THE General Election results were disastrous for all supporters of independence.

I take my own result on the chin but look back on my time in office knowing that I tried my best. This is evidenced by my performance in Parliament, my record of delivering for constituents and the clear position I took on matters of national and UK-wide significance.

While I accepted my defeat in good grace and congratulated Labour’s Melanie Ward MP on her victory, this was not in evidence elsewhere. Taking to social media one candidate quickly lapsed into the usual boring queer theory extremist narrative that the result was a rejection of transphobia.

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In addition to this, they chose to claim my concerns about the indisputable emergence of vaccine related injury was the stuff of “anti-vax” conspiracy theory. It is excruciating to witness someone reveal their complete ignorance of empirical evidence and the governance of clinical science, especially when they believe in the magical thinking of queer theory. For me, this is just another example of post-truth politics which is corroding the public discourse.

The post-truth movement is characterised by the diminishing role of facts and objective reality in shaping public opinion. It gained significant traction during Donald Trump’s presidency. His frequent use of misinformation and false statements challenged traditional norms of political communication.

His claims about the 2020 election being “stolen,” despite lack of evidence, exemplify this era’s tendency to prioritise emotional appeal and personal belief over verifiable facts. Social media platforms have further amplified this phenomenon, enabling the rapid spread of false information.

The post-truth movement has thus profoundly impacted political discourse and public trust in institutions, with ongoing implications for democracy.

This is the antithesis of what attracted me to politics in the first place – the facility to tell the truth, to challenge those in power with facts, to expose misdeeds and cover-ups and deliver a new type of politics to Scotland. That was the general tenor of the Yes movement in 2014.

Collectively, we stripped down the dishonest claims of Better Together, exposed the injustice that had been visited on the people of Scotland for decades and shaped a broad vision of the possibilities a better country could bring.

In the intervening years that anchor point has been dragged so far out to sea that it has left many reeling and walking away from a cause we invested so much energy into. Whatever the results for Alba, we are not going away and the reason is as simple as this.

At present there is no other political party that reflects the ambitions of 2014. I refuse to only pretend to be working towards independence, and I won’t submit to any ideological drive against the rights and protections of women, children and LGB people.

Any perceived personal cost to me is frankly irrelevant. Telling the truth is significantly more important to me than compromising my sense of integrity for personal gain. As the saying goes, I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees, and in any case a lie always catches up with you.

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David Davis MP led an adjournment debate last week demonstrating exactly this point. The names he provided in the content of his speech raise serious concerns about the veracity of Nicola Sturgeon’s account thus far on the alleged conspiracy to send Alex Salmond to jail.

I spoke to several journalists during the campaign who acknowledged that the identity of the Salmond accusers is common knowledge but they are prevented from reporting on it and indeed on other connected matters because of instruments of Scots law.

Given the mess politics is in globally, I had hoped a dose of truth would be welcomed by a movement that once prioritised facts. I hope we can collectively once again put that at the centre of our ambitions for Scotland but as David Davis set out so clearly there are multiple serious issues that must be addressed in the interests of justice.

Firstly, Holyrood parliamentary committees must have adequate power to hold any Scottish Government to account. The role of Lord Advocate can’t be both the public prosecutor and the Government’s legal adviser. This has been identified by Mr Davis previously, argued by Joanna Cherry KC in her Private Member’s Bill and highlighted by former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill. Yet, despite all this, no legislative action has emerged from Holyrood.

No party, even one which you support, should be in a position to exert influence over the rule of law in Parliament, through the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the courts, the police or the media. Facilitating such action denies the separation of powers central to the foundations of democratic governance.

Those of us determined to address these important matters can’t be classed as “fighting among ourselves” when we disagree with other independence supporters, because this is about the pursuit of justice. It has nothing to do with the Union or independence beyond upholding the rule of law.

As I said above, during the 2014 campaign we collectively sought a better way of doing politics with the hope of building a better society. If it were you who was being wrongfully imprisoned for the rest of your life on what you knew to be a tissue of lies would you not seek justice? I would be the first to agree with you that any attempt to do so would be utterly evil. Seeking justice is manifestly not an act of revenge.

If the independence movement is unwilling to face hard truths and hold ourselves to the same we demand from others, what credibility do we have challenging their misdeeds?

The election outcome was tough for everyone given the great promise and hope we all held after the 2015 result. I am disappointed for the movement and sad for the lost opportunities, yet my overwhelming feeling was a sense of relief that my time in Westminster had come to a close.

This much we have learned – nothing can be achieved in a distant London Parliament for Scottish independence no matter how many MPs we send, or how good our arguments are. How we approach the 2026 election must now be the focus.

It won’t be enough to elect one party, even with a majority of seats. It is imperative we unite the movement on a campaign for independence with candidates from all parties and none. If we fail to do this, then the uncomfortable truth is the cause will be dead in the water for at least another decade.