A Guest post from an SNP Councillor who wishes to remain anonymous.
As a councillor committed to the vision of a truly independent Scotland, I wish to express concern about the direction of the modern left, which has increasingly drifted from the core principles of socialism toward a form of liberalism that prioritises individual rights over collective welfare. While these causes may resonate with some, they risk diluting the socialist ethos that should guide our nation’s aspirations.
Socialism, at its heart, is rooted in collective struggle, economic equality, and the prioritisation of the common good over individual desires. It calls for a society where wealth and resources are shared, where workers’ rights are paramount, and where the state serves as a guardian of communal welfare, not a platform for personal liberties to overshadow systemic change. The modern left’s focus on individual rights, while well-intentioned, often aligns more with liberal ideals of personal freedom than with the socialist commitment to dismantling class oppression and fostering solidarity.
Instead, the bedrock of any nation—particularly one seeking independence—should be a moral and economic framework that unites its people under shared values and purpose. A nation grounded in disciplined communal responsibility, where spiritual and moral order guides daily life, and where economic systems prioritise collective ownership over private gain, is the ideal we must pursue. This vision rejects the excesses of individualism and materialism, embracing instead a society where duty, community, and shared prosperity define our path forward.
As Scotland looks toward independence, we must aspire to a nation that embodies these principles: a society where the collective spirit triumphs, where moral clarity underpins our laws, and where economic justice ensures no one is left behind. This is the socialism our forebears fought for, and it is the nation we must build.
So true! I hope with all my heart that a socialist, independent Scotland will flourish in my lifetime. With the influx of so many people from down south, many bringing their own culture to the detriment of ours, I hope we can still recover what is in the heart of Scotland’s indigenous people’s philosophy.
Its a sorry state of affairs if you can’t state your name in fair of being bullied or losing your job. After reading that I have to ask why is this individual still in the SNP if he/she believes all that because the SNP isn’t a socialist party and never was. The SNP are closer to the Tories than they are any other party, simply because the SNP is allowing Scotland to be asset striped without even lift a eyelid.
Scotland will never be any thing other than a slave to England until we start having a force and speaking out against our jailer or the SNP leadership.
The SNP was at its strongest and best when it was a broadchurch of views and politics.Liberate Svotland is about that broadchurch and welcomes people and parties with politics of the left, right and centre
That was one of my first thoughts on reading the piece — why anonymous? I agree it is sad that he/she feels they can’t speak out in plain public view, what is there to be so afraid of?
Yes, precisely this is what is required for a Scotland, independent otherwise. Pity that many more do not express these values nowadays. For this reason, if I have the option, I will be voting for the Liberate Scotland group candidates at the coming Holyrood elections. For the most part the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) do very much resonate with me, they seem (traditional) socialist at heart and committed to constructing a functioning democracy — yes, a real democracy not the damned sham we have at present — with real ordinary people political-power at the heart of an independent Scotland.
My only misgiving with the ISP is that they don’t seem to be onboard with making the compassionate *choice* of Assisted Dying legal in Scotland.
We cannot all agree on every policy Peter. Firveveryone that holds your view on Assisted Dying there will be another eith the opposite view. That us why issues likecAD abortion,hanging etc should always be votes of conscience. As an aside Liberate Scotlsbd will never operate a whip system
I’m afraid the councillor makes the common mistake among the mostly left leaning political class in the belief that independence is a matter of socialism versus capitalism, of Left against Right. In reality independence has nothing to do with either political ideology, according to Fanon.
In Cesaire’s resignation letter to the French Communist Party he argued that, before anything else a colonised people first “need to exercise self-determination”. And he warned that a colonial and therefore a racist system “cannot be subordinate to the class struggle”.
The most urgent matter for any colonised group is therefore “freeing the people” (Memmi) and their liberation must take precedence over all else.
Which explains the strategic mistake national parties tend to make by adopting policies on this and that, or attempting to run a colonial administration, which tends to easily divert them in all sorts of directions, and generally away from their real purpose, as we have seen with the SNP, and Alba to some extent.
You will like our other article today Alf.
Alf our councillor wishing to retain his anonymity asked me to post this response to your comment
Thank you for your thoughtful response to my post, engaging with the ideas of Frantz Fanon, Aimé Césaire, and Albert Memmi. Your passion for Scotland’s liberation and your reference to these towering anti-colonial thinkers are deeply appreciated. As a councillor committed to a Christian vision of an independent Scotland, I seek to respond in a spirit of humility and charity, engaging with your argument while respectfully challenging its premise. I invite further dialogue, trusting that our shared goal of a free Scotland can unite us in constructive exchange.
