Scotland’s former First Minister and senior leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon, was arrested on 8 November by police investigating SNP finances – allegedly spending the money it raised fighting a future referendum on other issues. Sturgeon’s arrest follows the arrest of her husband and former chief executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, and the former party treasurer Colin Beattie in April. Though released later on Sunday without charge, it is perceived as a massive setback for the SNP and its leader, Humza Yousaf, as the impending investigations are a massive blow to their hopes of bolstering their national dominance and gaining independence from the UK.
The polls suggest that Scotland remains largely evenly divided on the merits of ending its three-century union with England. Though the SNP won 48 of Scotland’s 59 seats in Westminster in the 2019 elections, with a percentage of voters who would support the SNP in a UK general election dropping by 10 points from 51% to 41%, according to a survey by Ipsos Mori with broadcaster STV last month. At the same time, Labour’s hopes to gain 20 seats in Scotland next year are increasing with the SNP’s travails.
The independence issue has become very sectarian over the years, leading people to vote in a way that is difficult for other parties. Notwithstanding the SNP’s woes, its former First Minister’s arrest seems to have increased divisions within the party. While both sides are shattered, the arrest of such a senior leader at such a crucial moment is far beyond expectations for the SNP.
Drafting this well-researched blog post, we seek to discuss the supposed social rift in Scotland surrounding the sectarian seam between those that support Scottish Independence and those against it. More importantly, we shed light on how the forces of nationalism in Scotland have changed the political landscape.
Many people in Scotland say the politicians and parties are not listening to them and are disconnected from the issues they care about. Scotland’s political landscape is rapidly changing as a result of the “forces” of nationalism. Theoretically, nationalism is the idea that a particular group of people constitutes a nation and should govern themselves without external influence. Although nationalism is not a “new” concept, it has grown to be an essential issue in today’s political discourse. In the context of Scotland, nationalist forces have created a political atmosphere that is divided and tense than ever before.
One reason for this division is the belief that Westminster is not listening to their desires and are trampling on their relatively independent political ideologies. Labour is being used as an example by anti-independence supporters because it has a political approach that Scotland understands; the politics of Westminster is alien. Furthermore, the political impartiality of the civil service that the SNP is trying to free itself from does not represent the mood of rancor in the country.
Another reason for this is India and Pakistan’s historical backdrop, which is similar to the Scottish independence referendum. Political divisions exist in both Scotland and India, which have caused issues between groups of people. One reason for this is the feeling that “people like us” should have a voice in the national discourse and that those in power should listen to their opinions.
Scotland has always suffered from a political divide between the supporters of independence and those who are against it. However, there are now vocal geopolitical implications of the debate on nationally unifying citizens together. The European Union, as seen with Brexit fiasco recently introduced, has grasped the opportunity to strengthen their ties while fostering a sense of national culture within their borders.
The idea of Scottish nationalism is not new, but it has rapidly grown recently from the “forces” driving it. The over-politicisation of geographic areas and subsequent division has consequences for the cohesion of the country and national unity.
In conclusion, the political landscape of Scotland has been changed rapidly over the last few years due to nationalist forces. Nationalism has created a political atmosphere that is divided and tense. Scotland has always had a political divide between supporters of independence and those against it. However, in recent years, this has been exacerbated by the forces of nationalism. The main driver behind this has been the belief that Westminster is not listening to Scotland’s desires and is trampling on their relatively independent political ideologies. However, in reality, the over-politicisation of geographic areas and subsequent division may have consequences for the cohesion of the country and national unity.
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For former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, the crisis that engulfed her Scottish national party after she resigned in March was already beyond her ‘worst nightmares’. On Sunday the nightmare got a lot worse.
Of sturgeon arrest by police investigating SNP finances is a hammer blow not only to the reputation of one of Scotland’s most influential politicians in decades, but also to his party’s hopes of bolstering its national dominance and furthering its cause for independence From United Kingdom.
