing. For some people there simply is no case for the Union and they are mystified why anyone votes for Unionist parties.
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It never seems to occur to such people that the Unionist community is comfortable; the Union works for them. The Unionist voter is largely bourgeois, Protestant, and white, and the Union gives them order, stability, prosperity, and above all, privilege. Why would they jeopardise that?
What would the mere fact of independence give them that they don’t already have?
The Unionist, whether bourgeois or working-class, is neither brainwashed nor stupid, but is profoundly socialised by a dominant belief system, buttressed by a comfortable way of life that prevents them from contemplating the sort of profound change that independence will bring with anything other than horror.
The notion of the disruption to their comfortable environment, their normative order, for no apparent benefit, produces what sociology calls “anomie” in the Unionist mentality, an existential fear through which the world loses any real meaning.
Independence is a major threat to the Unionist world and it is the removal of that sense of threat that is crucial to winning Unionist votes. Words will never convince such voters, but events will.
As the only safe form of knowledge is empirical, that which is gained from experience, it is events and the experience of such events that will affect the Unionist vote when they see that the greatest threat to their way of life comes from Westminster and not Holyrood.
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They are truly Thatcher’s children, and vote purely from personal self-interest. Thus, they will only contemplate independence if it serves that self-interest and will only come to support independence from a negative cost/benefit analysis of the Union and its effect on their prosperity, security and privilege.
The farming and fishing communities were well warned not to put their trust in Boris and the Tories but they thought that their loyalty would be recognised and rewarded. Experience is now hitting them hard and is unfortunately the only way that they will ever see reality; they would never be convinced by argument alone. It has to become in the Unionists’ self-interest to vote for independence and they will have to personally experience the impact of Tory treachery and lies first-hand as they are completely self-interested and indifferent to others.
Under the Tories, the Unionist case is self-imploding. Boris and his Tories are so awful that even diehard supporters are having to face the reality of an incompetent half-wit in Downing Street and the spectacle of their beloved Union being held in universal contempt. His persistent lying is now having consequences which, as with Brexit, can only get worse. It is neither fashionable nor popular to call for patience, but that is what the independence movement must exercise. Despite the relentless braying of the Nicola haters, her strategy is the correct one; wait for events. It’s coming yet for aw that.
Peter Kerr
Kilmarnock
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