I said to a family member the other day that just about every faction of the independence movement seems to have completely taken leave of its senses, and that it's so mentally exhausting being caught in the middle of it all that perhaps the only answer is to be cryogenically frozen for about four years and hope by the time you wake up that people have finally got a grip of themselves. The snag is, though, that the position for Yes in the opinion polls is considerably healthier than the state of the Yes movement gives us any real right to expect, and for that reason none of us can responsibly opt out at this point - if we do, we could be sleeping through the moment of maximum opportunity. For the last couple of years, public opinion on independence has averaged out at roughly 50/50, meaning that we may never have a more favourable context in which to seek an outright indy mandate than we do right now. So we'll just have to navigate our way through the current mess somehow.
It's not going to be easy. The SNP is now led by people who care less about independence than they do about an ideology that seems to have been beamed down from Mars. They dehumanise, ostracise and in many cases try to destroy some of their best colleagues simply for not signing up to a belief system that has never been mainstream at any point in human history, and that is not shared by the vast majority of the population even now. What was previously the largest pro-independence website has essentially abandoned the cause by saying that its support for indy will only be reactivated if the architecture of Yes politics as we know it is razed to the ground and rebuilt completely from scratch, and gets people to credulously treat that impossible proviso as minor and achievable. The only daily pro-independence newspaper appears to have very recently decided to openly pick sides on the toxic gender identity debate, which arguably points to a desire to ideologically 'purify' the movement rather than to serve it and encourage it in the diverse form that it actually exists. And large swathes of the Alba Party seem to be becoming more militant, and are using language on social media that really cannot be defended, such as referring to the SNP as "the Scottish Nonce Party" or suggesting that a vote for the SNP is akin to a vote for Jimmy Savile. Some Alba voices also seem to have convinced themselves that there is a perverse 'unionist path to independence' which involves backing Westminster vetoes of Scottish Parliament decisions and allying with the Tories or other right-wingers in England to destroy a pro-indy government.
So what's the solution? It's easier to describe than to put into practice. As far as Wings is concerned, it's got to the point where I think the rational thing to do would be to write the site off as the de facto unionist / Tory site it's now become, and to try to fill whatever void is left behind with something new and genuinely pro-independence. I know that won't happen, because so many people seem irrationally besotted with Campbell and would follow him to the bottom of the sea or into the core of a nuclear reactor if that's where he led them. But nevertheless Wings is now a massive part of the problem and is highly likely to remain so, and there's no point sticking our heads in the sand about that. My guess is Campbell may well urge his readers to either vote Tory or abstain in any election used as a de facto independence referendum.
I'd suggest The National should work its way back to what it used to do very well, which was to function as a welcoming home to all Yessers, regardless of their place on the political spectrum, their party affiliation, or their views on identity politics. For a pro-indy newspaper to be so openly partisan on the GRR issue isn't just to choose sides between the SNP and Alba - if it was, there might be less of a downside given the respective sizes of those two parties. No, the much bigger consideration is that the SNP itself is split on the GRR - there's a reason why the rebellion on the GRR Bill was the biggest in SNP history, and yet it was probably just the tip of the iceberg. A very significant chunk of the independence movement will now feel The National is somewhat hostile towards them - and no, that's not just a problem for The National, it's a problem for all of us and for the independence cause itself.
Both the SNP and Alba should, in my view, make a virtue out of necessity now that it looks as if gender self-ID will be decided on a UK-wide basis at Westminster. It's a golden opportunity to take the heat out of the debate here in Scotland. There's no longer very much to be gained for Alba in constantly using the GRR as a wedge issue against the SNP when Starmer will be making the decisions and taking any flak. Meanwhile the SNP can feel much safer in extending far greater tolerance towards its gender critical wing.
As I'm a member of Alba and not of the SNP, I'll just finish by saying this. To be electorally successful, to win list seats in 2026, Alba need to become less angry and less militant. But we're currently doing the complete opposite of that. We appear to hate the SNP a hundred times more than we love the idea of independence. That is not the way of giving SNP supporters confidence that an Alba list vote is a natural complement to an SNP constituency vote - which frankly is the only realistic chance Alba have of a breakthrough. We really need to take a step back and think about what we're doing, and the long-term consequences of it, before it's too late.
