AT the Yes DIY hub we are aware that many groups across the country are setting up Yes centres in preparation for the forthcoming second Scottish independence referendum.
Dumfries and Galloway Pensioners for Independence (DGPI) and the Dumfries and Galloway section of English Scots for Independence have joined together with Doonhamers for Aye to create a new entity in the fight for indy – a mobile Yes hub.
John Schofield, of English Scots for Yes, explained: “We want a ‘mobile YesHub’ to take the Yes campaign to all towns and villages in Dumfries and Galloway, a very rural area.
“We need to take our message out to the many Conservatives, older voters and those who have ventured up to live here from south of the Border, who live in our region. It’s important to remember we have a Tory MP here.
“Our hub will also support the many indy/yes groups in the region and be used at the agricultural shows etc.
“As a Yes branded van we can travel from the Mull o’ Galloway in the west to the Eskdale region in the east; from Upper Annandale and Nithsdale to the Solway coast.
“We can park on any street, set up our stalls, music groups, banners, teas and coffees and disgorge activists to canvass, leaflet drop and create a large impression on any unsuspecting villagers.”
The hub will be co-ordinated by Schofield and Ian Waugh of Doonhamers for Aye, who also share membership of DGPI. the hub will be available to book for any Yes group in the area.
The groups have launched a crowdfunding exercise to pay for the Yes mobile hub. Donations can be made at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dumfries-galloway-indy-hub-a-yes-hub-on-wheels-
Schofiled added: “Our main asset will be a ‘crew-cab van’ covered in indy graphics. The van will have a functional load space for our display material. It will be a second-hand purchase, and will need fuel, servicing, road tax and insurance.
“Money raised will also go to purchase, print or otherwise produce display material, handouts, circulars and other material explaining why folk should ‘Believe in Scotland’ – because we’re big enough, rich enough and smart enough to be a successful, independent country.
“We’ll look to source billboards, ‘toblerones’, or similar displays for roadside/field use – to catch the eye of passing motorists.
“We’ll commission advertising features in local newspapers, local radio and regional TV to promote the local groups, when a particular event is planned.
“We’ll investigate the availability of pop-up shops around the region,providing display material for those. We’ll also make sure that people in Dumfries and Galloway get to hear the truth about Scotland.”
National hand-out receives positive response
THE Yes DIY hub is grateful to Yes Ullapool & Lochbroom, who last Saturday delivered 500 copies of The National and also held a street stall.
Sarah Mackenzie from the group told us that “several others were in Glasgow at some other event”. Now what could that have been?
She added: “The helpers reported a good reaction from the public to the newspaper delivery and at the stall. We talked to visitors from the EU and England as well as to residents.
“They were all supportive of our aims and many were vocal about the lack of challenge by many journalists when politicians manipulate the truth – for example Conservatives saying the English council votes showed that voters want Brexit, whereas the opposite is the case as the parties who gained seats were Remain parties. “It seems that eyes are being opened to the weakness of the two-party and Westminster system. In our view, this will strengthen the vote for Scotland’s restoration as a normal country.”
Sadly not everyone wants The National to have the freedom to be the only daily newspaper in Scotland to support independence.
Iain Kilgallon, whose band The Placks played at the rally on Glasgow Green last Saturday, wrote to tell us of seeing an employee in Morrisons in Dunoon putting The National in the worst position and then covering them up with another newspaper.
We know this happens a lot around the country so please tell managers.
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Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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