2014, being a decade ago, is a mind-boggling concept. After all, it marks ten years of unforgettable moments, such as the Flappy Bird craze and Luis Suárez’s bizarre vampiric episodes. Politically, however, it was Scotland‘s independence referendum that dominated national and international headlines.
It’s no wonder there was such a frenzy surrounding the vote, for it threatened to dismantle Britain’s 307-year-old union.
Not only that, but debates persisted throughout 2014 regarding whether Scotland could be self-sustaining as an independent entity. Questions also arose regarding whether the rest of the UK could economically survive the departure of its second-biggest nation.
But we won’t merely dwell on what could’ve been or go on a trip down memory lane.
Instead, let’s take a look at how much of an impact that crucial referendum has had on both British and international politics. As we do so, it will become apparent that it’s a legacy which persists to this day.
What Was The IndyRef?
The Scottish National Party (SNP), led by then-leader Alex Salmond, witnessed consistent and prominent gains in local and national elections throughout the late 2000s and 2010s.
Thanks to these promising results for the pro-independence party, the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 was passed through Holyrood. This occurred following successful talks between Westminster and the Scottish government.
Two groups, Better Together (pro-union) and the Yes Scotland campaign (pro-independence), would embark on impassioned speeches and debates that sought to attract supporters to their cause.
The pro-union campaign was largely backed by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives, two of the nation’s most prominent parties. While the Yes campaign saw popular SNP and Scottish Greens figures profess the benefits that would come from an autonomous Scotland.
Back-and-forth arguments were understandably commonplace during that historic year. It wasn’t even merely between politicians. but also among ordinary folk.
Scottish Independence: The Pros & Cons
Many of the arguments in favor of and against Scottish independence are as relevant now as they were ten years ago.
Back in 2014, the principal argument espoused by pro-independence supporters was regarding the Scottish electorate having the right to decide who governed the nation.
This idea emerged following years of dissatisfaction with Westminster and the House of Lords’ power over the devolved nations by means of privatization, engaging in international conflict, as well as costly ideas such as Trident and HS2.
Self-governance would, according to the Yes campaign, allow Scotland to develop a productive and longevity-focused relationship with the EU, allowing the nation to become better off economically.
Yet pro-union campaigners argued that trade with the UK and even the EU would be at risk of being detrimentally impacted. Better Together campaigners also warned against the possibility of EU renegotiations flailing or taking a great amount of time longer than anticipated.
Additional costs as a result of HMRC being split or duplicated post-independence, as well as the single energy market being dismantled, would also hinder Scotland’s short- and long-term prosperity, according to pro-union figures.
The Better Together campaign also lambasted the SNP for its claims that Scotland would become economically prosperous in a similar vein to Norway thanks to a presumed oil fund.
Pro-union figures responded by explaining how the nation’s debt and spending habits meant that the comparison was not viable.
Following these contentious issues causing months-long division across the UK’s political spectrum, polling day finally arrived on September 18, 2014; 55% voted ‘Yes’, while 45% voted ‘No’.
How IndyRef Reshaped British Politics
Despite the Yes campaign falling short in securing enough votes, the national newspaper The Herald explained the referendum’s impact most eloquently and accurately: “It failed to win independence, but Yes transformed politics in Scotland and changed the UK forever.”
Shortly after the referendum results, Alex Salmond resigned as First Minister. This left Nicola Sturgeon with the tricky job of maintaining the SNP’s peak popularity – and that she did!
The following year’s general election saw the SNP achieve an unprecedented landslide victory. They ended up winning 56 out of 59 seats across Scotland.
Four years later, and in 2019 the SNP maintained their support with another huge win. Was this a sign that Scots sought a redo of the referendum? Perhaps.
But things change quickly in politics, and unfortunately, the 2020s weren’t so kind to the party.
Hit by numerous scandals, namely stemming from a police probe into the SNP’s finances, Nicola Sturgeon resigned in 2023.
Humza Yousaf was subsequently placed in the former’s position almost a decade prior. That is, having to reengage voters in order to make a second referendum a viable mandate.
But SNP infighting and impending unpopularity resulted in Yousaf having a rather short-lived tenure. Things only got worse after the party held a disappointing 9 seats following the 2024 general election.
With the current state of the party, it doesn’t seem as though independence will be achievable anytime soon.
The independence dream is further clouded by the Supreme Court judgement. The ruling stated that Westminster must approve a second independence referendum.
The Global Influence Of The Yes Campaign
But the prospect of the IndyRef, entailing a nation deciding on self-determination and self-governance, has been influential across Europe.
The most blatant example of this has to be Brexit, the most divisive referendum result to have occurred perhaps ever.
An extremely divisive campaign, coupled with xenophobia, illegal campaign methods, and hostile slogans, led to the Leave side winning.
Perhaps that’s why Scots rallied around the SNP so passionately in the late 2010s. Namely, as Scotland overwhelmingly voted to maintain UK-EU ties, rather than sever them so destructively.
But France’s ‘Frexit’ and Italy’s ‘Italexit’ too were arguably byproducts of the IndyRef. They stemmed from an urge to localize legislation and self-govern to a greater extent.
The only difference is the often anti-immigrant stance that is associated with such movements to the more inclusive IndyRef campaign.
But in 2024, things seem to have shifted once more politically. As we mentioned, Scots aren’t too impassioned about the prospect of independence currently. While support for nations leaving the EU is ever-dwindling.
Even Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Eurosceptic, fascist-leaning Prime Minister, is less inclined to support Italexit.
Nevertheless, it’s certainly undeniable that Scotland’s 2014 referendum on independence reshaped politics in the years succeeding the vote.
