I am so relieved this morning. I don’t think I have ever been as scared and anxious about any political event in my life as I was about the result of the referendum on independence. I really do think that a win for Yes would not have brought the help for the most vulnerable in society that was promised.
I don’t feel any great sense of victory. I know that many of my friends, who have the same values and want the same things for our society as I do, are feeling distraught this morning. I’ve been on the receiving end of defeat enough times to know its pain. These are good people and I feel for them.
I need desperately to sleep but before I do, and while I wait for Salmond to make his statement at 10 am, I thought I’d jot down a bit of a to do list for a whole variety of people. It’s ambitious.
1. Deliver on the more powers pledge – putting something like Liberal Democrat policy into practice.
The result was not a massive vote of confidence in the UK as it stands. The union has been put on probation. If people are not given signifiant new powers that make a difference, we’ll be back here in 5 years’ time. Do it quickly and inclusively.
2. Develop a strategy for tackling poverty and inequality at UK and Scottish level
In some ways the “more powers” thing was a bit of a red herring. People wanted more powers but they also wanted to make life better for the most vulnerable people in society. We need a bit of vision on delivering better housing and getting people out of poverty. That will really give the 84% of people who turned out yesterday a reason to do so again.
3. No excuses, no delay: we need votes at 16 now
One of the best sight of yesterday was seeing 16 and 17 year olds heading to the polling station for the first time in a UK election. It worked. They shouldn’t have that vote taken away from them now. Is it possible to implement it for the General Election next May? There is no reason it couldn’t be rushed through Parliament, surely. No taxation without representation, after all.
4. Let’s sort out how we run referendum campaigns
Although the gap was reasonable in the end, there could have been, should have been a bigger margin. Yes gained a lot of ground during the campaign because it ran a highly effective, creative and emotional grassroots operation. Better Together on the other hand wasn’t so good. I’ll go into more details about the respective campaigns later, but for the moment, be worried by the thought that we lost the AV referendum because of a terrible campaign. We almost lost this because of a campaign that could have been a lot better on so many levels. If we have to fight an EU referendum, when the opposition will be well-funded and well-motivated,, we need to sort out how it’s done. Everything, from setting the message, to rebuttal to grassroots organisation has to improve.
5. Labour needs to sort itself out or face further decline
One of the things that the deficiencies in Better Together organisation exposed was the lack of organisation in Labour held seats. Traditionally they haven’t needed to campaign in certain areas because their vote was so strong. Their star has been waning though. They’ve been comprehensively out-campaigned by the SNP in the last two Holyrood elections and their organisation during the referendum showed that they have failed to take the hint. With little polling day organisation outside their most marginal seats, they need to shape up and fast. It’s even more stark for them now as all those registered to vote int he referendum, will still reregistered in May.
6. The nastiness fuelled by senior nationalists need to stop
When you have a survey saying that 46% of No campaigners asked by Yougov said that they had felt “personally threatened” during the campaign compared to 26% of Yes campaigners, that shows that the bad behaviour was not quite one way traffic, but significantly more of a problem for the Yes side to sort. That involves its leadership showing zero tolerance of any anti-English or otherwise bad behaviour from anyone associated by it. If someone says No voters were bad parents, sling them out. Simple. It’s not an appropriate atmosphere in which to conduct political debate.
7. Change for women too
A few weeks ago I went to an event in Glasgow which sought to look at what we would do post the referendum to improve women’s equality whatever the result. We need to start taking some of these ideas forward.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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26 Comments
Caron, you seem to have missed out the Elephant in the Room.
The biggest issue us surely English Votes for English Laws (EVEL).
With further devolution of powers to Scotland, it becomes even more extraordinary for Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs to be voting on laws which only apply to England.
David, cut Caron some slack; as a Scot and a campaigner, it’s natural for her to focus on the mechanics of the campaign on the morning after the night before – English votes is covered extensively elsewhere all over this site. Let a Scot talk about the Scottish issues for a bit, eh?
PS – I agree about 16 and 17 year old voters – Scotland has successfully piloted this and the whole country should forge ahead.
What is the merit of votes for 16 year olds? I’m baffled.
As for EVFL, due to Barnett, there is no clear division. The worst possible outcome is a division of the UK parliament, if there are to be English laws we must have a separate parliament.
