Read what Stephen Noon, chief strategist for Yes Scotland, has to say about the Yes campaign. And then lets all decide what we are going to do over the remaining 39 days to make our wish a reality. Stephen Noon: As we approach the final weeks of campaigning, the whole Yes movement is working flat out with levels of activity across the country higher than Ive seen in my 20 years of election campaigning. That’s because we know that the referendum is Scotland’s big opportunity to secure a better future. We are moving into this final period with opportunities to take and advantages to build on, in both our campaign message and our overall campaign activity. We are the underdogs, but the gap is now very narrow, which provides the best possible motivation. Victory is within reach. This past week, for example, has seen confirmation that even our opponents now agree that Scotland can be a successful independent country. That’s an excellent springboard for persuading people that we should in fact be independent. After all, if you believe Scotland could be a successful independent country, why on Earth wouldnt you say Yes? Added to this, the area of our greatest campaigning strength and advantage – our grassroots volunteers and myriad range of Yes supporting campaign groups – is delivering at an amazing rate. As we hoped when this journey first began for Yes Scotland in May 2012, we have helped create the biggest grassroots campaign in Scotland’s history – something that was an essential condition for success. Those of us in the central office of Yes Scotland cannot lay claim to this movement, because it has become way bigger than any one campaign group or any one party. From the very beginning, so much of the grassroots activity has been self-starting, creative, diverse and effective, just as it should be: reaching people and parts of the country that our opponents simply cannot or have not reached. That includes the Radical Independence Convention knocking at doors in some of our most disadvantaged estates and engaging with people who have been outside the political process for years. It sees Business for Scotland supporters taking their battle bus to high streets across the country to speak to business owners like themselves. It has some of Scotland’s most energetic and talented young creative s in National Collective touring Scotland to encourage people, through art and music, to imagine the sort of country Scotland can be. And there is a myriad of other Yes campaigning groups, such as NHS for Yes, Academics for Yes, Trade Unionists for Yes, Mums For Change, Farming and Fishing for Yes, and many more. These things are all happening with passion and enthusiasm on the Yes side, with no parallel in the No campaign. And, as we approach referendum day, this outpouring of Yes activity will continue and grow. It has been impossible for the centre to keep pace with the enthusiasm and commitment of the tens of thousands of individuals who are the true heroes of Yes. As someone who is more used to the “command and control” campaigning of political parties, this new era of engagement has taken a little getting used to. But I know that it is the key to our success. As much as anything else, their activity is why the gap in the polls has narrowed and it is why I believe Yes can and will win. Success has always been about creating a groundswell of support, with Yes supporters and volunteers engaging with people in their social circles to move them closer and closer to a Yes vote. That effect – the power of the social network – has been part of a slow-burn as we nudge people up the support scale. It is working and the pace is gathering. Across the movement, our focus is on Scotland’s wealth of talent and resources and the firm belief that there is so much more that our nation can achieve. We know there are challenges ahead and that independence, while not a magic wand, gives us the powers we need to meet those challenges head on, and overcome them. We also know that there are dangers from a No vote, in particular the threat to our NHS from the growing privatisation crisis facing the health service down south. Westminster decides Scotland’s budget based on spending levels in England and that creates too big a risk. We need a cast-iron guarantee that our vital public services will not be damaged by the knock-on effects of English privatisation and that only comes from a Yes. In important areas like this, we will not shy away from making clear the risks and consequences of a No. Instead of working simply to mitigate the impact of damaging Westminster policies, whether on our NHS or our welfare state, we should be able to use our wealth to deliver world-class public services, because, quite simply that is what wealthy countries like Scotland can and should do. Of course, the idea of wealth is not just money or economic output, it is also things like the vast resources and deep well of human talent we are blessed with as a nation. The end result is also about more than money – it is the idea of turning what is a rich country into a rich society too. In these final weeks, we want everyone in Scotland to hear the essential truths about our country, which transcend the many contested economic and financial facts. The first undeniable truth is that Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and therefore can be a successful independent nation. We are in the top 20 according to the Financial Times. We are richer, per head, than Japan, France and the UK. That not only means we can choose independence with confidence but it also tells us that we should be aiming higher, because great things are possible when you have the strengths and wealth that Scotland does. The second reality is that despite all this undoubted wealth, for far too many of us it doesnt feel as though we live in one of the very wealthiest countries in the world. That simple truth is why a Yes vote is so important – indeed, why a Yes vote is crucial. With a Yes, we can take control and make sure our wealth delivers much more for people living in Scotland. Instead of a Westminster system that benefits the few, a Yes can benefit the many. After all – and the final, fundamental truth of this campaign – the people of Scotland are the best people to take decisions about our country’s future. No-one else will do a better job. We believe in Scotland and in the ability of the people here to prosper with independence. A Yes offers us the biggest opportunity we will ever have to use Scotland’s wealth and extraordinary resources to build a more prosperous and fairer country. We are better off with Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands and, as the whole movement will make clear in these final weeks, that is an opportunity that is too good to miss.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:16:48 +0000