PENSIONERS for Independence is set to formally recommence tomorrow, with the inaugural general meeting of the reconstituted group taking place in Edinburgh.

More than 50 people have already signed up to attend the IGM which will start at 1pm in the Studio Meeting Room of St Augustine United Church at 41 George IV Bridge in the capital.

The National revealed last year that the organisation would start up again, and after groups were formed in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire, a successful national conference was held in Aberdeen in November. That conference put together a steering group which has piloted the new constitution and organised the IGM.

At the IGM, the constitution will be published and that will define in greater detail the aims of this new national organisation.

The organisers say: “Additionally, the inaugural general meeting should help us all to identify a programme for the next year in which our goals for an independent Scotland can be achieved.”

There will also be votes on the constitution, the election of office bearers and the future programme. Existing and new members of P4indy, as they are known, will be entitled to vote.

Steering group member and co-convener of the Edinburgh and Lothians group of Pensioners for Independence Keith MacLeod said: “I am delighted to say everything is going according to plan and with 50-plus people in attendance it shows the demand is there for Pensioners For Independence.”

MacLeod added: “At the conference it was decided that we should formally set up a steering group to take forward the establishment of a national organisation.

“There are disparate parts of Pensioners for Independence around the country and it was decided that we should co-ordinate their activities and help set up more local groups.

“We want to have a focus on how we change the minds of so many our fellow pensioners who rejected independence en masse at the referendum in September 2014.

“If we could show them the benefits of independence against the negativity of staying in the UK, not to mention the lies we were told, we can get a great story out and start to change minds.”