Extreme change. Change of a nation, of national identity. Change of who you are in the world. Scotland’s independence referendum offered a once-in-a-generation opportunity and sought to answer two questions. Should Scotland be an independent country? Do the people of Scotland want independence? In answering these two questions, the people of Scotland were taken on a life-changing journey that transcended party politics.
Scotland, to rise and be the nation again
In my later years at primary school, a sense of Scottish national identity crept in. I became acutely aware of the fact of nationhood. I knew Scotland was a nation that was part of a union of nations – the United Kingdom. I was aware there were those seeking to break it up but I didn’t think it possible, at least not until the YES campaign.
But, as time went on new ideas crept in. The idea that Scotland might actually vote Yes. The idea that Scotland would become an independent country: that Westminster’s authority would stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed and Carlisle. For someone who’s grown-up under the Union Flag, the idea seemed very much out there. Yet, here it was. Not just possible but probable. A brand-new country. One that would be ruled by Edinburgh. No London, no House of Commons, no Union Flag. It was a game-changer.
The campaign, debates and passion of the heart
It was the campaign that took my political virginity, so to speak. The 2014 independence referendum birthed my political activism and to this day remains my favourite campaign. The electricity in the ground, the vibrancy in the air and the passion in people’s hearts. The campaign ignited debates at every level, from politicians in parliament and on TV to students in school, college and university, to gatherings in town halls, pubs and on the streets. Everyone took an interest.
I remember debates I attended in the village hall in Heiton. Talks in Kelso from politicians and campaigners. The BBC’s The Referendum Debate – the referendum’s answer to Question Time – coming to the Border Union Showground in Kelso and my contribution to the programme. I remember attending a debate in Glasgow; the Hydro filled to the brim with students from across Scotland. The energy in the building as young people with their passionate beliefs one way or another descended on Scotland’s largest city to debate their future.
Most importantly, however, I remember the campaigns on the ground. That’s where the debate felt most active; where Scotland felt most lively and where I felt most alive. The referendum was bringing people from all walks of life, from across the nation, out of their shells and into the limelight. All to answer a question that had dominated people’s minds for lifetimes. I could feel the energy in the ground and hear the passion in people’s hearts. Everywhere I looked, no matter where in Scotland I went, I saw the question and my preferred answer. In every brick in a town or city. On every blade of grass on a hill. I couldn’t escape it. I didn’t want to escape it. I wanted to embrace it.
The long-awaited answer to the question
Of course, all fun aside, referendum day had to eventually arrive. For me, the answer was important for two reasons. It would shape my future but also answer a question I had long desired to know the answer to: does Scotland want independence?
Since my last days of primary school and my earliest days of high school, I had always wondered about this. At first I thought it did, then looking at the polls early on in the campaign I believed it didn’t. But as the campaign went on, I encountered so many people embracing Scottish independence, I saw the increasing popularity of YES Scotland and saw the polls swing in favour. But most definitively, I felt that energy and passion. All politics and viewpoints aside, I truly believed Scotland would vote Yes and I think others in both camps did as well.
On the night of the referendum itself, as the polls were closing, I felt as though I was witnessing the last night of the United Kingdom. All through the final months of the campaign I saw Scotland on the precipice of re-birth; about to re-enter the world as a free and independent nation. And on the night of 18 September 2014,I felt as though it was the eve of a coming earthquake. That shock wave would rock the political world and the British establishment alike. In the end, I got my answer. Having stayed up all night to find out what the Scottish people really thought about being part of the United Kingdom, I was genuinely surprised by the No result.
Not all great
It must be recognised that with light there is always darkness. One downside to the referendum was that it brought out divisions. Whether exposing pre-existing ones or creating new ones, there were elements of Scottish society that were divided on Yes and No lines. I experienced some of this divisive bitterness. So did friends and colleagues in my campaign and friends in our rival’s campaign. But we were strong enough to rise above it, which I believe the majority of us did.
Should Scotland be an independent country? That answer depends on your viewpoint but two million people voted No and 1.6 million selected Yes. That answered whether or not Scotland wanted independence, at least it did back then. Regardless of the result, the Scottish independence referendum was a vote that inspired hope and vision, passion and energy, and political interest and engagement on a whole new level. With an 84.6% turnout and the streets buzzing with referendum-related activity, something wonderful was truly achieved. For me, I was inspired and sent on a journey of political activism that I still travel today.
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