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With the greatest respect you're endowing Alba and Wings with exceedingly more credibility and influence than they attract or exert
ReplyDeleteI think a better way of putting it is that Alba *could be* and *should be" an influence. Its purpose should be to successfully pressurise the SNP into much greater urgency on independence strategy. It's not really doing that at present, and part of the reason is the negative influence Wings is having *on Alba* and its thinking. I'd agree with you that Wings has a negligible influence on the general public, but it certainly has influence with the Alba membership, and indeed even on quite senior figures within the party.
DeleteWhatever the rights and wrongs of it all are I'm just bored of reading about the trans/GRR aspect. Fed up of it sucking away what little remaining focus there is on independence, fed up of the totally poisonous discourse about it on all sides.
ReplyDeleteThe whole movement was floundering badly anyway because the SNP at best don't know what they're doing and at worst are actively stalling against doing anything concrete But now it's actively tearing itself apart because of it.
I don't like what Wings writes any more because it's entirely about the GRR stuff. It's his prerogative to write what he likes - I've no issues with that. But that topic as pretty much the sole focus of the blog now just doesn't interest me. However, I still think it was Wings that saw first that the SNP weren't serious, not really serious, about achieving independence. And Wings also demonstrates how much of a nonsense The National is just by collecting all the individual "indy ref soon!!" front pages in one place. I can't blame him for the cynicism that was already building there regardless of the GRR stuff.
Being honest, I've no idea what Alba are doing or saying these days. I've not heard much from them recently. I thought they might be what was needed to begin to form a true counterweight to the SNP, but that idea seems DOA already.
The SNP's gradualist approach is finally showing the weakness I always thought it risked being. If you can convert people to Yes there's no guarantee they just stay Yes forever indefinitely. They don't allow you to go and say whatever the hell else you need to say to get other people to become Yes if it doesn't agree with their idea of Yes. It doesn't work like that. You build a broad church with a common goal and if you dither too long and muddy the waters with side goals the church breaks up. That's where we're at. The polling numbers are the last thing keeping the whole thing alive in any real sense, and ironically there one can only assume that the general population is so un-noticing of and disengaged from the bin fire that is the infighting of the movement and the trans hijacking of the indy debate and the SNP's lack of action that the Yes vote is holding up purely through blind luck than anything else.
The only thing I could see making much difference right now is if the SNP "special conference" in March actually came out with a crystal clear "de facto ref" election strategy acting as a proper call-to-arms. If they come out with the expected mealy-mouthed watered down "vote SNP so we can ask for another S30" then I honestly believe the whole thing will be done and dusted beyond repair there and then.
I fully agree that GRR has achieved a prominence way beyond what the issue merits. I’m still missing the vision piece from the SNP. Where is the talk of all the things we’d do with independence? All the ways we could improve our economy and society? Given how many SNP politicians there are you’d think a few of them could be tasked with being omnipresent in the media, seeding these ideas in the minds of the electorate again and again, so that everyone is well aware of them come voting day. Seems to me like most of them are not quite working hard enough at this.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you think the media would in any way facilitate the SNP speaking directly to the public to deliver any messages regarding independence when their instructions have clearly been to keep Nicola Sturgeon as far away from TV exposure as they can, unless it's a prerecorded interview on media terms and can be edited by them
DeleteThe FM isn't the PM, she isn't allowed to tell the media what to do and what to say
Have you never noticed Mark Drakeford in Wales gets the same treatment, and in Northern Ireland you never see or hear anybody from Sinn Fein get a look in with any of our wonderful National state broadcasters
Only England counts, the rest of us can, in Alister Jacks words, Suck it
James, thank you so much for this post. You have put into words the increasing despondency I have felt with this movement over a course of months if not years. I think I'm especially despondent about the direction Alba has been taking, because there was so much potential there for a genuine, serious social democratic alternative to the SNP that has hitherto been totally squandered.
