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So we’re all out of step except Jack. Apart from Labour, all the political parties in Scotland, plus academics, journalists and opinion pollsters are united in saluting the idea of the Scottish Parliament having more powers. Jack McConnell, first minister, begs to differ and in a bare-faced U-turn has resorted to saluting Britishness and what he calls the Union “dividend”.
But there is one other vital element missing from this new political consensus: the Scottish press. Just as BBC Scotland’s new series Deadline and the accompanying book by Harry Reid recall the heyday of newspapers fighting for circulation in the toughest market in Europe, our present generation of editors seems to have been struck dumb by the constitutional question. Do they not learn from history?
Scottish newspapers, especially the broadsheets, never fared better than in the 1970s and 1990s when they crusaded for home rule. In today’s political ferment in Scotland, with the SNP knocking at the door of power, there appears to be a conspiracy of editorial timidity. And circulations are collapsing. Is there not surely a connection?
One of the points made in Deadline was the success of the powerful Scottish Daily Express in the 1960s. Those of a certain age remember the Express for its adventurism in championing the Scottish interest. You could disagree with its politics but you had to admit it was never boring and it believed in campaigning for what it considered was best for Scotland. It did so fearlessly and with huge commercial success (until mismanagement and union militancy brought it down).
And today? Where is there one Scottish newspaper furiously demanding a stronger parliament in line with public opinion? Where is there a newspaper that champions independence as favoured, we are told by pollsters, by a majority of Scots? There is none. Never has been. It never ceases to amaze me that not one newspaper in Scotland supports the main opposition party and the policy of independence supported by half of the six parties in Holyrood. That is not only anti-democratic, it is a disgrace to journalism and an affront to free speech.
What is especially frustrating is that some of the best journalists in Scotland are firm supporters of independence. Too many to mention, but let’s name a few of them, for they deserve recognition for their courage: Ian Bell, most people’s choice as the pre-eminent columnist of the moment; his namesake, Alex Bell (no relation) who has now gone into business with allmediascotland.com (try it, it’s a great site); Harry Reid, my former editor on The Herald, who has become a more recent convert; and George Kerevan on the Scotsman. On the distaff side Joan McAlpine has bravely punted independence as the antidote to Scotland’s ills under the Union. And then there are those like Ruth Wishart and Iain Macwhirter who are not committed independistas but will at least play fair on the issue.
The trouble is, they’re not editors. And the trouble with those few editors who sometimes flirt with independence is that they’re not proprietors who dictate policy.
I know the pressures put on editors. When I was writing politics for The Herald my editor was told he could not support independence because it could cost the paper revenue. There was not a shred of evidence to support this. Our view was that a courageous editorial line would do the opposite and increase sales. But he was overruled. And by whom? By the management of the Scottish Media Group – our then proprietor - whose commercial judgment is now shown by recent events to be clueless.
Even playing fair was not enough for Labour in its dealings with The Herald. When we insisted on being even-handed with Labour and the SNP we were denied £100,000 worth of Labour advertising which went to all of our closest competitors.
So supporting independence editorially carries risks: ask those journalists whose careers have been damaged by it. All those broadcasters who are shunted from politics to sport or columnists who are fired while journalists loyal to the Unionist parties are left free to carry on. ‘Twas ever thus.
Well, I have a message for today’s generation of Scottish newspaper editors. Do yourselves a favour and your readers a service: have the guts to speak up for those voters in Scotland who don’t want the Union, at least not the Union as it is. Look what happened to the Scotsman as its circulation withered when it betrayed its tradition of campaigning for home rule. Have the courage to embrace independence as at least an option for the betterment of Scotland. See how the Herald’s sales are declining as it retreats into playing safe with Scottish politics. Even the mighty Daily Record is crumbling as it continues to act as an election leaflet for Unionist Labour.
Try being constructive with independence: it could be the saving of you.
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