By Pat Hackett
Could the unthinkable happen? Could Scottish Labour support Scottish
independence?
Unlikely as this may seem this is not impossible.
Here are some reasons that may persuade you of this possibility:-
- Many traditional Labour
voters have come to realise that supporting independence is not
incompatible with the progressive policies of traditional Labour.
- Likewise these Labour voters
that have supported independence realise that independence is not about
narrow inward looking nationalism.
- This is not a new idea and
indeed the Scottish Labour Party was founded in 1888 when Kier Hardie
stood for Election on the principles of radical reform and Home Rule
(which meant Independence) for Scotland.
- The Scottish Green Party see
no contradiction about supporting independence while in full support and
cooperation of other UK Green Parties.
- Had Scottish labour
supported independence, then whether a YES vote had been successful in
September 2014 or not, Labour would not have crashed in Scotland in the UK
general election.
- Without the likelihood of
Scottish Labour being eliminated in Scotland in the 2015 May general
election, then a small swing in Labour voters to the Conservatives in the
rest of the UK may not have happened. (It seemed that there were some
South of the border that feared Scottish politicians in favour of
independence, who would prefer to work with Labour in the rUK, would have too much
influence in UK matters).
- While Scotland does not have
independence it seems likely that politicians favouring independence will
dominate Scottish politics for decades to come. There will therefore be a
percentage of voters in the rUK who will mistrust the Labour Party that
will only disappear when independence is achieved.
- It seems possible that separate
Labour Parties could both succeed whereas a single UK Labour Party may
continue to fail.
The Labour Party took the unfortunate position of being the main opposition
to the independence movement during the referendum; while the Conservatives
mainly held back allowing them to do so, waiting until after the referendum to
then accuse Labour of planning “grubby” deals with the SNP after the election.
The Labour Party believed that holding on to Scotland with a NO vote would
ensure a future UK government since Scotland had largely voted Labour for over
half a century. Ironically this backfired and they lost both North and South of
the border as a result.
An outward looking Labour Party that would seek cooperation with
neighbouring countries, with Europe and the rest of the world, opposing the
narrow inward nationalism that is more apparent in the attitudes of the
traditional UK conservative voter could be the way forward. Unlikely as it may
seem the time could be right for a dramatic change on this issue at a time when
they are not only considering a change in Leader but a way forward.
Scottish Labour have complained that the SNP have cut and pasted Labour
Policies. (Although the SNP would argue otherwise).
Scottish Labour could address this by cutting and pasting the SNP’s
policy of independence.
A Final thought.
Most people in Scotland would welcome a more equal and fairer society, a
society that takes its responsibilities on the wider global issues of the
environment, a society that offers meaningful work and opportunities to its
present and future generations, a society that seeks cooperation with
neighbouring countries rather than seeking dominance or power via interference,
and the democratic means of having more powers to achieve that. I have no
problem with any political Party cutting and pasting these ideas.
