Divergence between the Scottish pro-independence parties in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.
The underlying aim of this article has been to examine to what extent the Scottish pro- independence parties concur beyond their convergence on the general policy aim of independence. The Scottish independence referendum campaign seemed to have given birth to a united independence front in Scotland, all the more so since all of the pro- independence parties had claimed to belong to the wider left movement.
The campaign had also revealed crucial policy and ideological differences on the pro-independence side over the currency, NATO and the monarchy. However, at the time, independence supporters had downplayed their differences and attempted to present a united front behind the common goal of independence, arguing that divisive questions would be settled democratically after that goal had been attained. They had also insisted on their overall ideological convergence or at least compatibility, due to their common support for independence, but also to their common opposition to austerity politics and support for greater social justice.
The return to electoral politics on the occasion of the 2015 British General Election could have led to cracks appearing in the independence front; in the event it did not, as there was hardly any competition on the pro-independence side: the SSP only fielded four candidates and the Greens competed in about half of the Scottish constituencies, meaning that dissensions between the pro-independence parties were once again largely hidden from view. The 2016 Scottish Parliament election was therefore the first post-referendum election to bring those dissensions to the fore. What is more, it was the first time that policy divergence in devolved matters and not just in reserved ones became an issue. This policy divergence fed into the smaller parties’ electoral strategy and led to a bitter battle of words between independence supporters.