YouSaid · the spoken record

Mhairi Black

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51
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2024-11-18
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2024-11-18
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  1. “That anymore well, no, I don't feel guilty because I suppose I always looked at it. Don't get me wrong, I took the responsibility seriously and it was a very heavy thing and, you know, representing people, but it was a job and I firmly believe that you work to live not the other way about. And I'm a human being and ultimately if I'm miserable, then yes, in my head it might be for some grander cause and some big thing. You need to go with your gut. You can only do what you can do. And if your body and your mind's telling you, stop going to stop, then I think if anything, it's in a broad sense it would be more selfish to stay because then I would be representing people in my heart, Nilana, and I'm not being able to give my best. And, you know, if you're tired, it starts to show. So in that sense, no, I don't feel guilty personally and professionally. I think it's the right thing.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  2. “It should have been a peak, but no, I think we will get independence. But I suppose where I'm fearful is it will either be a civic movement that, much like the Scottish Parliament being established or it will be essentially, to put it crudely, England saying, no, we don't want you anymore. Just cutting off. It'll be one of the two of them. And I don't know which it will be, but I've no doubt that it will happen.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  3. “I'm absolutely going to stay engaged in politics. Like I say, it's everywhere. I think, especially when your brain's kind of hardwired to see the political angle to everything, it's hard to escape. In my lifetime, I do think so. I have no doubt that Scotland will become independent. It's just a case of how and when it happens.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  4. “The impression I get is well, first off, I don't think Keir Starmer's left wing, that's the first thing. I think he's a very pragmatic and practical to a fault to the point where I think to an extent he's similar to Salmon in that he'll say what he has to say in order to get where he needs to go. So his beliefs will change radically. But I also think part of his issue is he doesn't know who he's picking a fight with. And when you're Prime Minister, you need to know what is it we're tackling. And right now I think that he's so comfortable with his campaign slogans and the platitudes. I think that's how we're starting to see him flounder.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  5. “Would kind of change their way of thinking, and from there you're able to, you know, there's folk who are going to have opportunities they never would have had. They can go explore the world in ways that they couldn't before. Like my folks being able to go to university, the only reason we were able to do that is because the then Labour government went, right, how much money shouldn't affect your ability to further your education?”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  6. “Or I would be looking much more to the Scandinavian countries to see what's worked there and what hasn't. I think not just in terms of likes, for instance, see a citizen's income, a basic income, I would implement that immediately. That would be the first thing so that at least we know, right, there's some radical change that's happened and it's actually putting pounds in people's pockets. So that would be the first thing. If you're going to fundamentally change society, you have to do it in tandem with each other. So education has to change in a way that, for instance, mental health sector can actually provide this level of support that young kids need or that teenagers need or whatever, that then sets up a whole generation of young people who've had skills and abilities and support that the generations before them haven't had when they then come out into the world. Hopefully”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  7. “Yeah, and I do think there's also an element in that election there where people are just so fed up. They want something to change and if you're not going to do it right, I will do it. And folk aren't as, they don't have the same, I suppose, space to be able to get involved in politics because more and more people are spending every waking minute just trying to survive. It becomes much more difficult to get folk engaged.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  8. “It just crumbles. I think so, yeah, and I think that's partly why the SNP got such a bruising result in the general election is because the outside world could see these cracks. They could see that we're not.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  9. “You know, and particularly during Nicholas's leadership, it was very much a, no, this is the direction we're going in. We believe in progress, we believe in equality and the right side.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  10. “Not if she was in charge, I wouldn't be, you know? Yeah. Oh no, totally, I think again it's a part of that. People keeping things to themselves or holding back a lot because it seems the most beneficial thing to do. But of course as you're getting higher and higher in the ranks, you've become more confident and able to say no, this is what I think. And as well, because of the trans issue, again, in inverted commas, but because of that, that kind of opened a sort of a very ugly can of worms within the S&P because the S&P does have very socially conservative people on it. It also has economically conservative people on it. But the social conservatism, it hadn't shown itself for a long time.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  11. “I mean, yes, Nicholas has been Peter was actually put in post by Alex Ammond. So when Nicola became leader, he was already chief exec. And at that time, there was a lot of people saying, look, this isn't a good look. What are you doing? Separate this. But it was one of the things where once everybody complained about it, it just kind of went, stop thinking about it. You know, there was other things happening. Then we had an election win, then we had another election win, and then I suppose it kind of taps back into your loyalty thing of it's easy to fall into place when you're winning. It's when those outside the organisations start to see the cracks that you've known exist, that's when it becomes harder to step out of this, you know, and I suppose your loyalty becomes much with much more of a heavy price.