ReplyDeleteI joined the party in April 2021, and campaigned vigorously for the May election. Like many former SNP members, I was dismayed by the years of dither and inaction by the SNP leadership. I thought that under the leadership of a serious statesman like Salmond, we could hold the SNP's feet to the fire on independence and force them to keep good on their promise to the people of Scotland - while presenting an optimistic, sensible, social democratic vision for an independent nation.
But the years since have dismayed me. As far as my own experiences go, the party risks becoming (if it hasn't already) a partisan, introspective echo chamber - a vehicle for personal score-settling, rather than a vehicle for independence itself.
And then of course there are the people who hold truly stomach-churning views - who have in some cases, gained quite significant roles within the party.
I'm sure you yourself have encountered some of these people. The sorts who argue for ethnic nationalism rather than civic. The sorts who equate not just trans people, but gay people and lesbians and bisexual people with paedophiles and pederasts. The sorts whose backwards social agenda, or anti-Sturgeon agenda (it's quite often both), take priority over any interest in independence. Not to flatter you, but quite frankly, I'm talking about the sorts who faithfully absorb Wings rather than reading Scot Goes Pop.
It's a pretty depressing situation. Because there are a lot of decent, worthy, hard-working people in Alba. But at every turn, they seem to be undermined by a coterie of people who spend all their time on social media echo chambers determined to turn the party into a cult, rather than a serious, adult political party. And that's the most depressing part of all, because so many of us became despondent with the SNP precisely because it was becoming cult-like in its unwillingness to criticise leadership or direction. But I did not sign up to Alba simply to become a cult of a different flavour.
I remember the moment the bad penny dropped, when I was having a discussion with a quite senior party official, who simply could not be convinced that Sturgeon had not stuffed the ballot boxes in the local elections last year. All their Twitter and Wings friends said they'd voted Alba, you see, which was apparently tantamount to the people of Scotland drinking secret toasts to Alex Salmond's health, and all the bairns of the land saying nightly prayers in the hopes Salmond might one day reclaim his throne from his unworthy usurper. It was such truly delusional stuff that I was stunned into silence and thought she was joking. She wasn't.
I remain a member of Alba for now, because I feel as though leaving would be like the Labour left abandoning the party to the centrists. But I cannot deny I have been truly tested by some of my experiences in the party over the past couple of years.
Frankly, I knew things were going in a bad direction when you were not re-elected to the NEC, James. Every party - especially small parties, where each individual can have so much more sway - requires people like yourself who are not afraid to stand up and disagree with direction, or to call out the preposterous self-delusion that can take hold in minor parties such as this.
As far as I can see, Alba seems to be losing that ability for self-reflection rapidly. So I'm not sure I'll be able to bear remaining a member for long. But I'm determined to try. Because the potential of this party is so much greater than what it has amounted to thus far.
Social media echo chambers are the worst. Both the SNP and Alba very online activists need to learn that Twitter is not real life!
DeleteOn another note, my comments havent been coming up?
Pre-moderation is switched on, so there's always going to be a delay. I've given in to the inevitability of leaving it on for the foreseeable future, not least because of a commenter called PeeJay who regularly attempts to post comments that are almost certainly illegal. He advocates extreme violence, makes baseless allegations of sexual abuse against named politicians, and makes both racist and homophobic remarks about named politicians.
DeleteYikes, understood!
DeleteDon’t despair, James. It’s coming yet for a’ that…
ReplyDeletePeople, indepence supporting people are utterly fed up. The SNP is not delivering. Quite the reverse in fact with their abandonment of pursuing independence and their focus on things like gender.
ReplyDeleteIt is therefore no wonder that they are attacked from all sides.
SNP are attacked primarily because they threaten the Precious Union.
DeleteThe SNP aren't actually focusing on gender at all, it's just the opposition and media constantly insisting that they are to get the result they want, which is for people to repeat the SNP are focusing on gender
DeleteFerries ferries ferries, see how that works
"The SNP aren't actually focusing on gender at all"
DeleteReally? In that case the mind boggles as to what it would look like if they were.
A good, heartfelt, piece of writing James.
ReplyDeleteBear in mind, though, that the increase in support for independence has happened despite the Yes movement's current squabbles.
