Sturgeon received what could be fairly described as ‘absolute pelters’ for her thoughts regarding the brutal nature of Scotland’s political divide. She penned the comments in the London-based Guardian, a strange vehicle to chose if she wanted to speak to the Scottish nation.
Yet while Sturgeon is rightly upbraided for being part of the problem – she was never averse to a bit of polarisation while leading the country – the former First Minister also had a point: the nation is horribly divided politically. We can hold two thoughts simultaneously: Sturgeon is hypocritical, and she’s also right.
Just look at the inability in Scotland to hold a normal discussion about policy. From the deposit return scheme to protection of coastal waters: trenches are dug, bombs thrown, and no substantive debate had. Politically, we’re excellent at slanging matches these days, and very poor at intelligent conversations.
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The SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, underscored the dire state of political polarisation when she claimed “it does not matter whether we have a Labour or Tory government”.
This is patent nonsense. Black is a savvy, sometimes brilliant, orator, and must know the absurdity of her words. If she doesn’t, then the only possible presumption is that she’s lost to nationalist fundamentalism.
One of the SNP’s greatest faults – and there are many – is projecting onto the Scottish population its own blinkered worldview. Though Black is right to condemn Labour for abandoning leftwing principles, she’s also very wrong to suggest this equates the party with the Tories.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman hinted heavily that nationalists wouldn’t support the creation of a Labour government at Westminster in the event of a hung parliament unless another referendum was granted.
Now – full disclosure as always – I think most readers know I support independence and would like another referendum. There’s a Holyrood majority for another vote, so it’s a democratic imperative.
However, the idea of the SNP potentially allowing a minority Tory government to form at the next election is simply unconscionable. It would be a moral affront, and rightly lead to a firestorm raining down on the SNP in Scotland. The party would most likely render itself unelectable for years…
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