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  12. “I mean, don't get me wrong, he could be very charismatic as well, and he knew how to work a room, you know, and if he wanted to appear calm and cuddly and fun, he was very capable of doing it. I mean, there was a period of time, certainly 2014, where I thought, oh, this guy seems quite nice. But then, of course, you get to know people more.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  13. “And write it through. I mean, part of this is just me talking about my experience when all that the scandal was coming out and everything. What really appalled me was the number of people who suddenly felt able to talk more freely about their experiences with Alec. And I'm not meaning criminal, I just mean in terms of his bullying nature. I would think, wait, so this really has been going on for years, you know, because mine and Alec's relationship deteriorated very quickly because I didn't hold my tongue, but it was just very obvious that there was clearly a culture of folk were scared of him or intimidated by his presence and his ability to get things done seemingly.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  14. “Demand things and they just happened anymore. So that also mixed in with a lot of the personal stuff as well, I think. On the scale where he would be, I would say he's probably beside Nicola.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  15. “So, I mean, he was unpolitical to his bones. Definitely. And he had a mind that was sharper than most, certainly when it came to politics and his ability to spot opportunity and to also a game plan in his head. I think that he was incredible at that. But the problem was his ego was, in my opinion, was just as big as his talent was. And you're the face of it and you start to believe you're on hype, then all of a sudden anybody challenging you, oh, well, they're the problem. It's not that I have to reflect. It's that you are all not appreciating the genius that you have before you. And I think as time went on, particularly when he lost his seat in 2017, I think the reality kind of hit that he didn't have the same sway or he wasn't able to”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  16. “Alex, I would say genuinely, I think Alex went where he felt he needed to be because of course he started off as very far left and just gradually moved and when he moved on to his alba stuff he's just not to speak ill of those who have passed but Charlatan with those police”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  17. “I think Nicola would be to the left but not as left as me. I think she's more closer to the centre. I think John Swinney is... I think he's more right wing to be honest”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  18. “So, I suppose actually the fundamental thing that the SNP in particular has to wrestle with is that the only thing that unites the S&P is independence. I've always said when Scotland becomes independent, the S&P will break up. And if it doesn't break up, it will become an irrelevance because its purpose. Where I think we did start to see that real success is when the SNP moved to the left and not just socially but also economically. And there was a period where it did look like we were really going in that direction and charging.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  19. “I think both by that point there was a lot of bridges burned between different people. There was a lot of animosity that had built up a lot of impatience that had built up and I think also because there didn't seem to be any clear strategy for what was coming next. That's when people just started, oh no, well, I'm going to go off and do this thing or this thing and eventually folk end up down rabbit holes.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  20. “So, when this episode goes out, my Twitter messages are going to be out of control for what I'm about to say. But truthfully, I don't think it was ever about the trans issue, and I'm using inverted commas there, I think that was just a proxy and almost a battleground for where Separate grievances could play out, and I've no doubt that it was a very deliberate choice to choose that.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  21. “So long as they can see where the destination is. But I think as time went on, it became much more fractious, it became foggy, if you like, and four go, I can't see where we're actually headed, never mind where we're landing. Has anybody checked there's a wing on this? It started to feel like that. And I suppose there's only so long that you can contain that feeling and that mood that is bubbling away underneath the surface, and particularly for the parliamentarian side, eventually it's going to come to a head.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  22. “I'll start by saying I also don't know what happened, but certainly from my perspective, I suppose it's much easier to toe the line and hood your tongue and maybe ignore cert or let things go when you're experiencing unprecedented success. And I think that's where kind of the beginning of the SNP's troubles was, was that particularly after the referendum in 2015 when we had this burst and became the third largest party in the UK, The SNP as an organisation wasn't built to deal with that level of engagement. So you had this period where it was just everybody had to get stuck in because we would be completely overwhelmed otherwise. And I remember the phrase that gets said to me was, we're building the plane as we're flying it. And that's what it felt like to a large extent. And everybody's willing to pitch in and do their best.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  23. “People to go into politics. How do you deal with that? I don't think the two necessarily are mutually exclusive. I think when I'm asked that, you know, this sounds terrible. Why would anyone get involved in it? And that's where part of me goes, well, the reason you should get involved because it's no changing unless you do get involved. But equally, if I'm standing here trying to convince you, you and you to get involved in politics, I'm not sending you in there blind. I want you to know the reality of what you're walking into because in a lot of ways that's kind of the biggest shock to the system is suddenly you're in this building and it's a bubble unto itself and it's got its own etiquettes, its own norms and its own culture that to the outside world are just alien.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  24. “Yeah, I mean, less so now just because we're not traveling down stuck there all the time. But yeah, no, I still keep in touch with them, but it was quite a lonely experience, certainly when I started. I mean, for a multitude of reasons, but particularly because I just felt that there was nobody that I was talking to that I would gel with, you know. everyone experiences that themselves. It's a lonely feeling when that happens. But eventually you build bridges with people, you learn more.