The SNP's feet of clay have been revealed. What now?
"Doing a politics of depth, reflection and pluralism, aiding an ecology and eco-system of ideas, has to link to and be informed by a new story of Scotland – or more accurately a set of stories. This new story/stories has to be less about the Parliament, devolution and even independence as an abstract. It should be firmly focused on the kind of society we want to live in and create, the kind of people we want to be collectively, how we connect to and support one another, and the networks and relationships we build to nurture and aid better lives.
This is about a kind of Scotland focused on self-government and self-determination made real and tangible: in the everyday exchanges and relationships we have, in our lives and communities and shifting power from that supposedly benign all-knowing political centre to as widely as possible dispersing it across Scotland.
That kind of vision – breaking with the limits of devolution, official stories, insider class politics and the patronage of the court party – would be a dramatic shift compared to the past 16 years and 24 years of the Scottish Parliament. It would require a different SNP and different idea of political and social change as well as independence.
But then every crisis carries within it the birth-pains of the new and opportunity. No one should ever think long-term political change would be easy, but now is a moment to take stock and map out a different direction and future. Making a start now would be good for the SNP, independence, Scottish politics and a society which frankly needs to see a different approach and break with the recent past urgently."