Young people are the future – so here’s how to convince them of that

This caused me to reflect on Karen Adam’s article in The National’s Tuesday edition where she made a point that “young people are a key part of our winning Yes strategy”.

I totally agree and have only two criticisms – the first being I would say “they are the key” not “part of”, and secondly, I do not recognise the circumstances where she says young people, in the movement, have their opinions “shut down”.

In my many years in the party, I have not seen nor heard of this happening, quite the reverse if anything.

Those two issues aside, Karen makes the critical point: There is no future for the SNP, nor the movement, unless young people get “actively” engaged.

That is needed now.

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It is their future that those like me, a member since 1971, are still striving towards. We want to achieve independence for a future where Scotland can free itself from the colonial economy it has today, and develop, like any normal country, to use its vast resources to create well-paid jobs in every region, for our young people, our children and grandchildren, and not for the City of London and south-east England – neither of which has ever experienced the trauma and dislocation of de-industrialisation inflicted here and in the North of England by Thatcher and her Tory Eton Posh Boys. We can expect no change under Sir Keir Starmer and his fraudulent Labour Party.

Karen is rather short on ideas as to how we get that engagement, though that is not a criticism. I have long thought about the issue myself, having two now middle-aged daughters. I have often asked them why they don’t get out on the streets.

Answers range from too busy making a living, or got the children to look after and don’t have the time, or worse still, didn’t we always have a Scottish Parliament, and worst of all: “Dad, but you’ll deliver it, won’t you?”

The last answer is very telling.

Collectively, they appear to believe that independence will happen – how else do you account for support in their age group being the highest across all cohorts – but yet they don’t play an active part or attend rallies in numbers required to, as Karen states, prove “visible and undeniable support”.

I believe a lot of young people just do not see politics as of interest and don’t “get it”. When I say that, I mean they just don’t “get” the link between their lives and how politics affects them from the moment they get up in the morning until they go to bed. That’s what politics is – it’s the way we, as a society, live our lives, what we aspire to, how we care for each other, and all for what we would hope is the “common good” of our fellow citizens. That is the definition of a “society”.

I acknowledge they are busy – young people have much to do to navigate their lives and those of their family. Politics, for them, may seem to be a nice thing to have but they need to realise that it is their turn to take the cause forward.

Dad is just not going to be able to take care of it much longer!

I hope Karen is right that Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp (GMK, pictured) and his focus on a Citizens’ Convention might engage our youth.

I attended his online consultation and, you guessed it, no-one seemed to be under 50 and very few were under 60!

I therefore remain sceptical.

So, how do we change?

Firstly, accept the reality.

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SNP branch meetings are currently for the over-60s – indeed, looking at the Salmond and Sturgeon programme, I believe these are the same once-young people we saw from the 1970s still doing their collective best but somehow failing to engage a new generation in the cause.

Likewise, while not in attendance, the view I got online of the SNP conference attendees was similar – hardly anyone appeared to be under 50.

On attending a number of All Under One Banner marches, it was noticeable that the SNP contingent was about twice the average age of the Scottish Greens.

Independence needs to become a movement – a compelling movement. I rather like Lorna Slater’s quote of a “A green, progressive republic”.

We, the movement, need a new, compelling slogan.

The SNP also need new leadership, younger leadership – as Kelly Given has said previously, “stale, pale and male” isn’t going to motivate the young.

Branch meetings are so “ball-crushingly boring” that it is unrealistic to expect attendance from the young cohort in the party.

GMK’s idea for a Citizens’ Convention might be a way forward.

To be successful though, I believe, to engage the youth of Scotland, we must find a way to create independence as a “Civil Rights Movement”. This could be done by redefining our cause.

That cause is the right to decide our democratic future as a long-recognised nation but a nation that may wish to and must have the powers to assert its independence without veto from a British Establishment.

Salvo has some ideas on this aspect.

In the interim, the current SNP leadership needs to bring forward bills, in the current parliament, to address popular issues like land reform, land value tax, put these to referenda for the Scottish people to endorse, creating a culture of referenda, politics of participation, like Switzerland.

That “culture” would engage young people in active participation.

Bring back the deposit return scheme and gender recognition legislative programme to likewise go to a referendum.

Who cares if Westminster has already ruled them ultra vires, they have widespread youth support.

These steps could be done today under devolution.

If Westminster then chose to “strike down” popularly referenda-approved legislation, then that would guarantee youth engagement.

With a culture of referenda now established, the Scottish Government could then, without “asking”, hold an independence referendum any time it chooses, and would undoubtedly win.

It’s time for boldness, not contrition.

This new approach needs implemented and young people energised now, not after 2026.

Labour intend that the Scottish Parliament will be demoted to a “Toun Council” and therefore time is of the essence.

SNP leadership, the ball is in your court, make it happen.

You have nothing to lose.

Ian Stewart

Uig