Fed up but only with politics

I'm kind of fed up with politics right now. Not with independence. I'll never be fed up with that. That's a lifetime commitment.

But I am definitely fed up with the divisions among pro-independence people. Honestly, anybody would think things were going badly, whereas those of us who watch the online news as well as the newspapers and the telly news are aware that things are in fact going quite well independence-wise.

Some London papers (Guardian, Independent, Times) are coming round to the idea that Scottish independence might just be something for people in Scotland to decide on. That the union is finished. That, in fact, the Scots don't hate the English. That we just want to go down a different road from England.

I call this 'normalisation': we've seen this happen many times before. Your idea starts off as being outrageous but gradually when people get time to think it through, it becomes acceptable. I'm thinking seat belts in cars; comprehensive education; setting up schools where learning is through Gaelic...

Let's be honest, it's unlikely the unionist media - and that includes the pollsters - are going to start doing a wee jig to celebrate independence. But when even the polls - capitalist-run and usually pro-Tory - say independence is in the lead, why have we all got such long faces?

The lead for independence should be greater, according to one ex-Scottish government minister, although I notice he doesn't say how we can make it bigger.

The impetus towards independence has been lost. What impetus was that then? And when did we lose it? I see these marches through towns that have never seen a march, I admire the band that leads the marchers off and the bikers that follow them and I am amazed, because I never thought I'd live to see Scots of all ages take to the streets - and certainly not march with panache, cheery smiles and optimism.

Nicola Sturgeon is finished, say others, and should step down and let 'someone else' see us through to independence. I'm not SNP. In fact, I have serious doubts about the SNP (I keep wondering about the 'Tartan Tory' reputation they used to have) but I look around and wonder what has Nicola Sturgeon done wrong and who on earth is there that could take over if she ever did chuck it? I'm prepared to wait for independence to argue that out.

Almost worse than any of this, it seems we have started turning on each other and on anyone who offers support.

On Saturday it was the turn of the Rev who heads up Wings Over Scotland. I'll be honest: I don't like the sound of the Rev. For one thing, he's anti-Gaelic. But if he has ideas for stopping unionist parties taking 'list' seats in the Scottish parliament maybe he's worth listening to.

On Sunday, it was the turn of Stuart Cosgrove. I read his column in the Sunday National, and then read it again just to be sure. He's not, as some Facebook warriors suggest, an enemy of independence. He's a bright guy and, from the point of view of anyone interested in independence, he has a great knowledge of the media and how to handle it. I think we'll need people like him.

So what do we say? You have to be 100% clean and pure and SNP or you're out? Or thank you for your support and let's get on with this?

And, please, for the love o gawd, can we stop battering away at old man Tunnock? Who cares what he says?