THIS week's newsletter has been written from the media tower in the Scottish Parliament rather than our Glasgow offices.

In the Holyrood office that The National uses when we are reporting from the Parliament, there is a bookcase - and one book caught my eye today.

"Project Fear" by Joe Pike. It gives a vast behind the scenes look at the Better Together campaign of 2014 - otherwise dubbed Project Fear.

This week, Yes for EU hosted the first (of hopefully many!) workshop on how Scotland can align itself with EU policy, with the culture alignment obviously shining through among Scots. 

READ MORE: Scottish independence activists discuss EU alignment

One attendee highlighted the "horror stories" Union campaigners pushed in 2016, and continue to churn out, meaning activists have to work harder to be equipped with detail on complex international policy and procedure.

It is often a part-time job, and yet, in the coming months, the movement has rallies, marches, local campaign days, national action days, independence leaflets plus papers, podcasts, TV shows, and books aplenty. Knowledge is growing in scope and detail, and when this is all said side by side, it is a force to be reckoned with.

A copy of "Project Fear" might still be hanging around the Holyrood offices, and its claims regularly in the Scottish media ... but the wealth of resources for the movement is growing every day and as it grows, the fear machine shakes.


Believe in Scotland (BiS) has announced its rally date for Glasgow. Speaking to one activist involved in organising the last one, he voiced how well it did with broadcasters who led their weekend coverage on the action. That's one way to beat Project Fear.

The group has big plans for the two marches. Details are to follow on the Edinburgh one, and I'm told creativity, positivity and "a feeling of festival" is to lead the tone of them. Anyone who has any interest in assisting in making the marches unique, it is worth chatting to your local Yes group if you are not already affiliated, or your local BiS rep.

The group is also due to be in Perth with activists aiming to deliver around 3000 leaflets, as well as host stalls and entertainment in the city centre as part of their local action day.

READ MORE: Brexit: Experts to debate how to keep Scotland's voice alive in Europe

The SNP are also setting out on an independence campaign day.  The national campaign day on independence will be hosted Saturday February, 17 - which is also the date of BiS' annual congress. Busy!

Westminster candidates and their campaign teams are set to be in touch soon with more details on local plans and a specific constituency update on their General Election campaign plan.


Another super event is being hosted this evening by local Yes group, Rutherglen and Cambuslang - at 7pm at the Cambuslang Institute. It is part of their Positive Steps Forward for the Independence Movement series.

Finally, I want to highlight two fantastic shows this week - one by Independence Live and one by Scottish Independence Podcasts.

Independence Live hosted this conversation about Scotland's future Beyond Brexit! with Europe for Scotland. Guests included director of European Alternatives, Niccolo Milanese, the co-president of Volt Italia, Guido Silvestri, and Europe for Scotland’s French ambassador Jane Mackinnon.

You can watch it here.

And this recording by Scottish Independence Podcasts is of the the third annual Jim McVicar Memorial Lecture hosted by the Scottish Socialist Party.

It examines some of the life, times and core principles that John Maclean represented with Henry Bell, author of the biography "John Maclean - Hero of Red Clydeside".

You can watch it here.