Has indy referendum had a positive or divisive legacy?

There are many words that can be used to describe the legacy left by the Scottish independence referendum. But would you, as John Swinney has, call it positive?

A decade ago, voters were asked whether Scotland should be an independent country, with 55% of those voting against compared to 45% in favour.

The constitutional issue is still one of the most widely discussed issues across the country – and the result shows why. A result so close was always going to divide opinions.

On the anniversary of the vote though, it could be argued that the legacy left 10 years on is one of a continual divide.

Reflecting on the movement, First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney said there had been an “overwhelmingly positive legacy” left on Scotland.

His SNP deputy, Keith Brown, echoed that view during a speech to pro-independence voters this morning.

Mr Swinney said: “I am in no doubt that Scotland’s independence referendum has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country.”

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Mr Brown went a step further, opening the event by telling those in favour of Scottish independence that the issue had not been a “divisive” one.

Do both SNP politicians really believe this or are they telling their supporters what they want (and need) to hear?

The issue of Scottish independence remains a dominant force in society – but the discourse around it is rarely positive.

Ask any politician or journalists who were around during the campaign for their experiences.

Positive does not often come up.

Words like divisive and toxic, do.

READ MORE: Indyref at 10: Find all articles in our coverage here

A decade on from the vote, the division created by the campaign does not appear to have subsided.

There remains a prevalence of online abuse that has stuck to social media posts relating to the referendum, and its key political figures, since.

To this day, there is an abundance of abuse thrown from either side of the independence argument.

It does not always have to be related to the issue. I recently came across a random post on X which someone had shared of Nicola Sturgeon’s Instagram, which showed her running updates.

It was full of nasty attacks which are too often directed at people involved in the campaign - and perhaps more so towards women.

These, often anonymous posts, are rarely worth viewing and are full of hatred, with people using the independence debate to tear apart personal attributes of people.

Former first minister Ms Sturgeon reflected on the independence campaign this week.

She admitted that at time there were many tensions in the campaign.

"It wasn't all sweetness and light," she wrote in the Daily Record this week to reflect on the referendum anniversary.

First Minister John Swinney said the independence referendum had left a positive legacy. (Image: PA) "While for Yes voters, the referendum was an opportunity to win something that felt precious - the independence of our nation - for No voters, it represented a threat to the union they cherished.

"The stakes were high, and tensions sometimes rose to meet them."

Meanwhile, former Scottish Secretary Alastair Carmichael also reflected on the decade.

He said: “There were a lot of people found it really, quite a scary thing. It was scary.

"You saw people like Ed Miliband, for example, basically just being mobbed off the streets, and there were people who just felt that it wasn't safe to speak their mind, generally on the no side."

A change in the legacy is, perhaps in the last few years, as the independence movement fails to progress, we have seen attacks move from those on either side of the argument, to disgruntled independence supporters who do not believe their politicians have done enough to move the cause forward.

Read more:

Unspun | Are pro-independence parties still speaking for those who want it?

People disagree on many issues in life, from music up to political stances and lifestyle choices.

However, it is rare to see such disagreement cause societal splinters spanning over a decade. 

If the First Minister is only speaking to those who believe in independence, describing it as positive may come as a shock.

But if there are hopes of reaching a wider audience, it seems important to acknowledge that people have been hurt along the way.

Until these bridges can be rebuilt, it is difficult to see the legacy of the independence referendum as anything but divisive and damaging.