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Is the campaign for Scottish independence over? Is the campaign for Scottish independence over?
(about 1 hour later)
Marie Penman has no intention of packing up her pro-independence banners or tucking her Yes Scotland badges away in a drawer. The yes campaign may have lost the referendum but she has another goal in mind: unseating the former prime minister Gordon Brown. Marie Penman has no intention of packing up her pro-independence banners or tucking her Yes Scotland badges away in a drawer. The yes campaign may have lost the referendum, but she has another goal in mind: unseating the former prime minister Gordon Brown.
A college lecturer and leading yes campaigner in Brown’s home town of Kirkcaldy in Fife, Penman is planning to harness the intense political energy of the yes movement to continue the fight by other means. A college lecturer and leading yes campaigner in Brown’s home town of Kirkcaldy in Fife, Penman is planning to harness the political energy of the yes movement to continue the fight by other means.
In Kirkcaldy, that means a concerted challenge against Brown in next May’s general election. He holds the seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with a mighty 23,000 majority. But Penman says many once loyal Labour voters are now angry and disillusioned by Brown’s alliance with the Tories during the referendum, and his pivotal role in delivering a no vote. In Kirkcaldy, that means a concerted challenge against Brown in next May’s general election. He holds the seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with a mighty 23,000 majority, but Penman says many once loyal Labour voters are now angry and disillusioned by Brown’s alliance with the Tories during the referendum, and his pivotal role in delivering a no vote.
“It would send a powerful message if he lost his seat, because people feel betrayed by Gordon Brown, the way he campaigned with the Tory party,” said Penman, who still wears her Yes Scotland badges, two weeks after the vote. “It would send a powerful message if he lost his seat, because people feel betrayed by Gordon Brown, the way he campaigned with the Tory party,” said Penman, who still wears her Yes Scotland badges two weeks after the vote.
The yes campaign, Penman says, has energised its activists. “There was a lot of comradeliness, a lot of bonding among people. A lot of people enjoyed being part of something; in normal politics, you don’t normally get that loyalty.” The yes campaign has energised its activists, she said. “There was a lot of comradeliness, a lot of bonding among people. A lot of people enjoyed being part of something. In normal politics, you don’t normally get that loyalty.”
Even before he belatedly became the no camp’s figurehead, the Yes Kirkcaldy campaign had worked under Brown’s shadow. They held often packed pro-independence meetings in St Bride’s church, where Brown’s father had been the popular Church of Scotland minister for decades. Even before he belatedly became the no camp’s figurehead, the Yes Kirkcaldy campaign had worked under Brown’s shadow. They held often packed pro-independence meetings in St Bride’s church, where Brown’s father was the popular Church of Scotland minister for decades.
Fife as a whole voted 140,000 to 114,000 against independence. But last Saturday more than a hundred Yes Kirkcaldy campaigners, with saltires and bagpipers, gathered outside the town’s sheriff court under the banner: “The dream stays alive with a common cause.” Fife as a whole voted 140,000 to 114,000 against independence, but last Saturday more than 100 Yes Kirkcaldy campaigners with saltires and bagpipers gathered outside the town’s sheriff court under the banner: “The dream stays alive with a common cause.”
This is a theme echoed throughout the independence movement after the referendum as the movement fights to find a new purpose. In the days since the referendum, hundreds of yes campaigners have crowded into George Square outside Glasgow’s city council chambers for unofficial post-referendum rallies, with thousands gathering outside the Scottish parliament, spilling across on to Arthur’s Seat hill nearby, and on high streets around Scotland. This is a theme echoed throughout the independence movement after the referendum as it fights to find a new purpose. In the days since the referendum, hundreds of yes campaigners have crowded into George Square outside Glasgow’s city council chambers for unofficial post-referendum rallies. Thousands have gathered outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, spilling across on to Arthur’s Seat hill nearby, and on high streets around the country.
Hayley, 20, and her husband Alan Parker, 30, were in George Square that first weekend with their 19-month-old daughter. Alan was wrapped in a thin saltire, which seemed unable to counter the autumnal chill. “We’re deflated to say the least,” he said. “Some folk are taking it very hard but most people are still going for it. I think we’ll get another referendum before the wee yin’s old enough to work hopefully, and it’ll be yes.” Hayley Parker, 20, and her husband Alan, 30, were in George Square the first weekend after the referendum with their 19-month-old daughter. Alan was wrapped in a thin saltire, which seemed poor protection against the autumnal chill. “We’re deflated to say the least,” he said. “Some folk are taking it very hard, but most people are still going for it. I think we’ll get another referendum before the wee yin’s old enough to work hopefully, and it’ll be yes.”