I suspect what most people want is more power over their own lives. The modern economic system in Britain has taken that away from people. Hayek’s Road To Serfdom has come about, though not for the reasons he feared. To moan about poverty etc when the LDs have spent 4 years in government in with Thatcher’s children is a bit rich. If that is such a concern then a commitment before the election not to do any deal with Thatcher’s children would make sense. A new leader in time for the election would also help.
“No taxation without representation, after all.”
Then we need to extend the franchise to ALL residents, not just those of certain nationalities (yes, I have a personal interest as a 16 years resident EU national )
Caron has said what I felt, I have been worried sick about the Vote & today I am so relieved.
I draw 3 conclusions from whats happened.
1st, the 2 big Parties have been bounced into accepting some sort of Federalism, moving Politics onto our ground.
2nd, if there are new Elected Bodies, they will be built on some version of PR, again, moving on to our ground.
3rd, whatever the reasons for The Polls failure to capture The No Vote, all the same things apply to Libdem Voters. Admitting to Voting Libdem is difficult & lots of our Voters will be “shy” about it.
3 reasons to be especially cheerful today.
I agree with Caron – although no mention of us ‘sorting ourselves out’ in addition to Labour (point 5) is an interesting omission!
@David Evershed19th Sep ’14 – 12:15pm
David, this is surely only an elephant in the room while we lack devolved regional government and powers in England. If the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies and English regions had similar powers to those envisaged for Scotland – with agreed National matters such as defence, the EU, foreign affairs etc being looked after in Westminster – just how big would that elephant be?
I agree with Frank Booth also. The UK government must seek to bolster the UK, Europe and others against supra-state multi-National financial and commercial interests.
Stephen, I’ve been up for a very long time. It’s so much easier to tell Labour to sort themselves out. Let me get into specifics about us when I have slept.
“What is the merit of votes for 16 year olds? I’m baffled.”
Agreed.
Should they also fight in the front line?
Is there any legal consideration given being less than 18 years old?
I’m ‘at work’ but I hear that Michael Forsyth has already been wheeled out to row back on the devo max promises?
Agree whole heartedly with your points except votes at 16.
I am not convinced by votes at 16, in any case the whole age of majority in the UK is a complete mess. You can’t leave school in England until you are 17 (soon to be 18). Parents have no right to school exam results or medical records once a child reaches 16 yet when they apply to go to University suddenly parental income is important. It used to be said 16 years olds could: marry, join the army and pay tax so why can’t they vote. In my view 16 is far too young for marriage or joining the army – and as most 16 year olds do not work they pay only a small amount of indirect taxes. Anyway a minor point of disagreement.
On English Votes for English Laws – I’ve never been convinced there is a West Lothian question to answer – we all vote to elect MPs to Parliament to govern- if MPs devolve powers to any area, that is upto them. One unanswered question is – what is a Scottish Lord ??? presumably the upper house will have just English Peers for English Laws.
Where English Votes for English Laws would have left potential Prime Ministers Asquith, Sinclair, Roy Jenkins Grimond, Steel, Kennedy and Campbell others will have to answer.
Quite the opposite from Michael Forsyth actually. It was Labour’s Kevia Dugdale who was doing the backtracking.
The Labour Party remain the weak link in the package, but we need to remember that a written constitution is a fundamental feature of any federal structure. Otherwise, it’s just more devolution even if this is wide ranging.
Let’s stop getting our compromises in first.
“but we need to remember that a written constitution is a fundamental feature of any federal structure.”
Which is precisely why I oppose a federal structure, for it would impinge on parliamentary supremacy.
Devolve away by all means…
First of all, now we know that our country is not going to be ripped apart any time soon, we can breathe a sigh of relief and attend to other issues (such as the economy, and the future of our party).
The referendum has had two positive outcomes, apart fromt he result: (1) the reconnecting of the electorate with the political process, as evidenced by the high turnout, and (2) extending the franchise to 16 & 17 year olds. Sadly, these are very much outweighed by (1) the huge societal damage inflicted on Scotland, and (2) the mess that has been left by the half-thought-out promises that were made by the three party leaders in response to one rogue opinion poll.
What do we do about the West Lothian question? Having two classes of MP would be a constitutional monstrosity. Disenfranchising Labour and Lib Dem MPs in Scotland would simply tilt the playing-field in favour of the Tories, and we cannot let that happen. So, for that reason alone, I would favour as few additional powers for Holyrood as the “Vow” permits, unless we have a separate English Parliament.
