Today saw the launch of the SNP's manifesto for the upcoming Westminster elections at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA), to a rousing reception from the assembled crowds and a distinctly unrapturous reception from the usual suspects. No surprises there.
The manifesto itself addresses not only the Scottish electorate but also the wider UK electorate, giving them an idea of what the SNP can offer if they were to ally with Labour on a case-by-case basis. The latter is, I think, what is scaring the living daylights out of the big two.
The only reason that Westminster allowed us to have a referendum is that they thought that the independence side would lose badly and that this would kill off the idea of Scotland leaving the UK for a very long time, if not forever. In the event the independence side did lose, but not by a very large margin. Since then the unionist side has constantly been telling Yes voters to accept the result.
Well, today, as the SNP manifesto proves, we have accepted the result. We're still in the union, so we are damned well going to make sure we have a say. Apparently, however, this is not what was supposed to happen. The Yes alliance was supposed to slink away and Westminster would get back to business as usual.
This is, I think, the root of the hysteria we are seeing from the traditional parties on the subject of the SNP. They don't like a politically active and engaged electorate, such as we are seeing in Scotland. We're not playing by their rules, we're not pretending that austerity is the only way and we're not part of the gentlemen's agreements that seems to be how Westminster is run. Far from slinking away we have become a thorn in their collective paw, and the resulting shake-up can only be good for democracy.
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