You argue that independence transcends ideological battles like socialism versus capitalism, citing Fanon’s emphasis on self-determination and Césaire’s warning that colonial systems cannot be subordinated to class struggles. Memmi’s call for “freeing the people” as the primary goal is compelling, and I agree that liberation from colonial oppression is paramount. However, I respectfully contend that socialism, rooted in collective welfare, aligns seamlessly with the anti-colonial project and Scotland’s independence, as supported by the works of prominent political analysts and philosophers.
Fanon, in The Wretched of the Earth (1961), does prioritize self-determination but also frames liberation as intertwined with economic justice, arguing that true decolonization requires dismantling the economic structures that perpetuate colonial exploitation. He warns against a “national bourgeoisie” adopting capitalist systems post-independence, which could replicate colonial inequalities. Socialism, with its focus on collective ownership and economic equality, directly supports Fanon’s vision by ensuring Scotland’s resources serve the common good, not a new elite. Similarly, Césaire’s Discourse on Colonialism (1950) critiques capitalism as a tool of colonial oppression, suggesting that a socialist framework—prioritizing communal welfare—offers a moral and economic foundation for a liberated nation. Memmi, in The Colonizer and the Colonized (1957), emphasizes cultural and psychological liberation but acknowledges that economic structures shape colonial realities, implying socialism’s role in addressing systemic inequities.
Your concern that national parties like the SNP and Alba stray from their purpose by adopting diverse policies is valid. However, as Antonio Gramsci argues in Prison Notebooks (1929–1935), political movements must build cultural hegemony through a shared ideological vision. Socialism provides this for Scotland, uniting people under a moral framework of solidarity and justice, as I outlined in my post. This aligns with Christian teachings, such as Matthew 25:40, where caring for “the least of these” reflects a collective duty. Far from diluting the independence struggle, socialism offers a disciplined, community-focused ethos to guide our nation, countering the individualism of liberal frameworks.
Liberate Scotland’s coalition, emphasizing a plebiscite election in 2026, integrates this socialist vision with a clear independence strategy, avoiding the pitfalls you note. We seek a nation where spiritual and economic order uplifts all, reflecting Christian values of love and justice. I invite your response, dear friend, to explore how we can align our visions for a liberated Scotland, grounded in both anti-colonial and socialist principles.
Thanks for your response.
The reality is that none of our many and varied visions for an independent Scotland, whether socialist or non socialist, can possibly happen until we are liberated. Liberation cannot therefore be subordinate to political ideologies of whatever variety.
My advice is not to get tied down in policies as national parties tend to do, and we see where that leads us, including laws imposed that haud doun the fowk. Focus for now on ending the UK ‘union’ fraud and freeing the people. That is whit maist Scots want and will come oot an vote for.
Its all true, but if he/she is committed to it then they should put their name on the article and stand up to be counted. This hilights the problem with politicians, they simply do not have any commitment to the cause, hiding in the shadows and under rocks.
This is the reason why the person spoke to Roddy, rather than speaking to Wings. Nothing will change until these people who claim to want change and Independence if they don’t criticize the leadership directly on democracy both within their party and regarding constitutional question. By not criticizing the SNP leadership the leadership will just do what they want and this is what they are doing.
John Swinney is a moron if he believes bad mouthing about reform or Nigel Farage and its going to make the general public run to the SNP on election night when the SNP hasn’t delivered on any mandates since 2014. Nigel Farage got a referendum from the UKG on Brexit and won its a pity the SNP doesn’t have his get up and go attitude on the constitutional question.
I’ve been supporting the SNP all my life and I’m 55 when did anyone have to hide their name regarding the party they belonged to in order to speak this shows how bad it really is within the SNP.
‘the bedrock of any nation—particularly one seeking independence—should be a moral and economic framework that unites its people under shared values and purpose.’
I disagree with this article in full, not because I don’t share some, if not most, of the socialist principles, but because the purpose of Independence is to enable the self-determined, majority, democratic will of the people of Scotland. Full Stop.
What this article does, and its author promotes, is a suttle version of – ‘only when we have 60% or 75% support’ should we go for it. This author’s version, is only when we know the majority will vote the same way we do, should we go for it.
In current climes, anyone who argues that biology is real, is deemed ‘far right’, and anyone who speaks of even modest forms of immigration control, is deemed ‘more racist than Hitler’.
This anonymous councillor is kite flying a virtue signalling excuse for not going for Indy. I can hear it now, ‘we can’t go for Indy just now, Farage is too high in the polls.’
Sadly I fear he will fool enough Independence supporting voters, Both votes SNP to keep Nigel at bay.