How I went from Yes-voting student to editor of The National newspaper

IN 2014, I was a bright-eyed journalism student. I had left school at the end of fifth year, feeling unfulfilled by rural Fife life and seeking purpose. I was lucky enough to spend most of my time writing about the Yes and No campaigns, talking to activists and learning about Scotland’s political history. It changed my life forever.

I do not generally write about my personal life, but to provide some context: I’m the child of two English parents, who hail from traditionally Labour north-east England. My great-grandparents were miners. My grandmother bought the Mirror every day. Moving between England and Scotland during my childhood, I did not grow up with a sense of “Scottishness”. Loch Lomond did not play at the end of family weddings. I was more familiar with Geordie than Scots. I did not spend much (if any) time prior to the year of the referendum contemplating what it meant to be Scottish, or considering the Union’s various pros and cons.

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So in 2014 I found myself suddenly thrown in the midst of the most engaging political campaign of my lifetime. Everything I thought I knew about the UK was thrown into question. I knew I detested austerity, food banks, unfairness in any sense – could it really be that the Union I’d barely even take time to register was central to the furthering of these injustices? Alongside my studies, I began a website for young people interested in politics, and an independence-focused zine, and sought to find a place for this big question to be explored.

On the night of the referendum, as the results rolled in, I sat on the steps of my friend’s Glasgow flat. Watching the lights go off in tenement windows as more constituencies declared No, I felt miserable. I said to my friend: I’m not giving up. I’m going to work towards the Scotland we deserve.

You may suspect that this is a made-up anecdote – I will be the first to accept that it has a touch of cheesy Hollywood film about it. But it’s true. Ten years later I am the editor of Scotland’s only pro-independence daily newspaper. It is a privilege that I have been able to keep that promise, and it’s something I’ve been reflecting on a lot as we approach this important anniversary.

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Things have changed a lot since that night. There have, to say the least, been ups and downs for the movement. Right now, it is quite clear that we are in the latter stage. I have worked at The National for six years, and in that time watched the political landscape change shape in front of my very eyes. While support for independence remains around the 50% mark, the prospects of actually securing a referendum (or some other mysterious means of ending the Union) seem distant. But we can use this moment to propel ourselves forward.

As we mark the passing of a decade since a vote that changed Scotland forever, it is crucial to take the time to consider three things. Where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. This is the central thesis of this publication.

I have been lucky to work with some excellent writers, academics and journalists from across the political spectrum in the production of this collection of essays. Readers of The National may not agree with every contributor, but at the very least I hope they will give you pause for thought. I wanted to bring together a range of voices – some more critical than others – to provide a proper and varied reflection on the situation facing the independence movement.

The National founder Richard Walker (Image: NQ) I’d especially like to take a moment to pay tribute to Richard Walker – who has contributed an excellent essay to this collection about how the Sunday Herald came out for Yes (and the eventual founding of The National). Without his work, there would be no National. Scotland would not have a media outlet which reflects the views of around half of its population. I am grateful for his exceptional journalism, and to have worked with him as I began my career. He really is one of Scotland’s finest.

As ever, thank you for your support for The National – and pre-order your copy of 10 Years of a Changed Scotland here.

This essay is from the book 10 Years of a Changed Scotland, published by The National to mark 10 years since the 2014 referendum. Copies are available to pre-order here for just £7 excluding postage.