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  25. “Absolutely, that happens. I suppose again, that's where it comes down to your own judgment, a case of Amalan, would I be comfortable sticking up for myself? The way I would always play these things through in my head is if I was sitting in the pub with people, would I be able to justify this without bullshitting them or myself? And if I'm able to do that, then I think, right, no, this has got logic to it.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  26. “Yeah. But again, I think it's that balance, I suppose, because if I was sitting there, I would be thinking, right, I don't want to drop all this stuff. I tell you what, if Trump gets in, there's not a chance that I'm going to be able to affect any kind of change whatsoever. So right on balance, I will hold my tongue for this until we get over that harm. So I think that's...”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  27. “I think it's kind of the fundamental battle that goes on, I think, in every point of politics is trying to find the balance between what's right and what will work. And when very rarely are those two things exactly the same, if that makes sense. So the right thing to do is to stand by your beliefs and to hold fast, and particularly if it's minorities you're talking about, because you might be the only voice that they have on their side. So now you hold fast, but then equally, you have to play the long game and you have to go right, but if we compromise on this one thing, that gets us one step further up the ladder, you know, it's something you can build on. And that's where I think unless a political party actually can demonstrate internally that they have that plan that will take them up the ladder, that's when the wheels start coming off.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  28. “No. Truthfully, because I think two things. One, I think I'd be flung at the SNP within a week. Just because I'd find too much to disagree with. But I think the main point why I wouldn't do it is because I think, like I said at the start, Westminster's where the power lies that really changes lives, that fundamentally changes society. It's not the Scottish Parliament.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  29. “No, no, I absolutely think it can change, but no matter what angle it is, whether it's being the actual practicalities of how the Parliament functions, whether it's a case of the culture in the Parliament or what, I think the first thing that they have to get over is this obsession with tradition for tradition's sake. And I've always said, I totally appreciate that tradition is an important thing and it's how you connect generations to each other. when that tradition starts to become dysfunctional or a barrier to doing the work you're supposed to do then not needs to go and that's where I think if even changing the shape of that chamber I think could make a difference”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  30. “I remember very early on I had pointed out to somebody the best debates are the ones where the chamber's empty because all the heat's taken out of it and suddenly there's no speech limit and the folk who are there tend to be there because they actually care and understand and have an in-depth knowledge about what they're talking about and there can be a really interesting back and forth but when it's important or when the place is packed you write speeches for your social media club you don't do it to try and convince anybody's mind in there that chamber is just theatre”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  31. “For individuals, definitely, yeah, we did. I mean, of course, everyone talks about casework when you can help a constituent, it genuinely has a great feeling, particularly when you're as frustrated as I felt in Parliament, particularly because we were in fewer numbers, you know, so Scotland's only got 57 MPs now. So you're in a situation where all of the MPs for one city can outvote the second largest nation in the UK so it's kind of set up to fail from the get-go. And even when I tried to play the game and get the cross-party support and everything, knocked my pan in and it just again brick wall thrown right up. And that was where I thought, this is all so performative in here. This is everybody knows what's expected of them and we just keep running around this sort of hamster wheel.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  32. “Oh no, just as bad. Yep. Because people always say to me, why are you leaving politics? And there's part of me that thinks I'm not leaving politics. I've left elected politics in party politics and they're very different things. You know, politics is everywhere. And the price of the food that's in transport's available, how much you're getting paid, it's everywhere. But I think the party politics, that's the bit where I think it's I'm not suited for it at all and I don't know that any honest person really can thrive in it.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  33. “Across the board, it's different people, different levels. I've met whips like that. I've met backbench MPs like that. I've met leaders like that. It's a people issue rather than being any one role, if that makes sense.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  34. “Just even general, I mean, bullying is rife in that parliament. Just bad people being able to intimidate others into doing what they want rather than actually treating people with equal respect.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  35. “I had a good conversation with, she was the deputy speaker at the time, Eleanor Lang. And after I'd announced that I wasn't standing again, she came over and was so surprised and shocked. And I was like, really Eleanor, have you listened to anything I've said? So we sat down and we're talking. Because I was younger, I do think there was an element of the things that I found outdated or unacceptable were so much more visible to me because I hadn't been there for.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  36. “On policy and maybe less so policy and more on how they're actually delivering that policy and the practicalities of it. I think that's where we've been tripped up quite a few times. But I do also think it's very true though that fundamentally the big levers in where the big decisions are made that will change people's lives in terms of work opportunities. That's Westminster. There's only so much you can blame the devolved governments because I think ultimately there's everything they try to do. They've got one hand tied behind their back. So by no means perfect definitely not. But I do not think they're to blame.