The echo-chamber of Scottish politics is served by many blogs and websites, each trying to give their own slant or push their own agenda. One thing most of the pro independence sites agree on is that the SNP is failing the independence movement, they know how to sort things out and others are at fault for what has happened.
There is a huge amount of disillusionment around Nicola Sturgeons leadership and her apparent disinterest in pushing forward with a referendum.
It’s worth having a look at some of these sites to see how they, and their supporters think and to better understand how the Yes movement has turned on itself as it faces the consequences of slavishly supporting Nicola Sturgeon while she led them up a blind alley.
Stuart Campbell at Wings over Scotland is probably the best know of the pro-independence bloggers and he effectively stopped posting mid-May this year. His final post and a few before it explain his decision, which boils down to disgust with the SNP and it’s leader.
His site still has a weekly cartoon as well as several posts made since May where he flags specific issues, not least the politically motivated imprisonment of Craig Murray.
Campbell has been hated for years by many who support retaining the Union yet he has been the most consistent and loudest voice calling out the SNP for their controlling behaviour, lack of focus on the constitution and obsession with gender issues.
Craig Murray has posted on many issues including Scottish independence but it was his reporting of the trial of Alex Salmond which has led to his current imprisonment for contempt of court.
Alone among those in court Murray reported the case for the defence – at least, he did until banned from attending by the presiding judge Lady Dorrian.
He is not allowed to post while in prison but his site is worth visiting, starting with the article https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2021/08/keeping-freedom-alive/ and those it refers to.
While many who oppose the breakup of the UK are content to see such malevolence against this campaigner the facts of his case are chilling and should concern us all.
Iain Lawsons blog Yours For Scotland has his willingness to take on the SNP leadership to commend it. Like several others though, the minutia of how Scotland could, should, would dissolve the union and go on to great things takes up much column space without examining the inconvenient facts that there is no evidence the majority of Scots want that and no actual plan for how that would translate into a successful Scotland afterwards.
Lawson is hosting a 10 part series by Professor Alf Baird on “The Socio-Political Determinants of Scottish Independence.” This follows on from the professors appearance the Barrhead Boy’s Scottish Prism webcast. I won’t comment on either as I haven’t watched/read it all but it certainly seems to feed the need for justification of independence rather than practicalities of persuading voters that it would be worth voting for.
Common Weal is a pro independence ‘think-tank’ that seems to want to be the political wing of the SNP.
They have a large number of contributors and write a diverse range of topics, almost always with the assumption that independence would improve matters.
The site carries on generating plans and proposals on many issues facing Scotland – more competently than our government in many cases – despite the obvious lack of engagement from Holyrood. Director Robin McAlpine stood down last year after criticising Nicola Sturgeons leadership and later claimed that “SNP HQ is ‘utterly corrupt and has been for years’ “
The Wee Ginger Dug is a good old fashioned, no holds barred, ‘ freedom at any cost’ type of blogger, even going so far as to push the poisonous “wheesht for indy” campaign before the May election.
As I write this the last ten articles he has posted are:
- Johnson’s interests are his own, not Scotland’s
- Putting lipstick on the pig of the “Union”
- The Windsors: Graceless and favoured
- The infantilism of British Nationalism
- Calling an ambaileans for British nationalists
- When calling out a liar’s lies is worse than lying
- Pat McFadden’s nightmare
- The shame of British nationalism in Scotland
- The Great Wall of Bull
- Null points for grace in defeat
As echo-chamber voices go he’s definitely in the top ranks.
Barrhead Boy is another echo-chamber champion. Like so many others he regularly criticises Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP leadership clique for wasting many opportunities to move towards independence. His posts are also steeped in the ‘England as Britain’, ‘Scotland is colonised and ran by our imperial masters’ type of attitudes and anyone who disagrees is a traitor.
Relative newcomer Jaggy Blog has covered various issues but at the moment seems focused on Alba as the future path to Scotland’s independence. Interestingly, he is attempting to stop Alex Salmond from becoming the leader of the party and has decided to stand against him.
Let ‘s not forget All Under One Banner – the umbrella group for nationalist marches. They used to command crowds upwards of 10,000 at marches – and always estimated at least 10 times the number who actually attended. That force for unity fell out with each other over money a couple of years ago but they are still going strong. A look at their Facebook page just now shows an article from the Guardian, a link to an online event and several memes attacking the Royal Family and the Conservatives. How the mighty have fallen!
As she does every year, the First Minister is winding up her followers for stirring speeches at the SNP conference, ready to raise funds and return them to their boxes afterwards.
Many nationalists complain that the SNP is nowhere near ready to start campaigning for independence should a referendum be granted. The truth is, neither are they.
Please subscribe to be notified about new posts.
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay