Rupert Murdich's Sun has prevaricated on the issue of Yes or No in Scotland. I suspect it's doing so as a threat to Scottish politicians whatever the outcome of tomorrow's vote. That's the Murdoch style. But I cannot and would not ever want to oose such a threat. So what would I do tomorrow if I could vote, bearing in mind that I can't?
I admit this is a tougher question to answer than I expected. I am sure it is for many more than me.
I am to some degree a nationalist. I am pleased to have Irish heritage. But I love a great deal of what is good about England too. Yet when it comes to filling in my nationality on a form I never hesitate to write British. I am all three at once. As far as I know I have not an ounce of Scottish in me. But if I had, would it matter? Yes, I think so, and very much. In a minority situation- and Scotland is in a minority situation - identity becomes a bigger and more important issue, and even one of enormous significance. By itself it would incline me strongly to vote Yes. That may not be rational, but we are not rational beings and we should celebrate that. Identity is of enormous significance.
And I would also be inclined, very heavily, to vote Yes because this would be a chance to break the stranglehold of neoliberalism. That has to happen in the UK if we are to, quite literally, have a future. Neoliberalism is, after all, burning the hopes of future generations right now by its failure to embrace the green agenda and why it matters. In that sense this is the biggest issue of all in this vote.
So the downside is? The first is that Scotland may not get independence. The SNP say they want the Crown, sterling and the EU. It's a bad combination that will take away almost all choice from a new state. I simply do not get that. But then, I have to also remember that the SNP and an independent Scotland are not synonymous.
The second is that if mainstream politics is only adapted for Scotland then there would still be neoliberalism. The No campaign is a depressing example of that. The SNP commitment to tax competition is another. The battle for real independence based on new political thinking to turn Scotland into a Courageous State would have to be fought as strongly in an independent Scotland as it has to be now.
And third, the fact is that this campaign has been a depressing tale of far too many truths untold and misinformation spread, especially on economics.
Those three factors would all leave me with doubt about the virtues of independence. But, and I stress, the important point is not to view this from an English perspective when considering how I would vote. If I was able to vote I could and would only view it from a Scottish perspective and then the question is how to balance these issues. It's easy to say nothing would change when viewed from England, because to some extent we can only pick up the down side from all this knowing as a result we may have an even bigger problem on our hands on Friday (and we might). But from a Scottish perspective there would be an upside. There would be a new opportunity to create a new vision for what will be an existing nation but in a new era of its history and that, I suspect, would be enough to make me have that esential missing ingredient that is absent, come what may, from the rest of the UK perspective on so many of these issues, which is hope.
And that's why I think I would vote Yes.
But I would do so with fingers crossed, because right now there is no guarantee Scotland will get what it wants or deserves post independence. Having said which, No would offer no better chance of change, and that is why the risk would be worth taking.
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Thank you for cogently summarising the process I have been cycling through in my head all day every day for nearly a month. Another big cloud is obvious lack of consensus amongst us up here. Quite traumatic process.
If you’re wavering,this is a good peice
That’s in a lot of people’s minds, but the wager is possibility of change (or a starting point for it) against an iron clad certainty of more of the same.
For me , it’s no contest.
I do however find it depressing that while the loyal opposition is so keen to sow fear and doubt in this instance, it has done no such thing at westmisnster.
It has totally acquiesced in the face of quite radical changes with great downsides –
all of which involved the conservative coalition jettisoning their election promises.
The coalition seems confident it will be never be called to account. I, sadly, share that confidence.
There’s a rather good option to the currency mess here.
Something I think could beplausibly presented in an independent Scotland.
I was quite pleased to see the Scottish Sun refuse to back either side, as personally I think it’s extremely arrogant for newspaper editors to back any side in a political debate – who are they to instruct or influence voters?
I suspect they will not be so ambivalent next year
I suspect the real irony here is that the biggest beneficiaries of a yes vote would probably be the tories and labour. The tories, obviously, because it would remove a lump of labour leaning territory. But labour too would benefit, as the raison d’etre of SNP would vanish overnight and Scottish Labour would have not only a free run at power, but a chance to reinvent and reinvigorate what a leftist party can mean in a modern British environment.
Seeing the establishment panic has been fun. The Spanish pm has even said Scotland would need to reapply for EU membership. Given that the Spanish have the biggest fishing fleet in Europe and Scotland has the biggest stocks of fish, I imagine the truth is that the Spanish will beg and fast-track any application.
I hope the Scots go for it. Democracy is too often a choice between different brands of the same pap (with an occasional repulsive side dish). It would be great to see a yes/no vote where the population vote the “wrong” way. And unlike Ireland’s referenda on the EU, there would be no second chances here.
If the government of an independent Scotland did not reject neoliberalism and TTIP, it would be just another, albeit separate, fiefdom of the corporate greedocracy.
It would have the opportunity to build a society for the many, with a massive and world-leading green economy, and without e.g. Trident and privatisation of the NHS. But would that actually happen? Maybe, through elections for a Scottish government, with proportional representation, enabling Labour + Green to counter “pro business” parties.
A genuine red / green coalition sounds good to me
Although pretty much what the greens are offering anyway
That would require quite a change in the current scottish labour party.
If they started acting anything less than pro business they’d be hit with a trademark infringement law suit from brewers green in a short minute.
They still haven’t adjusted to not being the natural party of government in Scotland and they’ve burnt their boats with a lot of people with their malevolent approach to the independence campaign.
I mean, a largely absent backbencher, claiming to guarantee legislation from a coaltion who have no intention of honouring it (and even if they did it was a pile of crap).
They’ve totally lost touch with reality.
The conduct of the Labour Party in this campaign has been nothing other than disgraceful. I totally endorse Paul’s comment about Brown. He has no authority to deliver anything.
I picked up a discarded “no” leaflet to put it in the bin. It described pensions being safe with 63 million people to support them.
That is such an obvious and transparent lie. I can tell you with no research whatsoever that the working population, who pay for pensions,is nothing like that number. It is made worse by the fact that the previous two chancellors are among those spearheading the campaign.
Dr John Reid was on record as saying “if you don’t know don’t vote.” He later amended this to “if you don’t know, vote no.” This is their latest campaigning slogan. This from the party who not so long ago trumpeted “education, education, education.”
I think the yes campaign has also been disingenuous. i fear the choice will be the lesser of two evils; which is still evil.
A good piece Richard — I agree totally.
Thanks George
I like you logic Richard. I’m just on my way to vote Yes.Wish us luck.
Bob
We will all need it
What is Scotland? Is it the land itself, in which vast tracts are owned by the Crown and old Aristocracy.
Or is it the Scots? With mixing of races over the centuries I am not sure what a Scot is.
I think the SNP would have been more honest in saying that in return for “freedom”
people might be worse off economically.
Just a thought for our USA cousins,if there had been a vote for American independence
there would have been a probability that the answer would have been NO because my American historical guys tell me there was much opposition to breaking from the UK.
Its the people who choose to live here.