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  37. “I suppose it's more now I can say what I would say behind the scenes, but I can do it publicly. You know, that's a very freeing thing. So genuinely, I think there are examples of where the Scottish Government over the last 17 odd years have, for want of a better term, have made a mass of things in different examples so that it's no getting away from that. But equally, I...”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  38. “I think it was a combination of there was a national swing happening, undoubtedly, but I do think that the local campaign is what pushed us over the edge because what I do remember about that campaign in 2015 was we, the SNP, were so visible. We had so many activists and you went to the high street, you went in the middle of schemes and suddenly there's 20 people with a little SNP boards and all knocking doors whereas Labour didn't have any of that at the time and I suppose that was again feeding into this their techniques for granted here. So I do think it was a combination of the both happening.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  39. “It's warranted. I don't like criticising people individually. I think you can talk about the politics of it and how people vote and the things that they argue for, but I never went straight in on Douglas because also I didn't know him. You know, I rarely met the guy. I spoke to him briefly in the street once. When I was on the doorsteps, I just talked about politics. I would just say, what's wrong with this constituency and let folk talk to me? And then that's how the conversation would start. And it's only through talking with people like that that you start to understand what's the issue that's sticking for them, you know, what's the, I suppose, the watermark for them. I've gone right now, I'm convinced. And for different people, it's different things.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  40. “Think if I'm just being realistic and honest, that's where my head was at. I've gone, I'll just do everything I possibly can because I don't like this just being taken for granted.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  41. “18 plus in hindsight, I think going to university when I did was actually the perfect training ground for what I did next because I was this younger than everybody else knew, didn't know what I was doing, this old institution, this world famous established institution where everybody's older than me, where did I end up in another old institution where everyone's older than me?”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  42. “So, because I left it very clever. I wish it was that. And I was just ready to move on. I was done with school. I couldn't have stomached another year. And I thought, right, I'm going to try my hardest and see if I can get into any university. And I managed to get in.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  43. “Think in some senses I was just in the right place at the right time because, like I say, so I joined the party in 2011. 2012 it was announced we're getting the referendum and then the following two years I just spent campaigning.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  44. “Genuinely, I think Both to be honest because there's still in the SNP there's a division in thought about whether devolution Too slow a game? That it should just base kind of hold fast and out for the full thing and nothing less so on the one hand had I been in labour at that time Would have thought the same devolution as the”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  45. “Turning out every election and we're voting overwhelmingly against her and yet she's still destroying communities all over Scotland. I think set a fire off in a lot of folks' bellies that has been rumbling for a good long while and then 2011 was the time where it now came to my head.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  46. “So, I mean, I joined the SNP in 2011, I'm sure, and that was the first time anyone in my family had... As far as I'm aware, had actually formally joined a political party Reason I had joined it was because I thought. We're getting a referendum if we do this The independence factor that was really driving it. And I think for people like... Not totally Nicola Sturgeon, but of her generation, I think it was almost like you had to know somebody in the SNP to even know it existed in a sense because for a long time the S&P were a fringe party. You look back far enough, they were a very Fringe party. That has changed over the years, I think the beginning of the swing was in the 80s with Thatcher because I think when people in Scotland started to realise how do we get rid of her?”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  47. “Yeah, it has so many connotations to it that are very ugly and are completely against the values that I hold dear. And you can conversation about civic nationalism, which is different from other forms. But by that point, I think, well, you've lost the point if you're getting pedantic about things.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  48. “Be fair, my whole family was political, not in the sense of party politics, but in the sense of being involved in trade unions and keeping an eye on what's happening and talking about politics. It is something that I only appreciated as I got older was how there was really no topic that was barred in our house. It's like that phrase, don't talk about religion or politics. I'd never heard that. And when I first heard the phrase, I was like, well, what do you talk about? In that sense, I was blessed and being brought up with such a talkative and articulate and political family in that sense. To foster their generation to go to university and stuff. So, yeah, no, they were pretty traditional labour, you know, my whole family was as much of Scotland was. And that was kind of the basis from where we were always coming at things.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  49. “I mean, at that point, if I'm being totally honest, my feet hurt and that was my main priority. But looking back, I think I get you're a busy person, but poor show.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  50. “Well, no, it turns out he'd left on a helicopter hours before, so it was a big march for no more than getting your steps.”

    2024-11-18 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 108. Mhairi Black: Independence, inequality, and the future of the SNP · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source