A thread on “now we’re 64” in 2021.

Having reflected on the result and the SNP being one seat short of a majority, I think the result we have is on balance better than sole-party control (much as I support that party). /

There is a strong pro-independence majority at Holyrood of 72 MSPs against 57. Both @theSNP and @scottishgreens members were elected with clear manifesto commitments to #indyref2 in the next parliamentary term. /

Many people in all parties have strived to build a pluralist, non-majoritarian political culture at Holyrood, which is one reason why we have a proportional electoral system. It’s a culture we should value and foster. Within it, a mandate for #indyref2 has been achieved. /

Why should we measure success in Holyrood elections according to Westminster criteria? Why should we want to “break” the Holyrood electoral system? /

Why shoehorn Holyrood results into how success is measured at Westminster, based on the flawed, winner-takes-all, majoritarian system underpinned by first-past-the-post? /

(Of course, if we want to make a like-for-like comparison for wider political purposes, we can: the SNP won 85% of the Scottish Parliament constituency seats on Thursday, compared to the Conservatives winning 56% of seats in the House of Commons at the 2019 general election.) /

I was personally delighted and proud to be part of the campaign that delivered an SNP majority in 2011, as the only representative route to a referendum at that time. /

However, the perception (and in fairness reality in some cases) that the SNP used its majority to “bulldoze” measures through Holyrood during the 2011-16 parliament, regardless of alternative views, was an unfortunate backdrop to the referendum campaign, /

reinforcing attacks (and concerns) that the process of independence and a future independent Scotland would be the sole property of the SNP. /

So “now we’re 64” in 2021 is materially different from 2011, whatever relationship develops between the SNP and Greens. /

It creates an opportunity to embed the process and perceptions of independence firmly within a more pluralist political culture at Holyrood, leaving Westminster to its own devices.

THE END!