As a supporter of Scottish independence, I am required (before I say anything vaguely complimentary about Labour) to preface my opinion with the tedious words “as a supporter of Scottish independence”.
This is because of the immense informal social control that exists in Scottish political discourse to nail your colours to the mast and never again give it a second thought.
The thing is, Scottish Labour’s election campaign and, particularly, newly appointed leader, Anas Sarwar, have impressed me.
I know this will upset some of you and that hearing a pro-indy figure speak in such magnanimous terms is “literal violence”.
But, like many voters for whom constitutional matters are not the be-all-and-end-all of every political debate, Sarwar’s performance so far has given welcome pause for thought.
When Labour drops the performative anti-indy rhetoric and instead focuses confidently on policy, Yes voters like me are given something to think about.
It may be a sign of how little thinking we have done on anything except the next referendum that hearing someone like me say such a thing is so perturbing.
Many behave like elections in Scotland are “no-brainers” – you either support independence or you don’t.
But as someone who values his independence of mind, and quite enjoys agonising over a political conundrum, I rather welcome the feelings of conflict elicited by the prospect of decent opposition in Scotland.
What matters more to me in 2021, in the aftermath of a pandemic?
Being counted as one of the faithful or being true to my beliefs?
Does not voting SNP this year mean I don’t want indy, or is it merely an expression of my willingness to wait a few years?
Should the SNP feel entitled to my support, or does it serve Scotland’s ruling party and democracy better that they understand my vote must never be taken for granted?
Where do my loyalties really lie amid the greatest economic crisis Scotland has faced in nearly a century?
With the vague idea of a country in a hypothetical future or with the people who actually live in it today?
Is this election about securing a referendum – which would have already been demanded if sufficient support for it existed – or is it about guaranteeing every young person in Scotland a job?
Even when the SNP win, I doubt the demand for independence in the next few years exists to the extent that Sturgeon will be able to do much but what she’s been doing since she became leader – a decent if average job of running the country while dangling the constitutional carrot to shore up support which would collapse in any other political circumstances.
The election is being billed as make-or-break for indy, but the people saying that now have been saying it since 2015.
Forgive me, but I fear we in the Yes movement have inhaled a little too deeply of the pro-indy bounce that came off the back of Brexit and Boris.
We haven’t advanced the indy cause off the back of our own arguments – we remain hostages to fortune hoping external circumstances render indy the least risky option.
By all means, if you have reasoned that this election is about securing a second referendum, and you think it can be won in the next couple of years, I commend your confidence – misplaced as I feel it is – but I will always question and, if need be, resist the tempting but ludicrous notion that voting SNP without a second thought is the only way to improve the lives of people in Scotland.