Hayley added: “In my generation my folk voted yes and I don’t think we’ll sit back and take it. I don’t think that Westminster will deliver more powers. They have got to go through the House of Commons and they will block it.” Hayley said: “In my generation folk voted yes and I don’t think we’ll sit back and take it. I don’t think that Westminster will deliver more powers. They have got to go through the House of Commons and they will block it.”
Some homes still display Yes Scotland and saltire posters in their windows, and some local groups are planning to keep open their Yes Scotland pop-up shops such as in Dunfermline. Others, including Penman, are talking to the centre-left pro-independence thinktank Commonweal about opening cafes instead; in Glasgow, the Vespbar, a retro-styled bar and cafe, has become the Yesbar, fitting in activists’ meetings between comedy nights. Some homes still display Yes Scotland and saltire posters in their windows, and some local groups are planning to keep open their Yes Scotland pop-up shops. Others, including Penman, are talking to the centre-left pro-independence thinktank Commonweal about opening cafes instead. In Glasgow, the Vespbar, a retro-styled bar and cafe, has become the Yesbar, fitting in activists’ meetings between comedy nights.
Activists like Penman are debating whether the Scottish National party and Scottish Green party should form local alliances with unaligned and leftwing yes campaigners to deliberately target Labour MPs in May 2015, by backing a single pro-independence candidate in a mass campaign of tactical voting. Activists such as Penman are debating whether the Scottish National party and Scottish Green party should form local alliances with unaligned and leftwing yes campaigners to deliberately target Labour MPs in May 2015, by backing a single pro-independence candidate in a mass campaign of tactical voting.
Despite losing the referendum by 45% to 55%, with more than 2 million Scots voting against independence, there was a remarkable surge in support for the yes movement’s political parties, which has in turn emboldened campaigners.Despite losing the referendum by 45% to 55%, with more than 2 million Scots voting against independence, there was a remarkable surge in support for the yes movement’s political parties, which has in turn emboldened campaigners.
In under two weeks, the SNP’s membership has now tripled from 25,000 on 18 September to 75,000; the Scottish Greens are now the UK’s largest green party, tripling their membership to more than 6,000, leading to new branches being set up where none were before, such as Labour-dominated Inverclyde, while Scottish Socialist party membership has jumped too. In less than two weeks, the SNP’s membership has tripled from 25,000 to 75,000. The Scottish Green party’s membership has also tripled to more than 6,000, making it the the UK’s largest green party, and it has established new branches in areas such as Labour-dominated Inverclyde. Membership of the Scottish Socialist party has also jumped.
So Labour seats in areas with the heaviest support for independence – particularly Glasgow, which voted yes by 53% to 47% no, and North Lanarkshire, which did so by a narrow two-point margin, are high on the potential list. As is Inverclyde, where Yes Scotland was just 86 votes short of winning. Labour seats in areas with most support for independence are high on the potential list. They include Glasgow, which voted yes by 53% to 47%, North Lanarkshire, which did so by atwo-point margin and Inverclyde, where Yes Scotland was just 86 votes short of winning.
None of the party leaders have yet endorsed the tactical voting strategy; only Tommy Sheridan, leader of the pro-independence socialist party Solidarity, has so far called for leftwing voters to back the SNP in the election. None of the party leaders have yet endorsed the tactical voting strategy. Only Tommy Sheridan, the leader of the pro-independence socialist party Solidarity, has so far called for leftwing voters to back the SNP in the election.
The biggest and most influential non-party campaigns have also seen a surge in support but they are still mulling over life after the referendum. The biggest and most influential non-party campaigns have also seen a surge in support, but they are still mulling life after the referendum.
About 1,000 delegates are expected to attend a Women for Independence meeting in Perth on Saturday to discuss their future strategy, and as many as 8,000 people are expected to attend a national conference in November for the green-socialist group the Radical Independence Campaign. Some activists in RIC are debating forming a new political party. About 1,000 delegates are expected to attend a Women for Independence meeting in Perth on Saturday to discuss their future strategy, and as many as 8,000 people are expected at a national conference in November for the green-socialist group the Radical Independence Campaign (RIC). Some RIC activists are debating forming a new political party.