What do we do about the fissures in Scottish society that the separatists have opened up? We have to make every effort to ensure that Scots are treated as fully signed-up citizens of the United Kingdom, whatever their views on the union, that Scots are loved and included rather than merely tolerated.
We must not let social authoritarians pull the plug on votes at 16. The ROPA can be amended with a single line, though the register will have to be recompiled for this to happen before May 2015.
@Caron Lindsay 19th Sep ’14 – 1:05pm
I think you have earned a nice long lie down Caron. Congratulations and thanks to the Scottish Lib Dems 🙂
Dream on Caron. We are abouj tto embark on a constitutional shambles that wikll make AV/constituency redistribution seem like a kids’ party.
The lesson of the Scottish Parliament was a wide-ranging convention and public conversation that gained a wide range and degree of support. Instead we are about to see more instant policies launched by Cameron to get through to next week, much of it at the behest of right-wing Tory backbench head-bangers. And no doubt Mr Clegg will sign up to them in equal haste, and with his usual poor judgement.
As for Scotland, just as with the banks and financial system after 2008, and the press after the hacking scandals, there will be radical proposals that slowly get hacked back, day by day and bit by bit, by the powers that be (what people are now calling the London-based establishment elite though I would use ruder words). Just don’t hold your breath.
Meanwhile though of us out in the sticks in regions like the north ie not in the few favoured cities) will continue to be shafted at all turns.
Tony Greaves
“those of us out in the sticks…”
Apols for typos etc in previous – type too small to read easily on my laptop!
Tony
@ Tony Greaves
Well said. What a different Cameron we see this morning – no more concerns about being kicked out by his party – it is effectively game,set and match for him – provided, as you suggest, NC signs up to whatever he wants.
This will give the Tories a much greater opportunity for an outright victory in 2015 and the continued government by a multinational backed and favoured administration. No doubt NC will back Cameron in a new coalition with whatever MPs remain – should he not manage an outright majority.
One thing I will say is that the referendum has improved my opinion of women in politics. I never felt negatively towards them, I just didn’t care much about gender, but now they have saved the union. 😀
I think older people came to a better decision too, so we should also be weary of creeping agism.
Tony Greaves
“And no doubt Mr Clegg will sign up to them in equal haste, and with his usual poor judgement.”
According to Ch4 News Cameron did not even consult Clegg before making his announcement in Downing St which demoted Clegg and handed the job of consitutional reform to Hague.
The logic of English Votes for English Laws is that Danny Alexander should leave his Treasury post. So Cameron has delivered a double humiliation in one sweep.
Clegg and Alexander look particularly weak having done Cameron’s dirty work in the referendum lining up our party with The Unionists and now he has humiliated them. They have been made to look weak and stupid.
English votes for English Laws? We’re not talking about David Laws here, I hope?
Tim 13
Not many votes for that Laws.
I have long supported the idea that 16 & 17 year olds should be able to vote. The view of opponents that at such an age young people, despite being consumers of services like education and health, aren’t mature enough to be involved in the political process was completely blown out of the water during the Scottish referendum debate. It was noticeable that where there was disruption at meetings or rallies it was so called ‘adult’ voters who were involved and not first time voters.
I for one was very impressed by the media contributions and interviews given by so many young first time voters as they debated the issues. I hope Lib Dem activists in Scotland are out there now signing them up!
I think the Lib Dems have a simple task in Scotland but not an easy one – we need to win back more seats. We can only do that by restoring the reputation of the party. The breaking of the “solemn vow” to students over tuition fees was a total massive disaster and breach of trust, regardless of whether we were personally affected or not. Say what you like about Salmond, he delivered 7 years of good government. Not everyone will agree with all his policies but many benefited. And he never perpetrated anything on the scale of the spiteful bedroom tax to which our MPs lent their support.
John Tilley – I’m glad someone else has picked up that Cameron appointing Hague to deal with constitutional reform effectively sacks Clegg from the post; this seems to have gone under-reported…
Obviously, Cameron’s aim in highlighting ‘English votes’ is to keep his own backbenchers sweet and outflank or at least keep pace with Farage’s appeal to the rightwing English grassroots (and damn the consequences for Scotland?), not something he could in any way expect or ask Clegg to do, but it’s slap in the face nonetheless.