Gerry Hassan, a professor at Glasgow Caledonian University who has written on the SNP, said the arrest was a “watershed moment” for the SNP.
Hassan said the SNP had increasingly taken its supporters for granted since it gained control of the Scottish government in 2007.”[Sturgeon’s arrest] bring out. . . the limitations of the SNP leadership style,” she said.
The arrest of Sturgeon, who was released without charge later Sunday pending further investigation, is also a huge setback the efforts of Humza Yousafhis successor as leader of the SNP and first minister of Scotland, to regain the political initiative.
Yousaf, who was the continuity candidate in the hotly contested leadership race that followed the announcement of Sturgeon’s resignation in February, has since seen his victory tarnished by the mounting fallout from Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform.
The investigation was triggered in 2021 by claims that the SNP had spent the money it raised fighting a future referendum on other things. Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and Sturgeon’s husband, was arrested in April, as was then party treasurer Colin Beattie. Both men were also released without charge pending further investigations.
A Sturgeon spokesman said the former prime minister had attended an interview with Police Scotland on Sunday “by arrangement” and would “cooperate with the investigation”.
The widening police investigation, coupled with setbacks for the SNP government on issues from ferry supply to recycling policy, has created an opening for Labor to regain ground in Scotland ahead of the UK general election on next year.
In 2019, the SNP won 48 of Scotland’s 59 seats in Westminster, while Labor took just one. But many nationalist constituencies now appear vulnerable.
An opinion survey by Ipsos Mori with broadcaster STV last month found that the percentage of voters who would support the SNP in a UK general election had dropped by 10 points in the previous six months to 41%.
While Ipsos put Labor far behind with 29%, party strategists say they hope to gain up to 20 seats in Scotland next year.
A senior Labor official said the SNP’s travails were “an opportunity we must seize”. But he warned that further impact on the ruling party’s vote share could be limited. People’s views on whether Scotland should leave the UK have largely driven voting patterns in Scotland since voters rejected independence by 55-45% in a 2014 referendum.
“The independence issue has become very sectarian in the sense that it takes hold of people and directs the way they vote in a way that is difficult for other parties,” said the Labor figure.
Nor does the SNP’s woes mean the cause of independence is dead. Polls suggest Scotland remains largely evenly divided on the merits of ending its three-century union with England.
But worryingly for Yousaf, the Ipsos poll found signs that the SNP’s near-monopoly on support for independence supporters may be weakened – signs that will cheer up Britain’s main parties that must share the pro-union vote among themselves.
To boost support for the SNP, Yousaf has sought to distance himself from his predecessor by promising better governance and transparency in party management.
His efforts to refocus political attention on his government’s priorities were undermined by continued uncertainty within the party, a difficulty likely to be greatly exacerbated by Sturgeon’s arrest.
“Although this was an ongoing police investigation, this is probably the most important part,” said Mark Diffley, founder of an Edinburgh-based polling firm. “This will likely come as a shock to many voters.”
Sturgeon’s arrest could also increase divisions within the party. The former prime minister, who even opponents say was one of the most effective politicians of his generation, remains popular with many SNP members.
But Yousaf was under immediate pressure to suspend his predecessor from the party. “This soap opera has gone pretty far. Nicola Sturgeon has suspended others from the SNP for much less! Angus MacNeil, an SNP MP who has criticized the party’s leadership, wrote on Twitter. “It’s time for political distance until the investigation concludes either way.”
Sturgeon is the second former SNP prime minister to be arrested. Alex Salmond, his former mentor turned arch-rival, was arrested and charged with sexual offenses including attempted rape in 2019. The following year, Salmond was acquitted of all charges against him.
“There are now as many former SNP prime ministers arrested in a criminal investigation as there are giant pandas in Scotland,” tweeted Murdo Fraser, a Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament.
https://www.ft.com/content/ce481827-3e34-4697-bf55-b4ed4ac4fb38
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