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THE events of the last few weeks have been tumultuous, for both Scottish politics and the wider independence movement.
The end of the Bute House Agreement. The SNP forming a minority government. A new First Minister. And now, the latest development in a long list of shake-ups â the role of independence minister has been scrapped.
The role â previously held by Jamie Hepburn â was tasked with advancing the case for Scottish independence across government departments.
READ MORE: Believe in Scotland to team up with Yes group for campaign day in Moffat
However, when the new ministerial team was introduced on Wednesday, the role had been axed, with Swinney arguing in The National that the roleâs responsibilities now fall on âall Cabinet Secretaries and ministersâ.
We spoke to grassroots activists to gather their reaction to there no longer being a minister for independence.
Thereâs perhaps not as much outrage as youâd expect. In fact, some activists we spoke to didnât see much point in the role in the first place.
Instead, some are suggesting that this is a time to reflect on the progress weâre making with independence, and to remember that growing public support for independence starts at the grassroots level.
Hereâs what people had to say.
Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, founder of Believe in Scotland, called on the new First Minister to personally take on the portfolio of independence minister, and for the continuation of cross-party collaboration on progressing independence.
âWe call on John Swinney to state officially that he personally is now the minister for independence going forward. Furthermore, we believe that every government minister and SNP spokespeople should be briefed to make the case for independence at every opportunity and with more consistency than the SNP have managed since 2014,â MacIntyre-Kemp (below) said.
He added that the SNP should âgo all out for independenceâ at a time when support for independence is high, but support for the SNP is âlanguishingâ.
âBelieve in Scotland expects the SNP to maintain its focus on independence as the way to end the damage caused to Scotland's economy by Brexit by rejoining the EU,â MacIntyre-Kemp continued.
âTo end the cost of living crisis and leave the neoliberalism/austerity led economic approach, shared by all the London based parties, in the dustbin of failed economic approaches where it belongs and most importantly, invest in the wellbeing of Scotland's people.â
MacIntyre-Kemp added that he had worked âvery closelyâ with both Swinney and Kate Forbes, the new deputy first minister, and said he was looking forward to finding out what their plans were for progressing support for independence.
âI think it makes sense the minister for indy role being scrapped. We need to work on building support for indy and I believe the best way to do that is through grassroots activism and good government. This move keeps the two separate and is no bad thing.
âI think indy feels closer than in 2014. However, not as close as weâd want or hope. The world is a very different place at the moment with challenges left right and centre. Indy is not at the forefront of folks' minds and we need to be honest about this, address the challenges through competent government and show people why indy is necessary.
âJohnâs leadership slogan was uniting for independence. Heâs been a member all his adult life and believes in indy with every fibre of his being. I think dropping the role was an olive branch for cross party working and bringing people together. It does not mean he does not care about independence.â â Logan Unwin, SNP activist
âWill it make any difference? Will anyone notice? â Ian McLean, via Twitter
âCreating the post of independence minister was a performative gesture. I donât recall Jamie Hepburn coming up with new strategies for getting past the UK Govtâs ban on referendums. When he met with pro-indy grassroots groups he came across as passive.
âThe post itself was meant to indicate to frustrated indy supporters that the Scottish Government was serious about pursuing indy. Similarly, the abolition of the post is to indicate to soft No voters that the Scottish Government wonât prioritise independence over bread-and-butter issues.
âWhatever the SNP do, non-party affiliated groups like Pensioners for Independence will carry on fighting for the right to choose our own sovereign governments and keep our own taxes in Scotland.â â Mary McCabe, Pensioners for Independence
âIndependence is a long way away, and thatâs okay. To (successfully) win independence without dividing the country (like Brexit did) you need more than ~50% of the country to support it. You need devolution levels of support they saw in the 1997 referendum to take the whole country with you.
âThe easiest way to get that? Is for the SNP to govern well. They need to demonstrate that they are capable of âgrown upâ politics. Thatâs how they achieved such a high vote share in 2011/2016/2021 and thatâs what theyâre lacking now. Scrapping the minister for independence role shows they are taking their responsibilities as the governing party of the country seriously and, in my humble opinion, should be commended.
âI recognise the merits of independence but do not think itâs right to push for it at a time which will cause division and likely put us in a similar position that Brexit has (not just economically but also socially)!â â Stewart Duncan
âIt's a good move because it removes a stick that the media and opposition used to beat the Scottish govt with. Anyway, every minister and cab sec should be a strong advocate of independence so it shouldn't make any difference.â â Dick Winchester, via Twitter
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