On the progress of "the movement"

Denise made an interesting suggestion on the previous thread.  She reckons that the recent "Scottish blog wars" (of which the total breakdown of my own relationship with a bashful RISE propagandist was but a small part) is another sign that the independence movement is working its way through the classic stages of grief after the referendum defeat, with the current stage being 'depression', which has led to us fighting with each other.  I think the true explanation for the disputes is more prosaic, and actually more encouraging.  We're fighting because for the next few months we're not actually on the same side - the SNP, Greens, RISE and Solidarity are in direct competition for votes.  "The movement" is, at the moment,  mainly just a phrase RISE supporters use to bang others over the head with as they haughtily claim an entitlement to free votes on the list.

Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but to the extent that there is still such a thing as a cross-party movement, it's actually in a much, much stronger state than it would have been if the referendum hadn't taken place.  Consider this - five years ago, the Greens professed a doctrine of complete equidistance between Labour and the SNP, and were clearly prepared to install Iain "the Snarl" Gray as First Minister without any concessions on an independence referendum, or on a push for more powers for the Scottish Parliament.  The 2011 edition of the blog wars centred around the claim of Greens such as James Mackenzie to be thoroughly amused by SNP supporters who thought there was anything surprising or reprehensible about the stance his party was taking.  Clearly the Greens were only pro-independence back then in a fairly nominal sense - it was nothing like a priority for them.  That's completely changed now, largely as a result of the post-referendum influx of members.

I don't think anyone can really doubt Tommy Sheridan's long-term commitment to independence, but it wasn't strong enough in 2011 to prevent him urging his supporters in Glasgow to elect George Galloway - a man who made no secret of his determination to use his seat at Holyrood to oppose independence tooth-and-nail.  Such an endorsement would be unthinkable now, all thanks to the referendum campaign.

I can't claim to be an authority on what the SSP were saying about independence five years ago, because they weren't really on the electoral radar.  But their successors in RISE could hardly be taking a much stronger position now - promising a referendum on independence within the next five years regardless of circumstances.

So, no, I don't think we're depressed, and there's no need to become depressed.  If the worst happens and the SNP fall slightly short of a majority in May, they won't be short of common ground with the Greens, or with Solidarity if Sheridan nicks a seat in Glasgow.  (As you know, I don't expect RISE to trouble the scorer.)