AFTER hope comes patience. Optimism was the first keynote trailed by Nicola Sturgeon in her conference speech, but it was quickly tempered by an appeal to those yearning for Scottish independence to bide their time and bite their tongues for now about another referendum.
The sub-text of the First Minister’s message was that the party and wider Yes movement cannot, as matters stand, be confident of winning another referendum. Despite Brexit, despite chaotic government at Westminster, despite the Rees Moggs and Johnsons, too many people still need persuading of the case for independence. Brexit has strengthened the desperation for it among those already committed, and has won the cause some converts. But the canny SNP leader knows a second referendum that stuck with the Union would put the cause of independence back indefinitely (dare we say even more than a generation). The truth is: two strikes and it’s out.
SNP conferences always feature passion, but Ms Sturgeon sought to harness that to pragmatism. As well as plugging into party ardour, a leader’s conference speech is traditionally an opportunity to list achievements and announce policy initiatives. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after so long in government, more achievements than initiatives were mentioned yesterday. There were announcements about infrastructure commissions, manufacturing funds, help for the homeless, and payments to student nurses. But, noticeably, there was nothing about education, perhaps reflecting recent experience of hope-filled initiatives being drowned at birth.
Treading water was the feeling engendered by Ms Sturgeon’s speech. Part of the explanation is that above the water lies the fog of Brexit. Part of it might be that, with devolution being by definition limited government, her party has achieved more in the past than it can in the future. Patience is prescribed before more can be done. But activists and electorates alike are, by nature, impatient. Ms Sturgeon must hope they heed her call.
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