Radical Independence: the vital campaign for a fairer and better Scotland

The visit of the right-wing, anti-immigration, UK Independence Party’s leader, Nigel Farage, to Edinburgh this week has raised some very important and worthwhile questions about the independence campaign.

Farage’s “lock-in” in a pub on the Royal Mile and the subsequent demonstration outside, which led to him being taken away in a police van, has rightly led to a lot of media attention for the Radical Independence Campaign and its aims. In my first piece for The Targe, I aim to convince you that there is not only a desire for the RIC values and aspirations within the people of Scotland, but also a need for those values and aspirations.

As part of the Radical Independence Campaign and a member of the Scottish Socialist Party, my interpretation of what I want an independent Scotland to look like is different to those in the SNP, who seem to be dragging both their own party and a possible independent Scotland into a “mini-UK” scenario with membership of Nato, amongst other things. However, we in the Yes side of the debate are able to put aside our differences of opinion and campaign for what is the ultimate goal: the right of the Scottish people to make the decisions which directly affect them. I stress the message that we are able to put aside our differences for the benefits of the Scottish people, which seems to be more than the Better Together leader Alistair Darling and the newly founded “United with Labour” and Gordon Brown can do. However, the demo organised by RIC to oppose the right-wing agenda being set by Farage in British politics, and to show him that these kind of policies and his party will never have a place in Scottish politics, seems to have been somewhat “misunderstood” by both Farage and his cronies in right-wing outlets such as The Times and the Daily Mail.

“An anti-English undertone” and “fascists” are both quotes from none other than Farage to describe both the demonstration and the demonstrators on the Royal Mile who spoiled his pre-planned pint and walk through Edinburgh’s city centre. This message has been carried throughout the ring-wing outlets in England, unsurprisingly, despite it being utter nonsense. Farage, however, conveniently forgot to mention that one of the two arrested at the demo was, in fact, English – and that a leading member of RIC is also English. His party’s activists then proceeded to comment on the Scottish people as “workshy” and “tramps” on social networking site Twitter. Good way to cement your position as a party trying to make a breakthrough in Scottish politics, I’m sure you will agree. As far as the fascist comment goes, lets analyse the depth of this comment. If we, as a left-wing, pro-immigration, internationalist organisation, are as Farage has claimed “fascist”, where exactly in the political spectrum does his anti-immigration party stand?

We in the Radical Independence Campaign (contrary to the Daily Mail’s analysis) seek to bring about a Scotland which protects the interests of the working people and has values of equality and social justice at its core. The demonstration this week was to highlight the differences between Scottish and British politics, with Farage hailed as a new force in the English council elections, only to be completely humiliated in his visit to our capital city. The demonstration was not an attack on free speech; it was a perfect example of the effects of “protest politics”. The political landscape in Britain has changed completely, and it is moving in the opposite direction from the vast majority of Scottish people’s needs and concerns. We are in the process of creating a nation which will become a shining example to the rest of the world and will protect the interests of the Scottish people and our values. The United Kingdom is in the process of isolating itself from the rest of Europe and bringing about a system which stops the valuable immigration of those who come to the country to create a better life for themselves and their families whilst making a positive contribution to our communities and our economy, while also punishing the poorest and most vulnerable with the destruction of both the Welfare State and the NHS, and forcing the disabled out of their homes through vile legislation like the Bedroom Tax.

In the referendum of 2014, you can vote to stay apart of this failing state which seeks to criminalise the poor and most vulnerable for the mistakes of those at the top – or you can vote to begin the set-up of a nation to which others aspire to be. A nation with values of fairness and social justice at the heart of its constitution and a nation which proudly protects its poor and it disabled rather than throwing them out of theirs for having a spare bedroom. The second option is what we in the Radical Independence Campaign aspire to create. Independence that brings about not only the changing of a flag, but real social and political change to benefit the many and not the few.