Is Scottish Independence the Answer to Racism?
Scottish independence has been headline news internationally this week following the resignation of Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. As part of the CRER Perspectives series, Kafui Akpo-Young explores some of the potential implications of Scottish independence for race and anti-racism.
The UK political landscape is becoming more desperate, and Scottish independence is arguably gaining more credibility. The independence movement is centred around a passionate plea for fairness which its supporters claim isn’t possible within the Westminster system. As a result, the identity of the movement has become one that accepts everyone of all backgrounds with a strong leaning towards the acceptance of migrants specifically. This is often pitted against the increasingly right leaning policies and views on immigration that the current Government in Westminster produces, and that have become increasingly synonymous with British nationalism. In this environment, British nationalism is associated with anti-immigrant and racist feelings with Scottish nationalism coming from the completely opposite position.
Scottish Exceptionalism
It would be unfair to claim that all Scottish nationalists believe that Scotland is completely free from anti-immigration and racist sentiment, but these issues are still primarily attributed to British nationalism amongst the movement. The debate surrounding Scottish independence is highly polarising and is often split into the progressive and leftist Scottish nationalists versus the conservative, centre-right unionists. Logically, it’s then easy to conclude that racism within Scotland is a British nationalist problem as right-wing political values are more associated with racism.
Scottish nationalists might argue that independence would greatly diminish British nationalism and consequently reduce racial inequalities. However, there’s a disturbing amount of naivety within the independence movement on racism and inequalities in Scotland. This is partly due to ignorance on the issues and partly due to needing to uphold Scotland’s welcoming reputation in order to suit political agendas.
Reality of Racism in Scotland
The issue with Scottish nationalists placing Scotland in this completely opposing position to the UK is that it vastly exaggerates how progressive Scotland is. The relatively smaller population of BME people in Scotland has historically allowed this narrative to be carried, with the Scottish BME experience often going unheard. As a result, mainstream discussions on fairness and racial equality are often headed by those who don’t face racial discrimination which leads to inaccurate representations of Scotland.
For example, as of 2022 the Scottish Parliament has six BME MSPs with none of them being Black, African or Caribbean. Even with a growing Scottish BME population, there are a low number of BME people in positions of power and influence. How are we supposed to address deep racial issues when the parliament has so few BME representatives?
Ignorance about racial issues angers BME people and could push them away from any independence movement. It’s reported that a third of Black and Asian people in Scotland face discrimination, racial hate crime is the most commonly reported crime in Scotland and most BME people don’t report the racial hate crime they receive due to lack of trust in the criminal justice system. To deny the lived experiences of BME people in Scotland is to gaslight them and is immensely damaging to their physical and mental health. This will leave BME people lacking trust and confidence in the potential for a progressive, independent Scotland.
Political Agendas
Not everyone who is an advocate for Scottish nationalism is completely ignorant to these realities. There are those who are aware that there are serious racial issues within Scotland but choose to leave these to one side whilst they focus on the objective of independence. This is perhaps the more sinister side of whiteness and how colonial logics can find their way into the most ‘civic’ of nationalisms. Partly because of this, there remains a feeling amongst Scottish nationalists that Scottish people have inherently more progressive values than those in England and unfortunately, this encapsulates what the independence movement is often about.
There is a ‘white saviour’ complex that presents itself within the Scottish independence movement and portrays actions as more selfless than they are. The reality is that the idea of a movement that is all inclusive and welcomes migrants can be very effective for a political campaign and is not new to ethnic states within nations that have parties with hard immigration stances (see Catalonia in Spain and Quebec in Canada). To win independence referendums, differences must be exaggerated if they are not already obvious.
It’s easy for the Scottish Government to say they welcome migrants to Scotland when they don’t have the powers to control immigration at present. It’s also useful to distract away from the brutal realities of institutional racism that currently exist within the country. It’s essential to welcome migrants to Scotland at present and especially if independence occurs. The Scottish population is aging and requires a significant workforce if it’s to achieve success in an independent Scotland and so it’s not surprising when the First Minister said in 2019:
“In Scotland, we know … that the Westminster approach to migration – as well as being deeply inhumane – poses an existential threat to our future prosperity.”
For many in the independence movement, this may not appear to be a controversial comment, but it perfectly captures the underlying tones in Scottish inclusivity. Here, the inhumanity of Westminster migration policy is second to the economic threat of not having more open migration.
The treatment of migrants as a necessary source of labour is nothing new and we often see the humanity of a migrant granted only after proving they can be a successful contributor to their adoptive country. This is no different in Scotland, meaning that the ‘welcoming’ nature of white Scottish people is frequently still rooted in racial prejudice.
Research expresses how Black and brown people in Scotland feel that Scottishness is still synonymous with being white. Despite the inclusive reputation Scotland receives, Black and brown people are still made to feel they’re not truly Scottish through ‘welcoming’ interactions that infantilise and exclude.
European Internationalism
The progressiveness of Scottish nationalism has been highlighted over the 2016 Brexit referendum. Scotland predominantly voting to remain in the European Union strengthened the international inclusive values that the independence movement seeks to promote. However, even within this we can see limitations.
It’s easy to see the EU as promoting internationalism, which is one of the reasons why Scottish nationalists seek to attach their morals and values to the organisation. Scotland’s potential future membership of the EU isn’t solely about internationalism to promote fairness and equality; it’s predominantly to strengthen an independent Scotland economically.
If there was a radical approach to fairness and equality, as well as migration, there would be a more open and honest discussion on EU migration policies. In 2022 the UN condemned how African migrants are dehumanised at the borders of European Union nations, indicating that the internationalism sought by Scottish independence is often limited by Eurocentric thinking.
There’s a consistent issue across all of Europe (not just the EU) at present, where increased migration leads to increased racism and xenophobia. With research showing that the word ‘immigrant’ is synonymous with Black and brown people, racial prejudice is likely to increase in an independent Scotland. There are higher levels of racial prejudice and racism seen in other ‘progressive’ nations such as the Nordic countries and in Ireland (which is sometimes a talking point within the independence debate due to cultural similarities and its independence from Britain).
Re-Evaluation
There must be a more honest conversation between, and with, Scottish nationalists over what independence can truly offer BME groups. It must be done without glossing over the brutal realities of racism in Scotland. It’s a very uncomfortable conversation to have, particularly when looking to sell Scottish independence. Ironically, this is one reason why many BME people are not vehemently expressing the racism they receive, out of fear they’ll tarnish the friendly reputation Scotland has gained.
This is exactly why the emphasis on Scotland being very open and inclusive needs to be re-evaluated when considering independence. Otherwise, Scotland risks sleepwalking into a racist cauldron.
A forthcoming CRER Perspectives article will set out a different take on Scottish independence.
To have your say on Scotland’s institutions, society and culture, find out more about pitching your writing ideas to CRER Perspectives below.
CRER Perspectives is a programme for non-fiction writers, including journalists and researchers. Through this programme, we share space on our website with aspiring and early-career Black and minority ethnic writers. This is a platform for fresh perspectives and voices.
The programme offers paid opportunities to contribute to the debate on race and racism in Scotland. Using a simple pitching system with a few basic guidelines, ideas that chime with our vision and mission are selected for commissioning.
Find out more and download the pitching pack: CRER Perspectives
