Scottish Independence Ungagged Lite Val Waldron

‘Clackmannanshire is a shite-hole’ by Val Waldron

We will be independent one day, of that I feel sure, as the Trumpian, dystopian terrain that unfolds daily from Westminster deprives the good folk out there of their food, their jobs, their fair share of democracy and access by the most needy to these shores.

This time 7 years ago we were full of hope. Me, after two years of illness outside looking in, a first and last trip to a pre-vote rally in George square. Folk, full of enthusiasm and certainty that Yes would win the day, hugging and shaking hands, politely ushering strangers to the stage for a good view, because we were all in it together. Till a shard of cold steel half took my head off, reminding me that this is a bubble, Yes City. In other places they were hanging out the red, white and blue.

There was a flat prosecco vibe in the air even before the votes were in. ‘How’s it going’, I asked the guys conducting a wee bit of an exit poll, ‘aye, well, aye Ok.’ Then my own prosecco went flat and warm as the first results came in, then the texts and messages, more than a bit of dismay there. ‘Clackmannanshire is a Shite-hole anyway’ read one, from someone not much more than a wean, campaigning for his brighter future. And there we have it, so off bed with the radio on to snooze, because there’s nothing worse than waking up to bad news.

We all have our views and our differences but the very next day, to find the red, white, blue and orange fash taking over George square and hear Cameron claiming England as victim was surely just ridiculous, and the movement set-to right away, making sure that one day, somehow we’d smash the UK system. See off the lies about pensions, Brown’s vow and the EU.

And the rest of course is history; we ran for cover and tribal belonging anywhere we could, the Greens, the 45ers, the SNP. Sadly we now know that some of Nicola’s yellow-foam-finger-waving ultras became the infamous zero-percenters, Albams. More wasps in a nest that that lot, but lots of buzz and noise as they swarm around their yesterday’s man. The lesson here, is that sometimes those that seem the keenest, can turn out to be somewhat extremist.

We will be independent one day, of that I feel sure, as the Trumpian, dystopian terrain that unfolds daily from Westminster deprives the good folk out there of their food, their jobs, their fair share of democracy and access by the most needy to these shores. As the UK becomes an increasingly white, war-mongering nation, harking back to old-school imperial measures and cap doffing to aristocracy, we must unite behind our common, progressive cross-party and none causes. Well except for the Tories. They can get to blazes.

Val Waldron

 

 

 

 

 

 

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