Letters: We cannot win a Yes vote without a positive message

I campaigned heavily in 2014 and it still sticks in my throat that we never quite managed to convince a small percentage, to win. We were so close.

Now it feels like the movement is a million miles away from that narrow defeat – it shouldn’t be.

The Tories have essentially run amok on the poor, sick, disabled and workers, not to mention more recently our own parliament. It should be a no-brainer. The Better Together lot have nothing to campaign on. Our case is stronger than ever.

In 2014 we won so many people round on a positive and transformational message: “Never will Scotland be the same”. The recently published Growth Commission report is saying exactly the opposite: “Vote Yes and we’ll keep everything the same”. The working-class majority that we need will not sign up to that message. They have seen their material circumstances worsen under austerity. We will lose their support.

It has been released as a discussion document, not SNP policy. However, all I have seen since its release are arguments within the independence movement: the “wheesht for indy” brigade and accusations of “dividing the movement” if you dare to question the motivation behind it. Another common argument is “we can argue the details once we achieve independence”. This is wrong, and where I feel the movement is most fragile. If the SNP back the Growth Commission report as policy, we will lose the next referendum. So I won’t “wheesht” – this means too much to me.

Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing and so-called radical programme may appeal to the very people who were on our side last time. Assuming the working-class vote will remain Yes is a mistake. The working classes don’t care what flag is flying above Edinburgh Castle. They care if they can make it to their next paycheck without taking a trip to the food bank, or taking out a pay-day loan, or if they can buy their kids shoes for school, pay their rent and heat their homes. That’s what got them out in droves to vote in 2014.

Independence has always been about change, about making Scotland the socially democratic country that voting intentions tell us we should be. We can and should win the next referendum, as the Unionists’ case is so poor. We will only win it based on transformational change, which rivals Corbyn’s frankly compromised policies.

We will win it with policies to scrap nuclear weapons, end failed austerity, end poverty wages and zero-hour contracts and by investing in our NHS, schools and public services.

The Scottish Socialist Party are clear that they will campaign on a message of change, of making peoples lives better. Not the Growth Commission report’s fragile message, clearly released to appeal to big business and the rich No voters: “Don’t worry, vote Yes as nothing will change” If that’s the case, then what is independence for?

Carly Cunningham
Edinburgh

IT is now three weeks since the publication of the Growth Commission report. Since then a lot of opinions have been expressed both for and against the various items mentioned in the report, and a lot of hot air generated. It is of course absolutely right that everyone has the opportunity to make their views known whatever they are.

It is, however, equally important to remember that this is a document for discussion amongst people with the same aim in view – namely the achievement of independence for our country. It follows from this that the language used by all sides should, while giving one’s own point of view, always be respectful of the other side’s opinion, because at the end of the day we will all have to make compromises. This should apply at all levels, from the highest at the top of the political tree down to the lowest at the very local and conversational level. Then success will be ours.

It has also to be remembered that whatever the timescale is involved, it will be the SNP government at Holyrood who will have to carry through the not inconsiderable amount of work which will be necessary just to set up the actual government of an independent state. When the Brexit referendum was held it was really worrying to see just how many voters appeared to imagine that come Monday we would be out and that would be it!

Creating the structure of a new Scottish Government, will take several years, of which some will be difficult. The main consideration of many is, quite rightly, the question of currency and the use, or not, of the pound sterling. Although I personally have been against it, there is no doubt that the use of the pound as we know it would be necessary at least until the first few years of the new government had been achieved. After that a realistic decision could be taken for the way forward.

Other headlines which have been heatedly debated are all, for the time being, irrelevant. Whether we want to be in the European Union, in some other European-related system, or something completely different; whether some form of royal family continuation as head of state or whether an elected president – these are all things which can and will be decided by our Holyrood parliament once the goal has been achieved.

The one overriding requirement is that we get the Yes vote.

George M Mitchell
Dunblane

ABOUT 20 years ago the iconic Morgan Academy in Dundee, above, was burnt down. It was taken down, virtually stone by stone, then painstakingly rebuilt so that, at least externally, it looked exactly as it had before the fire. I’m no architect, but surely something similar can be done for the Mac?

John Henderson
Address supplied