The unionist champions of old are gone – creating a fresh chance to push for independence

Heavyweights like Donald Dewar and David Steel won the respect of nationalists, but the absence of similar figures making the case for the Union has created a void into which the SNP must step

In the long arc of Scottish political life, the case for the Union was once made with passion, conviction, and a sense of vision. One thinks of politicians such as Donald Dewar, David Steel or Esmond Wright – unionist heavyweights who understood that a Scotland in the Union had to be underpinned by shared values and the promise of social and economic progress.

These were politicians of stature, respected by their nationalist contemporaries such as my friend, the late Professor Sir Neil MacCormick, his brother, Iain, and my predecessor Gordon Wilson, among others.

Today, that sort of unionist is largely absent from political life in Scotland, leaving the unionist case diminished. Far from projecting strength or unity, Westminster is mired in inertia.

Rather than speak of their hopes and aspirations for the Union and UK Government in a parliament with vastly more powers than Holyrood, it is telling that Labour MPs continue to focus on the Scottish Government in their parliamentary contributions. That speaks of a lack of confidence, positivity or vision in what the Labour government and the Union it defends have to offer Scotland.

Donald Dewar and David Steel arrive at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in July 1999 (Picture: Ian Stewart) | AFP via Getty Images

Labour’s constitutional conservatism

Labour entered government with promises of change and renewal that, so far, have failed to materialise. Worse, they are in serious breach of the trust that voters placed in them last summer, with needless attacks on the poor, disabled, elderly and on small business.

The government’s constitutional conservatism is an odd posture for the supposed party of devolution in today’s changing world. At a time when our institutions must reform to meet fresh challenges and the aspirations of an electorate impatient for material improvements in their living standards, we need Scotland’s parliament to be fully empowered.

So, as the case for the Union is on increasingly shaky ground, with few advocates making the case for its future, it is into that void that the SNP must step and make a credible, fresh and inspiring case for independence in Europe.

The Europe question sits at the heart of the debate around Scotland’s future. The world has changed dramatically since 2014, and so too must the constitutional arguments. The global outlook is more precarious than it has been for decades. Donald Trump is bringing more volatility to geopolitics, markets and the global economy than ever before.

UK weakened by Brexit

The UK’s foreign and policy posture is making baby steps at improving and I wish the Prime Minister well in his attempts to protect the economy. However, in an uncertain world, the UK has cut itself adrift from our European friends and American stability is now an oxymoron. This does not serve Scotland’s interests, and it is in this context that we must make our case.

Brexit was supposedly about the restoration of sovereignty, but it has instead weakened Britain. It has erected trade barriers, curtailed freedoms, and isolated us from key decision-making forums. Even as Keir Starmer seeks, rightly, to support Ukraine, the UK is cut off from the Single Market as Europe invests in its security.

Our defence sector, like so many others, is about to be reminded of what other businesses, universities, farmers, and families across Scotland know already: Brexit is an assault on our rights and prosperity. The rest of Europe is gearing up for greater integration and collective resilience, whilst the UK limits Scotland to being tied to a union that is domestically dysfunctional and geopolitically misaligned.

Rich intellectual foundation

Of course, we must be honest about our shortcomings as a national movement and party. Since 2014, we have not always spoken with the clarity of purpose that voters would expect. There have also been times of drift and division.

We’ve also not always been as rigorous as we should in setting out the economic case, the institutional arrangements, or the perfectly understandable challenges that would accompany a transition to independence.

But we have a rich intellectual foundation on which to build, and there is no question that, under the leadership of John Swinney, we will be going into the 2026 Holyrood election on our strongest footing in some time.

I mentioned earlier the late Neil MacCormick – a scholar, public servant, and internationalist in the truest sense of the words. He was a friend during my time in Brussels and (he’d be embarrassed to read) something of a hero of mine. MacCormick was instrumental in building the modern, civic and outward-looking independence movement.

He believed in independence as a means to deliver societal justice and better democratic governance, and, in common with others on our shared continent, that Scots could be patriotic about their country and comfortable with their European identity. His intellectual legacy feels more relevant, and more needed, than ever.

Understanding unionist caution

To that end, we must be prepared to make the case for independence in a way that speaks to the Scotland of today and tomorrow. That means refreshing our prospectus whilst being upfront about the challenges and benefits. Much as no forward-looking case has appeared for the Union, that should not stop us making the positive case for independence.

And we must be clear-eyed in how we engage voters. Not everyone who voted against independence did so out of fear or hostility. Many did so out of caution, and we would do well to understand them. Independence will only happen when most Scots — not just the already convinced — see it as the best route to a better future.

So, as unionists know, the case they made in 2014 cannot be made again with a straight face, we must understand that this is not a time for timidity on our part. The case for independence calls for fresh intellectual honesty, courage, and unity of purpose. Neil MacCormick understood that independence was tied up in responding to the world around us as it is, not how we want it to be. We need to evoke that legacy.

Stephen Gethins is the MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry