TEN thousand conversations on why Scotland is big enough, rich enough and smart enough to prosper as an independent nation are to take place across the country today as part of The National’s new push to reframe the case for Yes.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and TV star Elaine C Smith are among those backing our drive to counter the myths about the country’s capabilities and build a Yes majority.
Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie and depute SNP leader Keith Brown have also announced their support as The National asks readers to pick up an extra copy to share our eight-page special feature with friends, family and colleagues over a conversation about the future.
It is hoped that these 10,000 conversations will help address the questions voters might have about why they should choose independence, and that the fact-filled spreads we’ve created will deliver plenty to talk about.
Editor Callum Baird, pictured, said: “We are delighted to launch our new campaign today and I want to personally encourage each and every reader of The National to consider who they might give their copy to – a friend, a neighbour, a member of your sports team or hobby group – and about what they will talk about.
“As Elaine C Smith has said, these conversations are as much about listening as talking as we work to reframe the case around independence.
“The days of ‘too wee, too poor, too stupid’ are over. Scotland is big enough, rich enough and smart enough and that is the message we must spread.”
Sturgeon said conversations with family, friends and colleagues “can make all the difference” in the drive towards a second independence referendum.
Yesterday she said: “Those conversations were a huge feature of the grassroots campaign of 2014, and can be so again for the next referendum. I urge everyone who believes in our future as an independent country to get behind The National’s campaign and play their own part in making history.”
READ MORE: First Minister calls on Yes movement to back our new independence campaign
Today Audrey Birt of Voices for Scotland, the campaign arm of the Scottish Independence Convention, said: “I warmly welcome the campaign to open the conversation again about an independent Scotland. I look forward to using the paper to open dialogue with friends I know are open to change.
“We are in turbulent times and we urgently need to pattern hope for the future. So in our discussions I will seek first to understand what matters to them and listen and respond. Voices for Scotland looks forward to building on this discussion.”
Today’s special publication is the first of what will be a monthly series, as we pledged earlier this year. Further details about future editions will be released in coming weeks.
And we want feedback from the ground. Please send the stories and photographs from your conversations to us at community@thenational.scot. The best may even end up on the pages of this newspaper.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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