As we near 18th September and the Independence referendum vote the language of some commentators and politicians on both sides has become less respectful and in some cases quite febrile.
Unfortunately that has included our own party where in the last few weeks we have seen speeches reported on Liberal Democrat Voice using the language of:
Standing on street corners, dripping poison about the NHS into the ears of passers-by
and
It’s a language that has been compounded by our agreement to adverts that suggest the only way to demonstrate your love for your children is to vote No.
The Yes Scotland campaign, like BetterTogether, contains activists from all parties and none. But Lib Dem spokespeople seem determined to label us all “nationalists”. So Yes supporters become” SNP supporters” in press releases and Yes activists become “nationalist thugs” in speeches.
The party will soon be holding a pre referendum rally in Edinburgh where Charles, Danny, Willie and others will address members.
So here is my plea in advance of that rally. The party and our leadership are backing a No vote. I disagree but respect that fact. All I ask in return is that our leaders and spokespeople respect those of us who back a Yes vote.
Liberal Democrat backing for Independence includes both past and present distinguished party members and according to the latest YouGov poll 24% of Scottish Liberal Democrat supporters now intend to vote Yes.
One of the strengths of our party, and one of the reasons I remain, is that we can have genuine disagreement but remain respectful. However I’ve been disappointed that at times this has not extended to the party’s disagreement with Yes Scotland.
So let us agree to be more respectful in these closing weeks of the campaign and forswear the urge to go for the low blow, the scare story and cheap sound bite. Instead I hope the rally and our spokespeople will promote a positive message.
As Scotland’s Liberal Party, we are ambitious for Scotland and its citizens, committed to giving maximum powers to the people. We may currently disagree on the best way to achieve that but whatever the result on 18th September, let’s make sure that our party conducts itself in a manner that leaves us all, Yes and No supporters, still proud to be members of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
* Alex Dingwall is a Liberal Democrat member from Glasgow who was a City Councillor until 2012
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9 Comments
to be fair Alex, the posters suggesting that people were voting No becuase they loved their children and/or the country were a response to the well documented statements from speakers from the yes campaign that, for example, someone who voted No didn’t love their children.
The posters in question would not have been posters I would have chosen to issue (when you have to explain the context for a poster you have already deminstrated that it is useless!) but they did have a context that should be mentioned when dicussing them.
As you know Alex, when we were both in student politics, the nationalists (which you were then) and the small band of liberals (or whatever we were called at that given moment) used get on very well (common enenmy in labour!) and so I would not consider nationalists to be, in general, thugs. However, the specific example of Caron using it to refer to actions of specific people (in repsonse to urging from local Yes campaign facebook pages) is not one I would (personally) critcise.
we have to learn to live together from September 19th – whatever the result is – and I am sure someone like you Alex, with your experience and cross party connections, will be at the heart of bringing Scotland back together again.
Stephen
I have
Sorry. I have grown in despair at both side of the campaign and really believe that making political figures look even childish does not help anyone in Scotland or the rest of the UK.
I really fear for what a UK referendum on Europe will look like.
The referendum is on a knife edge – that in itself represents a track record of appalling political misjudgements by senior Lib Dem and Labour politicians in Scotland and the UK. It should never have come to this.
I’m curious: If Scotland were to proceed towards independence, would Liberal Democrat Voice continue to cover the affairs of the Scottish Liberal Democrats — which would be, I presume, an independent party in an independent state, with its own platform and poiltics — or would it be restricted to the Liberal Democrats in the rUK? If the latter, would an independent site be spun off for the Scottish Lib Dems?
The likely outcome on the 18th remains a No vote, however marginal. After that, the real challenge will be in reaching out to the yessers, particularly the softer parts of that vote who are just out for a change, for whom independence is the only show in town. And then in persuading them to back our preferred solutions, that don’t involve independence and don’t play with the nationalism fire.
A masterclass in how not to lay the foundations for that outreach can be found in most of the No campaign’s work, including sadly the great majority of Liberal Democrat contributions. There are brighter points though. This article, Tim Farron’s input last week, a few others.
We can only hope that after the vote, those voices are in the ascendant and get to set out the party’s approach to actually achieving real federalism for the benefit of the whole of Britain, to replace this halfway house devolution to the few that we have at the moment.
for once I agree with Caractacus, it should never have come to this. If previous Governments had reflected on the disconnect with Westminster, and if they had followed through with promises to devolve and localise…
The Liberal principle is right, power belongs with the people and should be handed ‘up’ to the level where it is most effectively wielded.. ie power does not belong with the state to be handed down. Our States should have had greater powers returned, and our English Regions likewise..
I agree with Peter Tyzack’s last comment.
Alex: I do hope your pleas are heeded.