March 28, 2024
The SNP cult is not merely about personality
The cult of personality follows from the nature of the goal of Scottish independence and the SNP realising that it is necessary that the electorate ignore their domestic record and focus instead always and forever on independence.
The cult of personality follows from the nature of the goal of Scottish independence and the SNP realising that it is necessary that the electorate ignore their domestic record and focus instead always and forever on independence.

Joanna Cherry recently said that the SNP “shouldn’t be about the cult of leader, whether it’s Alex or Nicola, or anyone else”. Cherry is unquestionably one of the cleverest Scottish nationalists. She wrote Mental Health and Scots Law in Practice in 2014. She is willing to think for herself on moral issues such as gender rather than simply take the easy route of agreeing with the prevalent opinion. But she has a blind spot which means she is failing to see the essence of the issue of the cult of personality in Scottish politics.

I can think of no British political figure who has had a personality cult. Winston Churchill was admired for his work during the War but still lost the election following it. Margaret Thatcher was not even loved by her own party who eventually kicked her out. The closest we have come to a cult of personality in Britain was Diana Princess of Wales. The behaviour of British people when she died was peculiar in the extreme and unlike any previous royal death. But it lasted not much longer than a week and Diana had zero political power and not much royal power either.

In Scotland there was no cult of personality of John Smith or Gordon Brown or anyone else that I can think of apart from perhaps Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and Bonnie Prince Charlie. There was no cult of personality surrounding SNP leaders like William Wolfe, Gordon Wilson or John Swinney. The reason for this I think is that no one expected any of these people to lead the SNP to independence. It was the independence campaign in 2014 that lead to the cult.

Alex Salmond was popular prior to this, but he was not impervious to criticism. He resigned in 2000 and did not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament. Ian Blackford had threatened to sue Salmond for defamation. Beyond that it remains unclear to me why Salmond thought he had to go. But there was no personality cult of Alex Salmond in 2000. That much is clear.

[Interesting Read]

See Also:

(1) Sunday News Roundup: Mass COVID Protests in Europe as the U.S. Grapples With Democrat Election Fraud

(2) Malignant Mayor

(3) ‘It’s ridiculous!’ Panicked Ireland attacks UK for refusing to extend Brexit transition

(4) ‘We NEED their waters!’ EU admits panic as transition end just one month away

(5) Brexit fury: US spies ‘secretly financed’ EU project behind Britain’s back

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