The aftermath of the independence has confounded conventional political wisdom. Take the nostrum that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’. The historic popular engagement (judged not just by the voter turnout but also by the tens of thousands campaigning and attending public meetings on politics) has been the tide. But the occupants of all the […]
Nicola Sturgeon locates the reasons to be cheerful for those in favour of independence despite the referendum result In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macduff asks: ‘Stands Scotland where it did?’ And Ross answers: ‘Alas, poor country! Almost afraid to know itself.’ Despite the referendum delivering a ‘No’, Scotland does not stand in the same place as it […]
Stephen Smellie argues unions are predisposed to progressive ends and this presents opportunities The referendum presented trade unions with challenges and opportunities. Those unions who, with varying degrees of consultation with their Scottish members, responded to the challenge and opted to support the ‘No’ campaign, and some the Better Together campaign itself, failed to take […]
Colin Fox argues independence has been merely deferred and delayed but cannot be evaded Scotland is a country like no other today and has been for months. The level of political engagement in the independence referendum has been absolutely extraordinary and with 50,000 people applying to join the three independence parties in its immediate aftermath […]
Allan Grogan looks for new beginnings to return to old values History may speak of the 2014 referendum as the turning point for Scotland. With a huge turnout to vote, record numbers attending public meetings, discussions on economy, oil and poverty everywhere you went. It is clear that Scotland has once again discovered its political […]
Cat Boyd argues the pro-independence left needs to create a new party For over 700 days, the people of Scotland were hammered by a fear campaign orchestrated by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and, of course, the Labour Party. If the working class were the only ones to vote in the independence referendum, there would have […]
Neil Findlay and Tommy Kane argue for a ‘real’ Labour response to the referendum result Nearly a week on from the referendum, a picture based on fact, not myth, wishful thinking or conjecture, is emerging. Of course, the most salient fact we knew only a few hours after the polls closed, when in the early […]
Katy Clark suggests the appetite for social change can be satisfied The result is now known but the referendum fallout looks as if it will be with us for a long time to come. The last few months have divided communities, the labour movement and fundamentally shifted the political landscape. Although many of those who […]
John Foster sees hope for the left if it adopts the correct strategy to connect with citizens The referendum result poses big challenges for socialists and all on the left. The SNP’s formula for independence was, indeed, rejected and the scale of that rejection was bigger than many, including myself, expected. Yet Labour’s working class […]
Richard Leonard argues for deep-seated change across the whole of Britain after 18 September People are right to be angry and right to be crying out for change. The crisis in the global financial markets caused by the richest in society has been used to attack the poorest in society through an austerity programme which […]