Radical Independence and Nicola Sturgeon take Glasgow by storm
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Version 0 of 1. Here are a few key facts about what went down in Glasgow today: at least 15,000 people from across the country gathered on the banks of the Clyde to talk about politics and how to make Scotland a better, fairer, more equal country. Many of them did it all day. Some of them weren’t even members of the SNP. By the end of the morning, both #RIC2014 (the third national conference of the Radical Independence Campaign) and #SNPtour (marking the sell-out Nicola Sturgeon gig at the Hydro next door) were trending worldwide. You’re quite welcome to hate Twitter and everyone who uses it; you can mump about mad 45%-ers demanding a Unilateral Declaration of Independence yesterday; or you can say, maybe even graciously: I don’t agree with everything that’s said or how they say it, but that’s still pretty freaking awesome. Opening the RIC conference, co-founder Jonathan Shafi insisted that - since the referendum campaign - “radical ideas aren’t that radical anymore”. Another vote was not round the corner, he added, so now was the time to focus on the issues that made the referendum so important to so many people. And that’s exactly what happened, in sessions ranging from land reform to LGBT rights. Sure there was a lot of discussion of how the left should deal with the SNP, the possibilities of some form of electoral yes alliance, more of which in a later, less speedy blog. For now, I’ll note Green co-convenor Maggie Chapman urging “elections must be seen as staging posts on the way to social democracy”, and Blossom author Lesley Riddoch questioning whether Westminster is the bet place for “people who draw their energy from other people”. Across at the Hydro, there was less room for nuance, more pointing of foam fingers. And why not? This lot had bought tickets faster than Kylie Minogue fans to see their #RockFM (yes, that’s a thing now) in action. I personally reached Peak SNP when the Red Hot Chilli Pipers started playing Don’t Stop Believing, and here is the evidence in case you think I was just having one of my anxiety dreams again. Announcing a new SNP membership total of 92,187 - compared to some 25,000 on referendum day - Nicola Sturgeon told the giddy, whooping crowd: “This is a great time to alive in Scotland. Our democracy is more vibrant than probably anywhere else in Europe.” Adding that the SNP aimed to win the general election in Scotland, she pledged to seek “common cause” with Plaid Cymru and the Green party in England - both of which, she noted, are also led by women - to “rebalance” Westminster. And she raised the roof when she sent a message “from the banks of Clyde”... “no more nuclear weapons”. By this point my camera was likewise feeling a bit emotional and had packed in, but thankfully there was a real professional on hand to record the moment at the end of Sturgeon’s speech when glitter rained from the sky, as it hopefully will every day in an independent Scotland. Follow Buzzfeed’s Jamie Ross if you’re at all interested in politics, he’s braw. But I’ll leave the last word to RIC. Their conference concluded with playwright Alan Bissett reading the People’s Vow. This was response to the vow of more powers for Scotland made by the Westminster parties days before September’s referendum, setting out a fresh radical agenda for the independence movement. Earlier on he made a really good joke about Pink Floyd, but I had to cut it for space. It’s been said so many times by now that it’s practically worn out, but if this is what the defeated side looks like, well... And if you were at either event, or watching from home, let me know what you made of the day’s events in the thread below. |