Sadly, with WoS now turning against us, this is ready made ammunition for the unionists and you can be sure that when/if the time comes for an actual campaign the anti-independence MSM will be using every word that site publishes against us. In addition to this no amount of fact checking will be reported or even attempted - it will just be a case of using that sites words against us then move on to the next article and repeat.
Ah James, it's just the way it is till it isn't - don't sweat it. Mz S and her supine minions gave up on indy nearly 10 years ago, it's a matter of putting a nationalist into the SNP leadership position and that'll be soon. Till then the supposed 'leader' will crush any revolutionary zeal and put indy into the abstract. I've sadly known this since she got elected leader and her first big conference speech and zero indy references.
ReplyDeleteFking dmfk move on Salmond's part pssing off...
I'm afraid you'll just have to hope the SNP changes leader soon.
Today's Wings post, the unmistakeable subtext of which is "please elect a unionist government, folks!", is the ELEVENTH Wings post in a row about the trans issue.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't obsession from Campbell. It's derangement.
He's just making himself look daft. The genuine independence supporters are abandoning him and all that's left are the boring gender warriors. He probably hasn't even noticed. Hell mend him.
DeleteSadly everything you have written about the SNP applies to the Scottish Green Party in spades. I don't know what it is about the tiny trans/GC issue which makes previously sane people act in an intolerant, undemocratic way but it must cause the unionists and the climate deniers an enormous amount of satisfaction. If I could work out how dark money could have caused this I'd have a fine conspiracy theory, but I can't. It seems to be a self inflicted infection and it reminds me of the disastrous effects of the disease foul brood on bee colonies.
ReplyDeleteThe pool of below-the-line commenters on Wings/Wangs is getting ever smaller. It's the same names over and again. This seems a fair indicator that support is largely confined to a Trump-like base of my-cult-right-or-wrong believers.
ReplyDeleteThe more ugly Unionist media keeps referring to the GRA as Sturgeon's bill, yet it was supported by all the non-Tory parties - the Scottish Labour Party actually ordered its MSPs to vote for it. It is politically useful for right-wing Unionists to keep this issue alive as a wedge to divide us. The best thing we can do as far as promoting the independence cause is concerned, is to ignore the substance and concentrate wholly on the undemocratic nature of a Westminster veto. From my own experience, the SNP is not obsessed with transgender rights but keeps having to address the issue because it is being deliberately kept smouldering by hostile interests. Stuart Campbell is pathologically obsessed with transsexuals and it is nearly impossible now to argue that he is anything but transphobic. Perhaps Kezia Dugdale was right all along because his reactionary social conservatism is now becoming increasingly evident.
I gather that Wings will soon be merging with the Scottish Daily Express. Not that anyone will be able to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteSo much truth posted above. I agree with almost all of it. I think if Alba stood a candidate in my constituency I'd vote for them (less nose-holding required) but realistically I think I'll be forced to spoil my ballot for the foreseeable future. I never thought I'd see the day. This comes from someone who has voted SNP since I was old enough to, nearly forty years now, and a one-time party member.
ReplyDeleteThe blame for this situation lies very squarely at the door of one person. Nicola Sturgeon. She has managed to destroy a party, a movement, and any chance of seeing independence in my lifetime.
Personally I put the blame even more in the Scottish Greens’ hands. They’ve got the SNP by the short and curlies and can impose whatever bampot philosophy on the SNP that they desire to keep the SNP’s precious majority.
DeleteA tiny band of extremist nutjobs are basically calling the shots at the moment and the SNP are taking all the flak for it.
The Scottish electorate don't agree with you. The SNP keep winning election after election - much to Campbell and company's chagrin..
Deletesturgeon is at fault for the lack of a yes alliance leading to a holyrood plebiscite election. don't care at all about the freakazoid grr pash. only care about independence and sturgeon at fault as she's a greedy conniving shitebag.
DeleteAnonymous, whilst it's true that the Greens are strong on bampot ideologies, the rot set in long before they got involved.
DeleteThird Craw, most of the electorate are simply behind the curve because they pay less attention to politics than the followers of this site. I predict they'll catch up eventually and SNP support will decline.
DeleteAye, if only the punters putting ballot papers into boxes had your wisdom.
Delete