ONE of the big questions that has surfaced in recent weeks is how the Yes movement as a whole should vote in the European Parliament elections on Thursday.

If supporters of independence want to register their disgust with the fact that Scotland has a democratic deficit that has seen this nation about to be taken out of the EU against the will of the Scottish people, then how should they vote?

On Wednesday, The National will show just how important the European Parliament has been for Scotland.

There is one sure way to ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard in this election and that is NOT to vote for a Unionist party. We are perfectly well aware that there are plenty of people in the Yes movement who do not want to vote for the SNP, but by voting for any one the Unionist parties, you are indicating approval for their stances on Brexit and their rejection of a second independence referendum.

Remember that you only get one vote on the ballot paper. Whatever you do, if you say yes to Scottish independence then do not place your X beside any of the Unionist parties.

Remember also the wise words of SNP candidate Heather Anderson in The National the other day. She said: “Please make sure you use your vote on May 23. We all have one vote and we must get that message across.

“Be assured that the people with vested interests in managing hedge funds, deregulating our supply chains and privatising our NHS, will be using their votes – so please use yours. Let’s book our seat at the table with our fellow European nations and work collaboratively to protect our rights, our food and animal welfare standards and combat climate change.”

Well-known activist Chic Macgregor wants the EU to reciprocate when indyref2 comes around. He wrote on Facebook: “In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum the European Union was reluctant to interfere in the United Kingdom domestic politics and in particular the independence referendum. That left Scotland open to British propaganda that we would not be allowed into Europe if we were independent.

“Again in 2016 the European Union was reluctant to interfere in the European referendum. As with 2014 the British media and its right wing paymasters were able to get away with the usual propaganda such as the now infamous £350 Million Red Bus. The European Commission now realise they were wrong to remain silent in 2016.

“I would humbly suggest they were wrong to remain silent in 2014 and must be open and vocal in their support for Scotland within the European Union in the likelihood of a second Scottish independence referendum.”

And so say all of us.