A time to look back before our big decision Harry Reid Columnist Tuesday 9 September 2014 Those who will be voting Yes on September 18 will not be voting for the SNP, or indeed for Alex Salmond. Even so, we are where we are largely because of the efforts of the SNP, and the party should be accorded the credit it deserves but too rarely receives. I also believe that Labour should be praised for the way it delivered devolution, despite the misgivings of many in the party. Devolution helped us along the road, and the legacy of Donald Dewar in particular is there for all to see. Some people who are going to vote Yes seem now to detest the Labour Party and all it has stood for in the past. This is peculiar as until recently many of them were happy enough to vote Labour. I think the history of the SNP is particularly commendable because of the way it transformed itself so rapidly and credibly from being a fringe party of protest to a mainstream party of government. It was once a bad joke, a rather ludicrous organisation that had more than its share of idiots. It also had to cope with constant splits and divisions. That it held together was something of a miracle. Its lunatic fringe made it easy prey for mocking journalists and, to my shame, I wrote some pretty vicious stuff about the SNP when I was a young Turk. Now that Im an old Turk I readily confess the error of my ways. Its salutary to think that just 50 years ago the annual conference of the party, held in a small hall in Bridge of Allan, was attended by a mere handful of people and was covered by just one journalist, a stringer working for several papers who got bored and left early. In the 1964 general election the party fought in only 15 constituencies. A Scottish Labour MP of the time, Peter Doig, spoke for many when he described SNP supporters as ignorant, pointless nuisances. Well, at least they were nuisances. They never shut up and went away. There were also people like Jimmy Halliday, people who are little remembered today. Jimmy was chairman of the party in the late 1950s, when he was in his early thirties. A history teacher, he was the embodiment of visionary, responsible nationalism, a man who truly understood Scotland. A generation later, Stephen Maxwell was an intellectual of vast cerebral scope. He had wide knowledge and a fastidious mind. He did much excellent work for the SNP on policy development, even if that work remains, to this day, largely unsung. These people, and others like them, were giants. Some of those who transformed the SNP had to show considerable personal bravery. Winnie Ewing has written candidly about the vicious macho bullying and contempt she suffered when, having won a dramatic by-election, she arrived at the House of Commons in 1967 as the then sole SNP MP. The bullies who were nastiest to her were a small group of male Scottish Labour MPs. But most people in the Labour Party were decent folk. Donald Dewar, the man who kept the devolution flame burning during Labours long and tormented 18 years of opposition between 1979 and 1997, was a very honourable man. The speed and smeddum with which Scotlands new parliament at Holyrood was delivered after Labours resounding general election victory in 1997 is a testament to his dogged determination. It was his personal crusade to ensure that his partys commitment to devolution was never dropped or diluted. If we do vote Yes, Im pretty sure that September 19 will be the happiest day of my life. I hope it will not be tarnished by any spite or triumphalism. The opponents of Scottish independence have, for the most part, played a perfectly worthy part in the journey of the Scottish people. Weve had, and are still having, an impressive extended debate and conversation. This needs two sides. The great majority of those who oppose Scottish independence deserve respect. This is no time for pettiness. Comments Alastair Gordon, West Lothian If we do vote Yes, Im pretty sure that September 19 will be the happiest day of my life. I hope it will not be tarnished by any spite or triumphalism. And so say I. Eleanor Fraser, Prestwick Donald Dewar was a great loss to Scottish politics. He was an intelligent, articulate humourous individual , qualities sadly lacking in so many of todays politicians. Peter Dale Smith, Sheffield, A I do not have a vote. I would like that the final vote will be 59% or 60% vote in favour of Independence, there is nothing more that Scotland requires at this time to be the start of a successful Independent Nation. Nor can I understand or contemplate an aggressive attitude to England. I reckon that Scotland can provide new insights and attitudes that will provide positive suggestions over the next one thousand years, never dictated, just suggested. iain Lawson, Paisley When I joined the SNP in the mid 1980s I had the privilege to attend a Jimmy Halliday lecture. It was fantastic, peppered with humour, he explained the long journey the Party had travelled to that point and explained his hopes for the future, many of which have come to pass. I am campaigning in this referendum on the back of the Margo Mobile, along with her husband Jim Sillars, it has been created by public subscription to the memory of Margo Macdonald, another hero of the Independence movement, who sadly died only months before our date with destiny next week. Despite her death, her sensible words about how Scotland should progress are being heard in communities all over our country. Both Jimmy and Margo contributed enormously to bringing us to the point where ordinary Scots, for the first time in history, have a democratic right to determine whether or not we are content to let others run our lives and country. When, as I expect, Scotland votes for normality and Independence glasses will be raised all over the country in thanks and for the memory of so many who fought but died before the great day. Alex Sloan, Fife iain Lawson, Paisley Both Jimmy and Margo contributed enormously to bringing us to the point where ordinary Scots, for the first time in history, have a democratic right to determine whether or not we are content to let others run our lives and country. I think you demean Margo MacDonalds memory Iain. She was an independent alright, independent of the party political system of government which runs our lives now and will continue to do so after this referendum. George McDonald, Glasgow So few Scottish MPs from the Labours front bench at the time followed Donald Dewers example. He swaped Westminster for Holyrood. You can argue Labours problems in Scotland started then.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:47:42 +0000
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