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Is the spirit of ‘14 dead or just in storage?

As a firm supporter of Scottish independence for the majority of my life, I found the Yes campaign during the independence referendum to be something wonderful. It was colourful, positive campaign filled with hope, creativity and enthusiasm. Contrary to what opponents tried to portray it as – and, laughably, still do – the campaign as a whole was in no way nasty or vindictive. Hope did indeed trump fear, and Yes events were underpinned with warmth, friendship and progressive thinking.

It was an explosion of positive politics, of egalitarian views, of a shared belief in the potential of our nation. Aside from the official campaigns and party political organisations, there were grassroot projects and groups popping up all over the place. National Collective, Radical Independence Campaign, and the many, many pro-independence groups that sprung up organically prior to September 2014 were a great credit to the movement and worked so tireless and with such dedication, that they deserve as much – if not more – credit as the official Yes Scotland campaign for reaching the 45% mark at the ballot box.

It is, therefore, with such frustration that we look out upon the independence movement landscape as it now stands. The idea of selling a positive, hopeful image of Scottish independence has been shelved for a matter of years now, outwith a tiny number who still take to the streets doing so.

The SNP, my party of many years, hoovered up the majority of invigorated newcomers to the world of Scottish politics, with the Scottish Greens, Scottish Socialist Party, and Solidarity also seeing varying boosts to membership numbers, as well as the formation of the Left alliance RISE. But it became clear very early on, as the SNP blitzed over the 100,000 members mark and shook the political world with the 2015 General Election success, that the Yes campaign had, for the most part, amalgamated with the SNP.

As a result, those that once flooded the street with a positive vision of Scottish independence, now flood our streets with party political propaganda – which is entirely their right. But the more we focus on the mundane, trivial matters that surround our day to day party politics, and allow the independence movement to be seen as one and the same as the Scottish National Party, the more chance we have of losing the support built up during the referendum campaign.

By and large, the independence movement has been put on hold for the last few years. Those who have ran to the SNP in their masses have re-invented a party that now boasts impressive membership numbers and solidified electoral success, but is also riddled with branch infighting, careerist politicians, and the perception that you’re either SNP or against independence.

Politics on the streets are once again left to those party political activists fighting out local elections, and left to those hardy, impressive groups who commit their lives to grassroots action, battling for righteous causes such as an end to poverty and homelessness.

And the independence movement? Relegated to the internet, where the Yes campaign has become the nasty, off-putting voice lacking any humility or substance that opponents once claimed it was – positivity replaced with attacks on the likes of Cat Boyd or Patrick Harvie, hope replaced with protests against companies who choose to use a Union Jack on their packaging rather than a Saltire, progressive discussion replaced with venomous retorts to anyone guilty of criticising the SNP – an offence which is deemed to be automatically classified as “SNPBad” the moment it hits the air waves.

I have a great deal of respect for many in my party and I have a great deal of pride for what our party has achieved since the early-20th century, leading the drive for Scottish independence. But the post-2014 SNP is not the party I originally joined, and the independence movement is in danger of burning out before so-called indyref2.

What are we to do? Do we regain the SNP from the cultists and re-ignite the campaign for independence through the mains of Scotland’s biggest political party? Or do we seek out our own way, take to the streets once again, bring together all those committed grassroot campaigners still out there, and rise up to preach the glorious message of self-determination once again?

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With age comes conservatism?

“The older you get, the more right-wing you become.”

I cannot remember the first time I heard or read this claim, nor can I really remember my first reactions to it. I have been involved in politics for a long time and so early instances, such as how I instinctively reacted to bold assertions that probably sounded like bullshit even then, are forgotten in the annals of time.

But I sometimes wonder if there was the smallest part of me, a tiny voice in my mind, gullible enough to believe it – to visualise that youthful belief in egalitarianism and young enthusiasm of anti-capitalism fading away with time, replaced by greed, selfishness and wrinkles.

How strange to think that this claim was and, for some, still seems to be a genuinely held belief.

Maybe it is based in some sort of fact – perhaps previous generations, unable to engage in the kind of political debate and re-education we see nowadays thanks to the internet, would abandon their early principles in favour of looking after themselves or their family unit without a thought for anyone else. Or perhaps it is a construct by the Establishment – a mantra that so many of the world’s population believe, becoming the odd one out with friends or family for not having “grown up” out of the radical politics of their teens.

Of course, it is utter nonsense. Naturally, our life experiences and our journeys through time shape who we are, what we believe, and the kind of world we strive for. But the idea that the transition from youth to old age also requires a transition from radicalism, equality, fairness, socialism, environmentalism, and revolution, to conservatism, profiteering, capitalism, egotism, self-interest, and cold-heartedness is as ridiculous as it is laughable.

When I started my political journey in my mid-teens, I was a centrist, concerned with the independence of Scotland, and a few other large-scale campaigns or issues, such as the Poll Tax and rejecting war. As my journey has progressed from then deep into adulthood, I have, on a constant basis, continued to wrestle with my own beliefs and viewpoints, changing my ideologies and assumptions, embracing new teachings and opinions from outwith my own, and consistently looked to adapt my politics based on both external and internal factors.

At the time being, I am a socialist who, up until very recently, would have identified as a pragmatic socialist – someone who could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but only after playing the long game; someone with a deep rooted belief in democracy and the view that the political system could still be utilised for anti-capitalist ends in over time; someone who viewed themselves as an activist heavily ingrained in the Scottish independence movement, putting that aspiration ahead of all else – with a firm belief that it is required for a socialist Scotland – and seeing every other pro-independence supporter as an ally.

I say “up until very recently” as I am not sure if that is the socialist I still am. I wander further towards the words of those who identify revolution as the only way to defeat capitalism – not necessarily a revolution involving historical figures in berets, with factory workers and miners armed with rifles, of course - revolutions can take a number of forms, and I am still a distance away from advocating any sort of 1917 revival.

However, it is my desire to continually re-evaluate the world around me and my own politics that will consider to shape my principles and my objectives moving forward. Perhaps that why the original statement does not apply to me or those like me – when you accept your lot in life and accept politics as it stands, you inadvertently close yourself off from new ideas or political development, and instead are cast adrift on a sea with tides controlled by the Establishment.

When you reject such a fruitless, impotent existence, you instead grow, becoming more interested in the seemingly minor issues you would have originally dismissed; becoming more excited and passionate about ideas which are new to you; and becoming more critical of those with shared views, whose actions you do not agree with.

The journey continues at pace.