THIRD-YEAR international relations student Josh Traynor was elected convenor of St Andrews University Students for Independence (STAUSI) earlier this year.

In an interview with The National, Traynor spoke about his experiences as head of the non-party affiliated, pro-independence student group.

Beginning on difficulties he’s faced as convenor, Traynor said “mobilising the membership is had”.

The pandemic was “rough” as everything moved online, and it’s “hard to co-ordinate action because we’re such a broad church”, including members from the SNP, Scottish Greens, and Labour. “We’ve not won over any Conservatives,” Traynor joked.

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The biggest problem Traynor has found at St Andrews is the class divide. He described his move there from Govan as a “shock to the system” and recalled the St Andrews student newspaper running an “overtly misogynistic, xenophobic” article about Nicola Sturgeon last year.

Traynor said it can be “nerve-wracking” for STAUSI members to participate in political debates at university “when you know you’re at an institution dominated by the upper class while those most likely to support independence are working-class”.

“Common-sense, courtesy and respect are what we need at St Andrews,” he said. Under his leadership, Traynor aims to get STAUSI “along to party conferences” and to “get more speakers in”: a challenge given St Andrews’s location.

Previously, the society hosted MP Alyn Smith for a discussion on Scotland’s foreign policy and international position post-independence.

Traynor said his first involvement in politics was at the 2014 referendum. Although his family was “divided” at the time amid Tory austerity and rising anti-immigrant hostility from the British press, Traynor concluded independence was the way forward for Scotland.

He said: “When we become independent, we can decide our own policy in these areas and build a fairer immigration system and economy.”

Traynor noted that the number of EU national applications to St Andrews has halved post-Brexit with many feeling “disenchanted” by the UK’s attitude to Europe.

He called Alister Jack “a disgrace” for overriding “the principle” of devolution”. However, Traynor added: “When we hear about the Secretary of State in London blocking legislation supported by all parties in the Scottish Parliament, it’s quite easy to be pessimistic … but if we look at 2021 and 2022 Holyrood and local elections, they’re reasons for hope.

“It’s only a matter of time before the UK Government has to listen and the weight of international opinion – if it has not already done so – falls in favour of the people of Scotland.”