The document discusses the events of 2014 in Scotland and around the world. It summarizes that 2014 saw immense tragedy worldwide including from Ebola, violence, and warfare. However, it also saw the rise of a powerful independence movement in Scotland that galvanized the people and gave them hope. Though the referendum to leave the UK failed, the Yes movement showed that people can empower themselves and transform their lives by taking control where possible. It suggests this movement sparked hope that could inspire change beyond Scottish independence.

1. The National 6
The awful randomness of life wasbroughttothe heartof Glasgow lastweek. Unimaginable grief
was inflicted onfamilies whocouldneverhave imaginedthe freak accidentthatwouldsweepaway
the normality of a routine Christmasshoppingday. There are nowords.
2014 has seenimmensetragedy acrossthe world. Ebolahasclaimedthousands of lives;violence
has claimedmanymore. FromPeshawartoGaza, innocents have been massacred byviolentmen,
warped byfundamentalism andproduced bygeo-politicsthatthe billionsof soulsonthisplanet
cannot begintoexplain, nevermindcontrol.
Whenyoustop and think– the scale of itall is overwhelming. How doesanyone getoutof bedin
the morning?But we do. The otherside of the pointlessness of humansufferingisthe wonderof
humanresilience.
Thisyear many more people’sliveshave becomeastruggle forsurvival. The Bullingdon Boysare in
charge, makingmillions payforthe blunders of the billionaires. ‘Austerity’ isaboutmakingthe folk
whoprotestedagainstthe Iraqwar pay itsdebts. It’saboutmakingfolk whoprotested againstPFI
pay itsdebts. It’saboutmakingthe people whomake useful thingsandprovide usefulservices pay
for the greedandrecklessness of the money menwhoproduced nothingandgave nothing.
Many folk spend mostof theirlivesfeelingdisempowered –hostages toforces that seem
permanent. Childrenbornonthe wrongside of the streetare destined forpoverty, ill healthand
premature death. Womenare bornintoa worldwhichseesthemassecond classcitizens. Children
and familiesare turned intorefugees byrampagingcorporations andthe warswagedbywhat
Americanfilm-make Michael Moore called‘StupidWhiteMen’.
What isthe point? Ina worldthatalienates mostof us, itis notsurprisingthatso many seek
anaesthesiawhetherthroughthe X Factor, the Kardashians or, in extremis, heroin.
But thisyearthe people didnotstandbyhelpless. Thisyearpeoplewere outonthe streets,
throngingtownhallsandrisinglike giantsfromslumber. The possibility of grabbingabitof control in
a dangerous worldthroughindependence galvanised folk like I’veneverseenbefore. Inthe yearsof
stagnantpolitics before, slumpedinfrontof Come Dine WithMe, I neverimagined sucha
flourishing.
That an organisation like WomenforIndependence, forexample, couldburgeon intwoshortyears
froma chat overdinnertoa network of thousands of women in60 local groups across Scotland isa
breathtakinglessoninthe dynamicsof movements. A lesson inhow easy itis, actually, when we
formcompounds fromatoms, to turn the world upside down.
The whole Yesmovementsaw the same phenomenon. Forthose of uswhowere there, drinkingit
in, livingandbreathingitevery day, upanddownthe country, itwas truly life changing. NeverwasI
more sure that there is a point.
Despite the overwhelmingoddsof takingonthe Britishestablishmentandall the machinery atits
disposal, andswimminglike leapingsalmonagainstanoverwhelmingtide of negativemedia, 1.6
millionpeoplevotedyes.
Duringthe referendum campaignIrememberchallengingsome of the Scottishcommentariaton
theircynical, sceptical viewof the movementrisingundertheirfeet. Diditreally exist, theyasked?

2. The National 6
Well they know now. Andsome have begunfrothingatthe mouthat the audacity of those who
refused toobey theirlordsandmasters. Writinginthe Telegraph yesterday [Sunday] the Scottish-
born London-basedjournalistBruce Anderson calledforEnglandto“save the Scots fromself-
destruction”.
“The Englishare entitled topreventthe ScottishGovernmentfromimplementingcrazypolicies,”
he insisted. Westminstershouldrefuse todevolve “anypowersthatwould notbe sensibly
exercised.”Andif Scotland doesinthe future vote forindependence, those regions whichvote no
shouldbe carvedout of Scotland and ruledfromLondon, he insisted.
These colonial rantingsare driven byasense of panicthat the oldworldof deferenceisdying. This
was notjusta movementforindependence –itwas a movementforhope, progress, fairness,
equality andjustice. Repeated publicattitude surveys showed thatvotingyeswenthand-inhand
withsupportingpublicownership, opposingnuclearweapons andbeinginfavourof redistributionof
wealth.
We sensed we couldwin. We didn’t- butthe folk inpowergot the biggestwake upcall they’ve
everhad. Anddespite amajority votingno, it’sthe folk whovotedyeswhoare holdingtheirheads
high, whoare thinkingahead, whoare throngingpolitical meetingswhile the Noparties are still
tryingto figure outwhathappened.
It isincredible,thatdespite all the pressures of the world, the daily struggles, the momentous
traumas andbereavements many will have endured thisyear, hope became contagious and
abundant.
In a way, it doesn’tmatterthatthat hope wasinspired bysupportforindependence. What
mattersmostis that hope waspossible andgave aglimpse of a country and livestransformed by
seizingpowerwhereyoucan. Our biggestcitywitnessed itall.