Friday Video Corner - Mitford Family Memorial Edition

So farewell then...

Alex Salmond; well you've got to feel sorry for him today. An unremarkable social democratic politician, heading a party that isn't even that good, thrust into the limelight by the national question and the dreadfulness of New Labour.

The SNP, under a new leadership, could be set to storm home in Scotland next year. For years, Labour has relied on West of Scotland seats returning Labour MPs on derisory turnouts. Yesterday these seats turned out at around the 75% mark. And they voted 'Yes'. If I were Ed Miliband, I'd be worried.

Friday Video Corner

Something could have happened

And something did happen, to the extent that the Yes campaign galvanised wide support and showed us a different way of doing politics. Turnout was incredible, especially in Glasgow and as a friend reminded me, this at least has the virtuous effect of undermining the complacency with which dull, leadership loyal, Labour MPs have treated West of Scotland seats as sinecures. It also shows up commonplace assertions about 'apathy' to be the over-simplifications they are. Start talking about things that matter, and people vote.

All of that said, it was a decisive 'no' vote, at the time of writing looking about 54%, 46%. Your host is tired, hungover from whisky and hope, and doesn't have too much to say at this stage. A few bullet points then:

• The secure result was secured on the basis of panicked promises of devomax, and threats about currency and business exodus. 
• That said, it was probably too secure to undermine Cameron's position.
• Expect, however, Tory infighting and attempts to retreat from the promises of the campaign's last week. 
• The UK's third largest city voted decisively against being part of the UK, as did Scotland's own third city. This should prompt a bit of reflection.
• UKIP are already positioning themselves as a 'pro-English' party with respect to debates around devomax, federalism, and the Barnett formula. This is concerning and needs watching.
• It looks like the 'yes' vote was higher amongst younger people. If that is right, then this has not been settled for good.
• What McDonnell said:

Can say it now polls have closed.Never again should Labour go in with Tories in a campaign coalition.Disillusions & divides our supporters.
— John McDonnell (@johnmcdonnellMP) September 18, 2014

Vote 'yes' in Scotland

And when I am in the boards
my words will be a prophecy.

They will return, the stock of the crofters
Who were driven out of the sea.

And the aristocratic 'beggars'
will be routed as they were.

Deer and sheep will be carted away
and the glens will be tilled;

A time of sowing and a time of reaping,
and a time to reward the robbers.

And the cold ruined houses
will be built up by our kind.

The last poem of Mary MacDonald, marking the end of an artistic life set against the horror of the Highland Clearances.

If you are registered to vote in Scotland tomorrow, you have the chance to redeem some of the bloody history of that country's oppression. You should do so, and vote 'yes'. And, wherever you are, the ultimate task is to consign to history the capitalist system which destroyed lives for profit years ago in the Highlands, and continues to do so today.

The working class is better together, the British state isn't

I've already explained why I support a 'yes' vote tomorrow here and here.

A brief post, then, merely to deride the last desperate recourse of the red-tinged wing of Better Together. It is about class unity. Don't divide Britain and Scotland! That will divide the working class. So say the dimmer recesses of ultra-leftism, and, um, Ed Miliband.

The thought that working class solidarity can, and does, cross borders doesn't occur. Nor does the thought that, if solidarity stops at borders then - given global capitalism - we are all well and truly fucked. Already.

Look, however, it the version of 'working class' identity that is being offered by, at least, the Labour leadership. It is a distinctly Blue Labour vision of a class whose solidarity stops at national borders (there, is, for instance, no question of solidarity with undocumented workers). Wrapped in the Union Jack and nostalgic talk of togetherness and community, like some kind of past-it mod revival, the proponents of this view lecture a 'yes' movement that has been marked by left-wing politics and internationalism about the dangers of nationalism from a position of British chauvinism. Their picture of the working class belongs in a living museum. Let's put it out of its misery, and breathe life into the real thing.

Friday Video Corner - Scottish Referendum Special