A MISTAKE, which is frequently made in history is that people try to fight a battle by applying the tactics used in the last battle.

Looking ahead to the independence struggle, we who want political and economic independence, have to understand the nature of the battles we are about to engage in. I say battles, because there will be two distinct and quite different battles to be fought and won. The first battle will be for political independence. In this battle currency and banking, and economic policy will play a part, but it will not be the main part. The independence idea will be much wider than this, of course people will want to know that Scotland can be a viable economic country, but most people know that it could be because they can see that nearly every other country in the world, big or small, rich or poor, can manage their own currency and economy so why not Scotland?

For most people all they will need to know here is that a future Scottish Government would be competent to handle this to give them the confidence to go ahead. The last time the SNP leadership failed this test at the last minute before the referendum and this, more than anything else lost the battle for us.

Now, the SNP leadership still have not addressed this properly, but most people have seen through this. So the first battle will be what now looks like a majority of the Scottish electorate against the powerful unionist media, the UK Government, The Unionist parties and a minority unionist electorate. The currency will play a minor role, but of course the unionist media will push this, and the invented GERS “deficit” in another attempt at project fear. We will win this battle provided the SNP leadership does not make a mess of this issue again, and the people are not mislead by the media economic nonsense.

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However, once we have won the independence battle, there will be a second economic battle to be fought. It will not be the same battle, it will be a very different one. The good thing about it will be that the bulk of the Unionist media will not take part, they will consider the fight lost, because they will recognise that whatever the new Scotland will do, it will never return to the UK Union again, so they will no longer be interested. Also of course the UK Government will have a different position, no longer trying to stop independence now trying to ensure they get a good deal in the negotiations in the break-up. Also of course, the Yes camp will divide roughly on a right v left basis.

Now this time economics, the currency, banking, and economic policy will be at the centre of the battle because the new Scotland will need to set up new institutions to address these issues. Many of us will be determined to ensure that the new Scotland will not be a carbon copy of the old UK, but a completely different country. If this is how things are going to happen then the strategy of the Yes Camp should be clear. To make it clear that we are confident that Scotland can be a powerful independent country which is pretty obvious to most people anyway, destroy the unionist nonsense about invented GERS deficits and currency problems.

Try to get the SNP leadership to stop day dreaming about the Growth Commission blind allay and face economic reality, and work to unite all the various Yes Groups for the common Yes result.

These are the battles we need to face, so we should prepare ourselves to face them in that order. Now I may take a different view for other Scottish economist on the type of banking reform the new Scotland will require, but if I engage in this debate openly now, then the Unionist media will claim that the Scottish economists are divided, and they will push their project fear forward. So I have no intention of playing into their hands. I will fight for political independence, and this will see off the Unionist media, then I will debate with others in Scotland what type of banking reform we need in the new Scotland, and if required fight my corner on this in the debates in the Scottish parliament, when the new system is being implemented.

Andy Anderson
Saltcoats

DERRICK Wyatt QC, a law professor at Oxford University, was quoted in The National (‘UK must be independent Scotland’s ‘best friend’, Oct 12). I understand the frustration over setting a date for the referendum. The current state of the Union seems to bode well for an immediate vote. Unfortunately rushing down this path has a high risk of failure. The 2014 referendum failed for many reasons but fundamentally we were not well enough prepared, for example 1) not having a defensible policy on currency; and 2) the failure to understand the impact on voters that independence would result in leaving the EU.

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The independence coalition in Holyrood understands this. We need more than a vision for an independent Scotland. We need to have defensible positions on major issues against the onslaught that is to come. The coalition also understands that Westminster is hell-bent on undermining devolution and is happy to impoverish Scotland in pursuit of their vision for “Greater England” – we cannot wait too long. The key to success is a plan that will persuade many of the undecided +30% to vote Yes. Without them we are doomed to failure. We just have to have defensible positions on key issues. For example: the need for a provisional constitution, the currency issue, rejoining the EU, and the Scottish/English border. Provisional budgets are also essential for negating the mantra that “we are too poor”.

We need a unified Yes movement to continue to be highly visible and to drive home a vision of an independent Scotland that is free from Westminster’s injustices. This will lay the groundwork for the referendum. We need the independence coalition, in consultation with others, to urgently complete the preparation for and then trigger the referendum which we will win!

Douglas Skoyles
Elgin