Most yes campaigners are waiting to see how Nicola Sturgeon, who is close to being elected unopposed as the SNP’s new leader and Scotland’s first female first minister following Alex Salmond’s resignation from both posts after his referendum defeat, responds to the new politics emerging in Scotland. Most yes campaigners are waiting to see how Nicola Sturgeon responds to the new politics emerging in Scotland. Sturgeon is close to being elected unopposed as the SNP’s new leader and Scotland’s first female first minister following Alex Salmond’s resignation from both posts after the referendum defeat.
Sturgeon has promised to work constructively with Lord Smith, the peer appointed by the UK government on a new blueprint for extra tax and welfare powers for Holyrood, but to press for a far larger basket of powers than the UK parties prefer. Those are as yet unspecified but are likely to include all Scotland’s income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, air passenger duty and substantial control over welfare and social security. She has promised to work constructively with Lord Smith, the peer appointed by the UK government on a new blueprint for extra tax and welfare powers for Holyrood, but to press for a far greater powers than the UK parties would like. Those are as yet unspecified, but are likely to include the setting of all Scotland’s income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and air passenger duty, and substantial control over welfare and social security.
Knowing how unpopular another referendum would be for most voters in the short term, Sturgeon will prioritise far greater devolution but has been careful not to rule out putting a referendum into the next SNP manifesto if that offer fails to satisfy. Knowing how unpopular another referendum would be for most voters in the short term, Sturgeon will prioritise far greater devolution, but she has been careful not to rule out putting a referendum into the next SNP manifesto if that offer fails to satisfy.
Terry Walls, 47, who runs a small commercial printers in Dundee, which recorded the highest yes vote in Scotland on 18 September at 57%, is one of the 50,000 who have joined the SNP since the vote after being active in the local yes campaign. Terry Walls, 47, who runs a small commercial printers in Dundee, which recorded the highest yes vote in Scotland on 18 September at 57%, is one of 50,000 people who have joined the SNP since the vote after being active in the local yes campaign.
A lifelong Labour voter, whose four employees decide their own flexible hours above the minimum wage, he said he had become disgusted with Labour’s alliance with the Tories and move away from socialist principles. “I wanted to let them see that they have an ally in me. I’m prepared to put myself there and show I have faith in them.” A lifelong Labour voter, whose four employees decide their own flexible hours above the minimum wage, he said he had become disgusted with Labour’s alliance with the Tories and move away from socialist principles.
Stephen Paton, 26, a Glasgow-based film-maker who made an acclaimed weekly yes campaign video blog on YouTube, now wears a Radical Independence Campaign badge saying “another Scotland is possible”. But how? “We should be focusing on making Scotland a better country. I’m not expecting another referendum for a while. What we need to do is use the powers [under devolution] we can use.” “I wanted to let them see that they have an ally in me. I’m prepared to put myself there and show I have faith in them,” he said.
One of the delegates to the Women for Independence conference is a very recent Scottish Green party member, Barbara Naughton, 65, an artist from near Gorebridge in Midlothian, where the Greens hope to capitalise on a surge in post-referendum support to win a council byelection. After joining the Greens through her Yes Scotland activism, Naughton said she had been surprised by how many women from the former mining area had become involved in the yes campaign – surprised and moved. Stephen Paton, 26, a Glasgow-based film-maker who made an acclaimed weekly yes campaign video blog on YouTube, now wears a Radical Independence Campaign badge saying “another Scotland is possible”. But how?
“We should be focusing on making Scotland a better country. I’m not expecting another referendum for a while. What we need to do is use the powers we can use [under devolution].”
One of the delegates to the Women for Independence conference is a very recent Scottish Green party member. Barbara Naughton, 65, is an artist from near Gorebridge in Midlothian, where the Greens hope to capitalise on a surge in post-referendum support to win a council byelection. After joining the Greens through her Yes Scotland activism, she said she had been surprised by how many women from the former mining area had become involved in the yes campaign – surprised and moved.
“After it all settled down, obviously we lost but I realised we have to do something, and not let all that enthusiasm and knowledge that people gained over the last two years be lost,” she said. “It has been amazing, this experience. We’re all wired up and ready to go for the next round.”“After it all settled down, obviously we lost but I realised we have to do something, and not let all that enthusiasm and knowledge that people gained over the last two years be lost,” she said. “It has been amazing, this experience. We’re all wired up and ready to go for the next round.”