IndRef2
This is going to be a rant.
I'm reading and hearing all sorts of silly stuff about the next independence referendum: the SNP have lost heart (or interest or drive); the SNP is run by a clique, a hierarchy who are letting down their membership; the time to call for a 2nd independence referendum has passed and we've 'missed the bus'.
Let me point a few things out:
Independence doesn't belong to the SNP. There are many other groups (the Scottish Greens, the SSP, Women for Independence, Business for Independence, Labour Members for Independence, English People for Independence, etc) entitled to be considered when setting the date of the next referendum.
In any case, as a friend put it recently, if you don't like the SNP or Nicola Sturgeon, that's no reason to dump the idea of independence. Rejecting independence because you don't like Nicola Sturgeon is like not buying a house because you don't like the curtains. Get the house and you can do what you like with it. Once Scotland has independence, its political set-up will look nothing like it does now. That'll be for us to decide. As a Scottish Green, I most want land reform: there's no real democracy without that. However, I know we can tinker with the issue now but we will have to wait for independence to finally sort out who owns the land and how it's to be used.
You only call a referendum when you know you can win. Yes, the first referendum was 5 years ago and some may think that's a long time ago - but there are people out there who have been working for independence for 60 years and these oldies have a lot to tell the younger supporters about strategy. They are the people who got us this far. If they urge patience (and mostly they do) they're worth listening to.
There's another consideration: just because Westminster has its own problems (and man, doesn't it just?!) doesn't mean it will hand over Scotland to independence. We need to have our position clear.
Strategy is everything. You only call a referendum when you've got certain things in place:
- a Scottish Constitution (tick)
- a plan for the Scottish economy (nearly tick)
- accurate information about the currency (tick)
- our relationship with the EU (tick)
And we need people in the various pro-independence groups who know these documents and have the information at their fingertips. Are you one of them? Are you ready to argue our case with an audience or at the doors when you're out canvassing?
Of course, Westminster can't fire off the blanks they shot at us in the first referendum: we now know people's pensions are safe; there's no queue to join the EU (we meet the requirements and we'll be made welcome); the price of North Sea Oil is not falling - and anyway, independence doesn't depend on oil; England doesn't subsidise Scotland.
Above all, we know we have people here in all political parties and in all walks of life who are capable of running our country.
Despite the relentless attack on the Scottish Government by the press and the BBC, just remember:
- education is NOT failing (we have a highly educated population and a cadre of academics who work closely on research with colleagues all over the EU).
- the NHS is not failing (it's doing better than the NHS elsewhere in the UK).
- public services are not failing (yes, they are short of funds but that has to do with austerity, a Westminster policy).
- public order is good: crime has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years. We have a serious historic drug problem that is made worse by policy being retained by Westminster.
But we do need to think what reasons Westminster will give us for not going for independence.
Here are a few - and this is just my own opinion:
- The border with the UK: people don't want a hard border between Scotland and England or Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answer: there doesn't have to be. Let's talk.
- Scottish exports: a lot of these go out via English ports.
Answer: they won't in future: they'll go out via Rosyth, Leith and Aberdeen. We'll get help with that from the EU open market. In any case, don't imports/exports work in both directions? Let's talk.
- Scotland can't survive on its own. This is the lowest argument of all.
Answer: We won't be on our own. Besides, other smaller countries manage fine - why not Scotland?
I'm reading and hearing all sorts of silly stuff about the next independence referendum: the SNP have lost heart (or interest or drive); the SNP is run by a clique, a hierarchy who are letting down their membership; the time to call for a 2nd independence referendum has passed and we've 'missed the bus'.
Let me point a few things out:
Independence doesn't belong to the SNP. There are many other groups (the Scottish Greens, the SSP, Women for Independence, Business for Independence, Labour Members for Independence, English People for Independence, etc) entitled to be considered when setting the date of the next referendum.
In any case, as a friend put it recently, if you don't like the SNP or Nicola Sturgeon, that's no reason to dump the idea of independence. Rejecting independence because you don't like Nicola Sturgeon is like not buying a house because you don't like the curtains. Get the house and you can do what you like with it. Once Scotland has independence, its political set-up will look nothing like it does now. That'll be for us to decide. As a Scottish Green, I most want land reform: there's no real democracy without that. However, I know we can tinker with the issue now but we will have to wait for independence to finally sort out who owns the land and how it's to be used.
You only call a referendum when you know you can win. Yes, the first referendum was 5 years ago and some may think that's a long time ago - but there are people out there who have been working for independence for 60 years and these oldies have a lot to tell the younger supporters about strategy. They are the people who got us this far. If they urge patience (and mostly they do) they're worth listening to.
There's another consideration: just because Westminster has its own problems (and man, doesn't it just?!) doesn't mean it will hand over Scotland to independence. We need to have our position clear.
Strategy is everything. You only call a referendum when you've got certain things in place:
- a Scottish Constitution (tick)
- a plan for the Scottish economy (nearly tick)
- accurate information about the currency (tick)
- our relationship with the EU (tick)
And we need people in the various pro-independence groups who know these documents and have the information at their fingertips. Are you one of them? Are you ready to argue our case with an audience or at the doors when you're out canvassing?
Of course, Westminster can't fire off the blanks they shot at us in the first referendum: we now know people's pensions are safe; there's no queue to join the EU (we meet the requirements and we'll be made welcome); the price of North Sea Oil is not falling - and anyway, independence doesn't depend on oil; England doesn't subsidise Scotland.
Above all, we know we have people here in all political parties and in all walks of life who are capable of running our country.
Despite the relentless attack on the Scottish Government by the press and the BBC, just remember:
- education is NOT failing (we have a highly educated population and a cadre of academics who work closely on research with colleagues all over the EU).
- the NHS is not failing (it's doing better than the NHS elsewhere in the UK).
- public services are not failing (yes, they are short of funds but that has to do with austerity, a Westminster policy).
- public order is good: crime has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years. We have a serious historic drug problem that is made worse by policy being retained by Westminster.
But we do need to think what reasons Westminster will give us for not going for independence.
Here are a few - and this is just my own opinion:
- The border with the UK: people don't want a hard border between Scotland and England or Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answer: there doesn't have to be. Let's talk.
- Scottish exports: a lot of these go out via English ports.
Answer: they won't in future: they'll go out via Rosyth, Leith and Aberdeen. We'll get help with that from the EU open market. In any case, don't imports/exports work in both directions? Let's talk.
- Scotland can't survive on its own. This is the lowest argument of all.
Answer: We won't be on our own. Besides, other smaller countries manage fine - why not Scotland?
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