A YES group has written to John Swinney asking him to “prioritise the path to independence” following his election as First Minister.

Yes Dunbar said it aimed to be one of the first grassroots groups to “send a message” to Swinney. The group – which is made up of more than 200 members – sent a letter to the new First Minister within a few minutes of the Presiding Officer confirming Swinney’s election on Wednesday.

The letter, written by the group’s co-convenors Julie Watt and Diarmid Jamieson, calls on Swinney to push for “a more focused and compelling campaign for Scottish independence”.

READ MORE: Grassroots activists respond to scrapping of independence minister

On Thursday – one day after Yes Dunbar sent the letter – it was confirmed that the role of minister for independence had been scrapped.

Read the full letter below.

“Dear Mr Swinney,

“We welcome you to the role of First Minister.

“As concerned citizens of Scotland, Yes Dunbar is a group of more than 200 members. We are writing to express our deep conviction about the urgent need for a more focused and compelling campaign for Scottish independence. It is imperative that we seize the opportunity to clearly articulate the benefits and capabilities of an independent Scotland.

“Scotland is more than capable of managing its own financial institutions and currency. With a rich history of economic thought, embodied by figures such as Adam Smith, John Law and the founder of the actual BoE, William Paterson. Scotland has the intellectual prowess and resources to chart its own financial course. We need to take control of our economic narrative; we need more than white papers launched with varying degrees of enthusiasm. We must highlight examples of other small, wealthy European countries of a similar size and hammer home the message that there is nothing stopping us from being as successful as them.

“The Scottish Government’s track record in health and social policy must be highlighted. People must be reminded of the measures taken to mitigate cruel Westminster policies, from the bedroom tax to the two-child benefit cap. The Scottish government has tried to protect the vulnerable in society, all too often these are forgotten. Pressure must be put on Scotland’s unionist parties to explain their positions? Will they keep free prescriptions, will they reverse the mitigations the Scottish government has put in place? With a Scottish electorate that consistently votes for far more progressive social policies and fairer wealth distribution, how do they plan to reflect this?

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“It is unacceptable that as an energy rich nation, our citizens struggle with staggeringly high fuel bills. Independence would afford us the opportunity to harness our natural resources for the benefit of all. Unionist parties should be held to account, what is their answer to fuel poverty in Scotland? What new policies do they have to meet specific Scottish needs?

“Scottish ministers in charge of energy policy should not stand back and allow unionist parties to take the credit for the growth of renewables in Scotland. “Yes Dunbar is established under a Constitution with the following aims: 1. To be non-party political 2. To advocate for Scottish Independence from the UK 3. To actively promote political engagement within the local community 4. To work with organisations, and assist campaigns seeking a better Scotland.

“An independent Scotland could pursue a more progressive and inclusive foreign policy, including reversing the damaging effects of Brexit and implementing immigration laws that reflect our values and priorities. The proposed Citizenship Plan needs to be promoted more vigorously. Cruel policies towards asylum seekers and the current Rwanda plan do not reflect the will or needs of the Scottish people. Again, what do unionist politicians propose? Why should Scotland not have control of its own immigration policy?

“We badly need a more balanced and representative media landscape. The Scottish Government must prioritise efforts to address this. The debate must be put centre stage, how we develop public interest journalism for Scotland. Why are over 50% of the Scottish people’s views not being represented in their media. It’s time to call this out forcefully.

“To achieve our goal of independence the Scottish government must be unwavering in its commitment and vocal in its advocacy. We cannot afford to be passive or complacent in the face of opposition. It is time to come off the back foot, to amplify the message of independence and engage with all sectors of society to build a broad-based coalition in support of independence.

“We urge you, First Minister, to heed the call for a better more focused campaign. The future of Scotland depends on your ability to seize the historic opportunity and realise our full potential as a sovereign nation.”