‘What Next for SNP & Labour’ was one of many excellent and fascinating panel discussions held at the Breakup of Britain Conference in Edinburgh in November2023
The Conference was a tribute to Tom Nairn, who died in January 2023. Tom was an essayist, political theorist and academic. He supported Scottish independence and believed that the breakup of Britain is inevitable.
The discussion is chaired by Maggie Chapman MSP. It poses the question what next for SNP after Sturgeon and for Labour under Starmer?
Main topics
- 00:45 Intro by Maggie Chapman
- 01:40 Jamie Driscoll, Independent Mayor of North of Tyne
- 12:55 Frances Foley, Deputy Director of Compass social justice campaign
- 22:35 Joyce McMillan, columnist and theatre critic
- 41:00 Alyn Smith, MP
- 55:55 Audience Q&A
Inspired by Tom Nairn
The Conference was sub-titled “Confronting Britain’s Democratic Crisis”, and asked question about the future of the United Kingdom, its nations, and the European Union, inspired by the work of Tom Nairn. Described as one of the UK’s leading philosophers – intellectual grandfather of the movement for Scottish independence. He predicted that Britain will break up within five years..
“Let’s go ahead”, he said in 2020, “and see what comes out of the Maelstrom”.
You’ll find Tom Nairn’s Out of the Maelstrom recording in our blog.
My big concern is the obvious lack of real commitment to Scotland’s independence from our elected representatives in both HR and HoC. They are behaving as if their own fortunes matter more to them than their voters. I understand they have sworn allegiance to the English Crown and routinely behave subservient to Westminster. Even failing to mount any form of challenge to English dominance and illegality.