WITH a General Election almost a certainty this side of Christmas, all the main parties are in election mode. While Boris has been visiting all parts of the “fearsome foursome Union” making all sorts of promises to anyone who will listen, we in Scotland have been looking back at the independence referendum of 2014 and assessing and exposing how the lies of “Project Fear” and the Better Together unholy alliance saved the precious Union.
The National’s detailed exposé (September 18) succinctly debunked all Better Together’s unsubstantiated claims and promises, and sadly also the many lies that were spread by the colluding Labour/Tory/LibDem pact and the biased BBC and the press . Now we are told that even the support of the Queen was canvassed. It is little wonder that much reflection has been carried out on what went wrong. Although looking back has its benefits, the task ahead must be to ensure that our case for independence is rock-solid and irrefutable in the next referendum.
Much has happened in five years to make the case for independence stronger through a second referendum. The economic, social and political successes of our SNP government are there for all to see and experience. Even the most committed Unionist would admit that the journey and direction that a social democratic Scotland is on is markedly different from that of the rest of the UK/England, whose journey is the maintenance of the status quo and a more laissez-faire attitude to the public sector and the welfare of its citizens.
The supremacy of the Tory Party over the past two Parliaments has meant needless austerity, right-wing policies and a reactionary attitude to change. The Scottish voter must have seen and experienced over the past five years how living in Scotland is now so different. For the SNP to win the next election and gain independence it must ensure that this message gets to all voters. We have got on with the day job and tried to protect our people from the worst excesses of Tory austerity. These represent the positive messages to get across to our electorate.
Clearly the independence message has to, unfortunately, combat all the negatives that will be served up by the Unionists. Will the message of the No movement in 2019 be different from 2014? The answer is surely yes and sadly no! This will require the SNP and Yes movement to not only second guess the content of the “New Better Together” armoury but to have very clear, easy-to-understand responses to each negative issue made by them. The big difference this time is that while in the main positive things have been happening in a stable Scotland, only disaster after disaster has been happening south of the Border. Any astute observer and voter in Scotland would question the basis of being better together simply by looking at the political and social deterioration which has occurred over the past five years. You just have to list them.
Here goes: food banks, child poverty, social deprivation, lack of housing, tax cuts for the rich, reductions in public services and an all-pervading spirit of cuts, austerity and pessimism. To mention but a few.
There will be no unholy alliance of Tory/Labour/LibDems. These parties are split and in meltdown and the LibDems have delusions of grandeur. There is no alliance and the electorate know it. Brexit crucially has lost Scotland the protection of the EU, which we did not want to lose – Brexit has bared to every Scot that we are not an equal partner, if we ever were. Our country has been left outside, ignored and disrespected.
Tories would sacrifice the Union for a No-Deal Brexit. The Tories are no longer a Unionist party. They are imploding in Scotland. We have Boris as Prime Minister, a figure of derision in Scotland. You would think that all this happening over the past five years would make Scots see that independence is the
ONLY answer. Well, I am afraid that despite the economic and social disaster, it will still remain a struggle to get over the line.
Let’s all be ready for “oh, not another referendum” after the Brexit debacle, still too wee, too poor and too stupid. The currency? The pension threat, the mess of education, the NHS and the financial black hole...
After five years we now have the answers to all these criticisms. Let’s articulate them, broadcast them with confidence. This is not the shaky ill-thought-out responses of 2014, but the confidence of a nation seeking independence and its place in the world in 2019.
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here