Stirling Independence Debate: A wasted opportunity

Stirling University kicked off its “Referendum Week” on Monday as students and non-students alike turned out to take part in the debate on Scotland’s future.

The ‘Yes’ panel consisted of Angela Constance (Scottish minister for Youth Employment), Alan Bissett (Scottish writer of the year 2011), and lastly Miriam Brett (Stirling student and ambassador for Generation Yes).

Representing the ‘Better Together’ campaign was Douglas Rooney (editor of The National Gazette), Danny Gibson (a local Labour Party Councillor), and finally Alan Grant (Stirling student, journalist, blogger and Air3 staple).

From left: Danny Gibson, Alan Grant, Douglas Rooney, Miriam Brett, Alan Bissett, Angela Constance.

The debate presented an exciting opportunity for both sides to put forward their cases, and even sway some undecided voters in the audience. This however, was a missed opportunity.

The evening descended into a dark combination of heckling and jeering before the panellists could even finish their opening statements.

The ‘Yes’ panel, helmed by a charismatic and eloquent Miriam Brett, outspoke the Better Together camp by capitalising on a number of notable blunders from them.

Miriam Brett gave a good account of herself

A low point for Better Together came early on, when Alan Grant said in his opening remarks: “Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander – these guys don’t bluff”.

Take the countless faces in hands from his own supporters, add the heckling and mocking from the ‘Yes’ voters, and you have yourself a fair summary of the night.

Alan Grant paid what some would call an ill-advised compliment to the Lib Dems

Predictably, both Danny Gibson and Angela Constance thrived in the environment, but additional credit goes to the former for his reminder that a currency union cannot be declared by Alex Salmond, which did strike a rare victory for the ‘No’ vote.

MSP Angela Constance did well to keep to issues such as Scottish culture and identity

As the debate went on, the mock laughter and heckling became both more frequent and confident. Culminating in one distressed member of the audience shouting “Let the man speak!” in defence of a visibly rattled Douglas Rooney.

Given the lack of ground ultimately broken in the debate, wiser words might have been “No one speak!”

The night represented a sound victory for the ‘Yes’ campaign, but some of the more vocal ‘Yes’ voters in the audience should feel responsible for making it a pyrrhic victory.

If both sides can’t freely make their points, is it really a debate at all?