Glasgow’s Science Centre, IMAX Auditorium, was the iconic venue for the introspective retrospective by the production team behind ‘The Aye’s Have It’. I was invited about a week before to attend and document with photography and I thought I’d share a peek behind the curtain of “The Scottish Independence Referendum: 10 years on”.
My initial thought upon agreeing to take photos was “I am not a photographer”, so instead of trying to be something I am not, I tried to think – if I was sitting at home – how would I get a sense of the event. I hope through the pictures I convey some of that.
You may also note briefly: there was no counter event. It’s easy for those of unionist persuasion to make derisory comment about the poor attendance to a wet weather outside rally. It’s not credible for them to impune the success of the IMAX hosted sell out show, as 10 years on, the powers that be, forgot to highlight the ‘benefits’ of our union.
Around an hour before the show, the operations team and cast began to show up for a pre show briefing, these things take a lot of orchestration and planning to run at a good pace. I’d offer my unhelpful facts – the GSC IMAX is Scotland’s largest cinema screen and that the last time I’d visited was to watch the Avengers Endgame movie. Alex Salmond would perk an ear, quipping ‘Avengers you say’.
I’d leave the titans of the 2014 referendum to assist the technical team with their prep – everyone needs a spare pare of hands on a large event!
You get a sense of the family nature still in the Yes Movement by looking at who’s wandering about. Corri and her daughter Shannon would be front host, Gail and her daughter Christina would escort and inform, Tasmina’s husband and daughters would usher in the hall and have all rows filled in. It was an amusing experience for me – as I’d be talking with Callum who was setting up the filming for the event – and between everyone working with their daughters I’d share I am expecting my first child, a daughter this October, as it happens Callum would be having his second child just two days before!
I couldn’t help but think, like in the Avenger’s story, the transition and generational handover of the independence movement would likely be to the people in this room and their children. It’s long been said a woman destroyed the independence movement, but I can’t help but establish it’ll be a woman that saves it.
The show auditorium fills up, taking a lot longer than anticipated, but it seems time seeks revenge on those who wandered the streets in 2014 for many hours delivering leaflets and banging doors leaving many slightly less able footed. The stage and screen is illuminated with a familiar and embracing ‘Yes Scotland Blue’ – with the audience being illuminated in a soft haze of crimson light.
Tasmina will kick off the show, welcoming everyone and laying out the format. The show is broken up as the stage is reset every ‘section’ by contemporaneous clips from the referendum.
First up is Alex Salmond who will be interrogating Bernard Ponsonby. Alex will say he’s waited many decades for the opportunity to even the score. Bernard will tell the tale of the referendum from the broadcasters perspective. Interestingly he holds the same tone as his on air persona – this will not drop until the very end of the show. It’s intriguing that even with Alex Salmond pushing hard – the broadcaster in Bernard does not flinch. Effortlessly he dismisses concerns about impartiality and poses the thought – perhaps Yes supporters were just more vocal and collided towards each other they never hesitated to count the voices not joining them.
In his factual analysis – there is one nugget he left on the table and this is my interpretation rather than his words. They had to demonstrate fairness to OFCOM if challenged. Now if I read between the lines here – much of the content was never challenged effectively or factually, and secondly I suspect in the case of us witnessing many Labour/Tory councillors appearing as ‘undecided voters’ – they were just better at lying to get into debates than truth telling Yessers.
The second set would feature Joanna Cherry, Michelle Thomson and Phillipa Whitford. These three MP’s of the 2015 SNP intake would talk about their rise through the ranks, they’d talk about the professional bodies for Yes, and why their backgrounds wouldn’t have previously hinted at them being independence supporters and why not to assume our support all looks and sounds the same.
After a hard hitting double act, we’d roll into a softer segment with Stuart Campbell of Wings Over Scotland, it should be noted he garnered the largest ovation of the guests. I must admit I was ready for ‘social media Stu’ rather than ‘Blogger Stu’ but it was the latter that would arrive on stage, and I don’t recall him swearing once. He’d talk of the Wee Blue Book and the motivation behind Wings. Alex would press him on the fake reverend act and Stuart would combat back with ‘anyone could be fake reverend’. I particularly enjoyed the depth to this line – as atheists such as myself would probably contend all reverends are fake.
Set three would be Alex interviewing Kirk Torrance, John Ferguson and Bernard Ponsonby on the effect of social media on the campaign and its then-novel use. While the content was fascinating, what captured my imagination more in this particular moment was the humbleness and humility from Alex Salmond – it’s not often that gets written. He was enjoying this retrospective from people who both agreed and did not with him.
It could continue in the fourth set with Dennis Canavan and Tasmina talking about ‘Yes Scotland’ the organisation. The tone at this point had flipped from the ‘faucet of independence’ being Salmond onto why it would be the next generation that would take it forward, a handing over of the tactics and the reins to the youth. It felt like grandfather figures trying to give tips and tricks on tackling the establishment. It was a rare moment that was devoid of political opportunism and frank talk.
It made sense for set five to be the people we had lost on the journey with a montage of independence freedom fighters lost along the way. Fergus Ewing would be this panel’s guest and speak of his experience from Madam Ecosse’s rise to where we got led astray. He would speak with the most fire and anger of the evening and pin blame on individuals for ruining the momentum and cohesion of the movement. He’d also accidentally leak a few Sunday exclusive stories on the way.
This led us neatly into the penultimate segment with Christina Hendry who had turned 16 for the first referendum and 16-year-old Lena who would vote in the next giving their views on the experience of the youth in politics and the environment in which they’ve developed. Lena who has won many accolades for her debating ability hails from Broxburn Academy – I happened to be sat behind the teachers who’d come to support her on stage. They’d ask themselves if Tasmina would say every school was the best depending on the event, while I said nothing at the time, I can say for certainty, she would! As she did earlier in the week when she told me her favourite school were participating.
Finally, we would end the near 4 hour event with Bernard interviewing Alex Salmond and Alex Neil on some final thoughts for the future. The three men highlighted the debate and cause going on beyond them, a ceremonial handover of the guard. It was touching to watch and I enjoyed Bernard finally breaking his “Broadcaster Bass” to move on to doing an impression of Alex Neil which had the audience laughing – a lovely final note.
The show would close and this is where the whole point of my blog began. Alex Salmond would caution in the final set that ‘circumstances and events could quickly change the tides and bring about a second chance’, much in the way his government winning a surprising election victory in 2011 did. Several of the cast hobbled back onto the stage aided by crutches and walking sticks – again a testament to the hard miles they have done on foot. I found an odd smirk.
It took nearly 20 years of build-up for the Avengers to reach ‘Endgame’ and win the battle. However, there is one scene that brings me to a tear and stops me no matter what I am doing. I suspect from Salmond’s initial quip ‘Avengers you say?”, that being a fellow Trekkie, he is also a Marvel fan, he knew exactly the scene that took two decades to reach. I watched that very moment the last time I was in this building.
As the beleaguered original Avengers stood facing down Thanos, worn down by the battle that had transpired and on the cusp of all being lost, a radio call plays into Captain America’s ear “On Your Left”. Portals open and allies emerge to vastly tip the battle into the favour of the next generation of Avengers. As the audience provides rapturous applause – Salmond faces stage left.
The Scottish Independence Referendum: 10 years on, is not a review just of the past, but a preview and trailer for the future.
