Independence, devolution and autonomy are ideas starting to appear regularly in the public eye. In Scotland, there are citizens campaigning for independence (Wishart, 2014). In Catalonia too (BBC, 2014). In Italy, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is being upstaged in his wishes to devolve greater powers to the cities by the cities themselves (Adams et al, 2014).
As the opposing factions in Scotland debate tonight, the same main issue will circle the debate, as has circled the campaign thus far. From Scotland to Catalonia, the debate has come around and round again to the economic consequences (Hunter, 2014). Will it be disastrous? Can the provinces survive without the power of central government? Can central government survive without taxes being levied from the provinces?
As important as the impact of financial decisions will be, it only goes to reinforce one of the primary factors driving people away from politics in disgust. Economics drives the policy decisions, rather than policy setting the economic direction (Cave & Rowell, 2014).
Yet regional, provincial or city self-government can be about so much more than the money. Regionalism can be about bringing power back closer to the people (Gruen, 2014). There is room to give people a say in the running of the places they live, as individuals rather than always as part of some broader identity group. As such, it does not need to be about nationalism either. It can be about representation, rather than narrowing and retreating. At the moment, nation-states seem to be entirely too guilty of that themselves to be pointing fingers at the provinces (Seth-Smith, 2013).
Nation-states are scrambling to keep their grip. The political factions invested in them, and entrenched within their identities, are desperate to prop up systems that are no longer inspiring the confidence they once did (Orr, 2014). Nationalism once toppled imperialism and the politics of dynasties, all in the name of liberty - freedom for the people.
But somewhere along the way it has just morphed into yet another tool of the establishment for maintaining the status quo. Now we find central governments trying to wrestle with, or woo, globalised corporations and have stand-offs with multi-national political entities, while also telling local authorities what funding they can and cannot spend.
While central government hoards power it is either too small or too large to wield, autonomy is being lost. Open borders and globalised trade mean that progressive regionalism, bringing power back closer to individuals for the decision-making that affects their own lives, doesn't need to stymie their financial wellbeing.
That will be an important matter tonight. Alistair Darling, the former UK Chancellor on behalf of Better Together, and Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister on behalf of the pro-independence Yes Scotland, will debate Scotland's future on BBC Two at 20:30 (and BBC One Scotland), and the biggest issue will be whether autonomy or union will be better for each country and the individuals composing them, financially.
But the people of Scotland, and not just of Scotland, should not have to choose between the right to self-governing autonomy and co-operating with other people of other nations, in other countries or provinces. They can co-exist. If nation-states continue to force their provinces to make a choice between the two, it is likely Scotland's independence referendum will not be the last.
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References:
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+ Ruth Wishart's 'Scottish independence debate – time for the second TV ding-dong'; in The Guardian; 24 August 2014.
+ The BBC's 'Spanish parliament rejects Catalan independence vote'; 9 April 2014.
+ Eddy Adams, Raffaele Barbato & Francesco Carollo's 'Devolution, Italian-style – the cities forging their own futures'; in The Guardian; 30 July 2014.
+ Teresa Hunter's 'The true costs of Scottish independence: How it will affect your money'; in The Telegraph; 27 February 2014.
+ Tamasin Cave & Andy Rowell's 'The truth about lobbying: 10 ways big business controls government'; in The Guardian; 12 March 2014.
+ Peter Gruen's 'Leeds city council's radical step to give more power to the people'; on The Northerner Blog; in The Guardian; 30 June 2014.
+ Niki Seth-Smith's 'UKIP and the rise of English nationalism'; on opendemocracy.net; 17 July 2013.
+ Deborah Orr's 'There is a lot more to British democracy than Westminster – or there should be'; in The Guardian; 14 March 2014.
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