Independence will be won by narratives, not technicalities

The National

6 hours ago

I was happy to do this because I am quite sure an online subscription to the paper is a bargain. In summary, I suggested there are three reasons why The National is of value:
It seeks to tell the truth in a world where that is rare
The paper is clear about what it seeks to achieve, which is Scottish independence, and what it wants from doing so, believing it will benefit everyone in the country.
It tries harder than any newspaper I know to explain how the goals that it promotes might be achieved
Together, these add up to a narrative, and narrative mattersto me.
Simultaneously, I was discussing with a team what makes for a good YouTube video. I am now creating more than 400 of these a year and, on average, they are attracting significantly more views than is typical for that channel, so I hope I have some insight into this.
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My summary on this, which I have learned through painful experience, is that there are usually five steps to this process, which are largely consistent with any narrative anyone might ever want to create. These are:
You have a situation involving an unresolved stress that needs to be resolved as the story progresses
The narrator of the story has a desire to resolve this issue, which they can explain, including by suggesting what outcome they want
There is a problem or conflict that must be resolved before change can take place
The necessary conditions to remove that obstacle to progress can be described
The consequence is that the stress can be removed, and the person engaging with the story can understand how they might be better off as a result
I am not claiming any great or novel insight here (pun intended). All I am relating is the foundation of the plot for just about any book, film or even newspaper column that you have ever read or watched.
Of course, there are lots of ways in which variations on this theme can be created, but the fact is that, as life has taught me, resolving stress is pretty much what everything in life is about. It was undoubtedly the basis of my professional life during the 40 years I worked as a chartered accountant.
Why is it worth relating these two tales? It is because understanding how narratives are created and resolved is crucial to the cause of Scottish independence, as well as to the broader political economy.
The reason is quite simple: the hearts, souls and minds of those who will have to vote for independence will not be swayed by technicalities, however important they might be; nor are our relationships of power ever altered using financial or other data.
Instead, it is stories that make and change our world. As a result, it is the power of the independence movement to create stories that really matters. Using the plot steps I note above, I suspect that every reader of this newspaper knows what the conflict Scotland faces is. It is being governed by interests that are wholly uninterested in the wellbeing of the people of Scotland, and they are based in another country.
I do, again, suspect most readers are very well aware of what they desire. They wish for an independent Scotland.
What we do, however, know is that there is a conflict, and that is that the Westminster political parties do not want Scotland – or Wales or Northern Ireland, come to that – to be independent. They wish to hang on to their remaining colonies. They are putting every obstacle they can in the way of independence.
I'll jump a stage and suggest most people reading this article would also know the people of Scotland will be better off than they are now if independence is won. The end of this story is known.
In that case, using this simple analytical tool, we can see that the problem for the Scottish independence cause is at stage four of the narrative process.
What the SNP, in particular, are having difficulty with is explaining how the obstacles to progress can be removed. What John Swinney said recently has done very little to change this. That is, then, what the political economic debate in Scotland must now focus on. I particularly emphasise this because while, as an economist, technicalities matter to me, narratives matter more.
The Irish independence movement in the early 20th century never clearly defined what an independent Ireland would look like before achieving its goal. That was unfortunate, because the civil war developed soon after London had agreed to grant Ireland its freedom, and this must be avoided in the case of Scotland.
However, my point is that without discussion on a currency, or any other technicality, the case for independence in Ireland was primarily shaped by the narratives that the Irish independence movement created for itself.
Through the poetry of Yeats, the plays of Synge, stories from the west of Ireland, and tales of the persecution that had happened, plus the promotion of cultural centres such as the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, a narrative was created that captured the popular imagination not just in Ireland, but also of sympathetic people elsewhere. I think this is essential and I am not sure I am seeing or hearing enough of it in Scotland.
Now, I readily admit I live in England and so it would be easy for me to miss this, but there again, people outside Ireland in the early 20th century could not have missed the intellectual and literary momentum that promoted the politics of independence at that time.
So, much as I think that technical issues around currency, taxation, and other such matters will have to be resolved before independence can happen, I am also of the opinion that the popular resolve to create an independent Scotland cannot be achieved without more storytelling.
That storytelling has to build on genuine, and not fabricated, Scottish tradition. It has to emphasise that the reality of Scottish life can be improved.
And what it needs to do is be clear that there is sufficient cohesion within Scotland for a strong and proud nation that does more than support its rugby, football and curling teams, but which wants to be independent as well.
Emphasising Scottish modern culture will also be key. In that regard, I was heartened to see Scottish performers proudly displaying the Saltire at Glastonbury. That makes a difference, as does the championing of the cause by people such as actor David Tennant.
All that being said, though, there is still a story to tell, and when it is, I think that the critical breakthrough will happen.
I also happen to think The National will be part of that story, which is why an annual subscription for £20 will definitely be worth the money.