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On a Speech in Five Acts
May. 10th, 2021 11:58 amI watched Nicola Sturgeon's victory speech after the SNP and Scottish Green's election victory in Scotland. I thought it was an excellent example of political rhetoric and I agree with it; both the content and the way the content was presented.
I think it is a speech in five acts. (The full text of the speech is in the comments, as is a short note for non-Scots on the context)
ACT One
We have won this election. We, the SNP, have won the election, we will form the next government. We have won the election comfortably. Overwhelmingly. It was a big win. Perhaps the biggest win ever.
"Indeed, we have won more votes and a higher share of the votes in the constituency ballot than any party in the history of devolution.
This election result is - by any standard - an extraordinary and historic achievement."
ACT Two
We are a One Nation Government, we are here for everyone. That includes refugees, and everyone else who lives in Scotland
"Wherever you are from, whatever age you are, whatever your background – and no matter who you voted for - the SNP in government is dedicated to working hard for you.
I pledge that the task of building a better Scotland for everyone who lives here will be my priority every single day."
ACT Three
COVID
ACT Four
Other progressive policy and administrative endeavours which were in our manifesto.
Elected governments are usually expected to carry out their manifesto.
ACT Five
The people of Scotland have voted for an independence referendum. That is what it means when two parties who have a clear committent to an independence referendum win an election.
It's not me, it's not the SNP, it is the democratic will of the Scottish people as expressed through the ballot box.
"It is a commitment made to the people by a majority of the MSPs who will take their seats in our national parliament next week.
Usually - and by the normal standards of democracy - parties are expected to deliver on the commitments they make in elections, not face attempts to block them from doing so."
If anyone tries to block this from happening they are putting themselves in opposition to the democratic will of the people. if they do that then they have changed the nature of the Union from a voluntary partnership to a something else.
The outcome of the referendum is for the people of Scotland to decide but they have decided to have one.
Speech ends with a summary of the Five Acts.
So what I think is going on is this...
Act One establishes the speaker's credentials to make the claims she is about to make. Nicola Sturgeon leads the SNP, the SNP won the election, it wasn't even close. The SNP has been chosen to run Scotland.
Act Two - attempts to defuse Unionist concerns that they will despised in their own land. The SNP are trying to build a nation which serves even Syrian refugees, everyone in Scotland will be served by this government. Unionists don't worry, this includes you.
Act Three - I won't let the important constitutional questions get in the way of dealing with the life and death pandemic. I am off to do that right now. I'm not an extremist or a fanatic. I know people are dying or loosing their jobs. I will do everything I can to fix this before we start on other stuff.
Act Four - here is some of the other stuff. It was in our manifesto, so people will expect us to deliver it. But by the way, this is the kind of Scotland I'm trying to build, and see Act Two, I'm building it for everyone.
Act Five - but we did win, and one of the things we said we'd do was have a referendum on independence. If Westminster tries to prevent it happening they are picking a fight with you, the people of Scotland, not with me. You voted for this, it's your country, it's supposed to be a democracy and a voluntary union, you should get the referendum you voted for. If you don't, you should ask what sort of country you are actually living in.
It's a pretty bald speech. Plain and simple. There's not a lot of sub-text to it. Mostly the subtext is in Act Two, showing by example that non-SNP voters have nothing to fear. There's a little bit in Act 5. You are invited to consider what the UK Parliament's refusal to support a second referendum says about Scotland's place in the UK. There is a hint that we are an English imperial possession not a partner but it's not said out loud.
It doesn't have much rhetorical flourish. It's not a speech that Obama or Blair would have delivered. It's probably better for that. Directness is what is called for her and Sturgeon lacks Obama's lyricism and has less of Blair's knack for a carefully crafted slogan-meme. But it says 80% of what it intends to say out loud and the obscurer parts are pretty clear.
I think it lays out quite a clear narrative. We won. We should do the things we said we would do. Mostly that is dealing with substantive problems for everyone. It does include a referendum. If you like my solutions to the problems you will probably like an independent Scotland. If you don't think Scotland should have a referendum perhaps you should think about whether you believe in democracy.
I like the speech.
And, I personally, have little doubt about Sturgeon's personal sincerity. I believe it is possible for the Scottish Government to prepare for a second independence referendum and I believe Sturgeon will concentrate most government effort on dealing with the pandemic and delivering the other hundred pages of her manifesto.
I think it is a speech in five acts. (The full text of the speech is in the comments, as is a short note for non-Scots on the context)
ACT One
We have won this election. We, the SNP, have won the election, we will form the next government. We have won the election comfortably. Overwhelmingly. It was a big win. Perhaps the biggest win ever.
"Indeed, we have won more votes and a higher share of the votes in the constituency ballot than any party in the history of devolution.
This election result is - by any standard - an extraordinary and historic achievement."
ACT Two
We are a One Nation Government, we are here for everyone. That includes refugees, and everyone else who lives in Scotland
"Wherever you are from, whatever age you are, whatever your background – and no matter who you voted for - the SNP in government is dedicated to working hard for you.
I pledge that the task of building a better Scotland for everyone who lives here will be my priority every single day."
ACT Three
COVID
ACT Four
Other progressive policy and administrative endeavours which were in our manifesto.
Elected governments are usually expected to carry out their manifesto.
ACT Five
The people of Scotland have voted for an independence referendum. That is what it means when two parties who have a clear committent to an independence referendum win an election.
It's not me, it's not the SNP, it is the democratic will of the Scottish people as expressed through the ballot box.
"It is a commitment made to the people by a majority of the MSPs who will take their seats in our national parliament next week.
Usually - and by the normal standards of democracy - parties are expected to deliver on the commitments they make in elections, not face attempts to block them from doing so."
If anyone tries to block this from happening they are putting themselves in opposition to the democratic will of the people. if they do that then they have changed the nature of the Union from a voluntary partnership to a something else.
The outcome of the referendum is for the people of Scotland to decide but they have decided to have one.
Speech ends with a summary of the Five Acts.
So what I think is going on is this...
Act One establishes the speaker's credentials to make the claims she is about to make. Nicola Sturgeon leads the SNP, the SNP won the election, it wasn't even close. The SNP has been chosen to run Scotland.
Act Two - attempts to defuse Unionist concerns that they will despised in their own land. The SNP are trying to build a nation which serves even Syrian refugees, everyone in Scotland will be served by this government. Unionists don't worry, this includes you.
Act Three - I won't let the important constitutional questions get in the way of dealing with the life and death pandemic. I am off to do that right now. I'm not an extremist or a fanatic. I know people are dying or loosing their jobs. I will do everything I can to fix this before we start on other stuff.
Act Four - here is some of the other stuff. It was in our manifesto, so people will expect us to deliver it. But by the way, this is the kind of Scotland I'm trying to build, and see Act Two, I'm building it for everyone.
Act Five - but we did win, and one of the things we said we'd do was have a referendum on independence. If Westminster tries to prevent it happening they are picking a fight with you, the people of Scotland, not with me. You voted for this, it's your country, it's supposed to be a democracy and a voluntary union, you should get the referendum you voted for. If you don't, you should ask what sort of country you are actually living in.
It's a pretty bald speech. Plain and simple. There's not a lot of sub-text to it. Mostly the subtext is in Act Two, showing by example that non-SNP voters have nothing to fear. There's a little bit in Act 5. You are invited to consider what the UK Parliament's refusal to support a second referendum says about Scotland's place in the UK. There is a hint that we are an English imperial possession not a partner but it's not said out loud.
It doesn't have much rhetorical flourish. It's not a speech that Obama or Blair would have delivered. It's probably better for that. Directness is what is called for her and Sturgeon lacks Obama's lyricism and has less of Blair's knack for a carefully crafted slogan-meme. But it says 80% of what it intends to say out loud and the obscurer parts are pretty clear.
I think it lays out quite a clear narrative. We won. We should do the things we said we would do. Mostly that is dealing with substantive problems for everyone. It does include a referendum. If you like my solutions to the problems you will probably like an independent Scotland. If you don't think Scotland should have a referendum perhaps you should think about whether you believe in democracy.
I like the speech.
And, I personally, have little doubt about Sturgeon's personal sincerity. I believe it is possible for the Scottish Government to prepare for a second independence referendum and I believe Sturgeon will concentrate most government effort on dealing with the pandemic and delivering the other hundred pages of her manifesto.
