AS the saying goes, history repeats – the first time as tragedy, the second as farce. The present moment feels like a darkly farcical repeat of the last 10 days of the indyref: UK ministers flying up for photo ops in desperate bids to prove their relevance, a chorus of the usual suspects dismissing our ability to stand on our own two feet and the usual tired gimmicks, like plans to drape UK-funded projects in Scotland with Union flags.

Why is this happening? Because independence is now the wish of a majority of the Scottish people. Poll after poll has Yes ahead – including the stunning Panelbase poll that puts Yes on 55%, a neat reversal of 2014.

I remember the last 10 days of the indyref vividly. I was working for Yes Scotland, where I set up 30 sectoral groups across the country – we wanted to demonstrate that the independence movement could reach beyond political parties – and in that we succeeded. The groundswell of hope and optimism was real, and powerful.

But when it was obvious that Yes was gaining momentum the full force of the British establishment was unleashed against us. It’s beginning to happen again – subtly – and it will only intensify in the months ahead. That’s why our case must be ready and our key policies on Europe and currency as watertight as they can be.

But it’s also true that the political landscape has changed drastically, and the people of Scotland won’t be fooled by a reincarnation of Project Fear. We’re being dragged out of the EU against our will, despite Better Together’s blandishments in 2014 – and No-voting Remainers are beginning to accept that they must now choose between staying in the UK and re-joining the EU. Others, who had previously never warmed to the SNP, are watching the daily Covid briefings and finding themselves agreeing with every word the First Minister says.

We’re getting through to those voters – who include the naturally cautious and canny – who had always been wary of independence, but who now fear Boris Johnson’s recklessness more. For them, the Scottish Government is now the safe pair of hands, not the Union. This is a paradigm shift from 2014, and one that is massively to our advantage.

Next year’s election will be the most crucial in the SNP’s history, paving the way to a second referendum. Our mandate must be unambiguous, as it was when we won a majority in 2011. A decade on from that historic election, independence must once again take centre stage in our message.

To secure a Yes majority we need to focus on winning constituencies that we don’t hold. It will require us to campaign more strategically, with targeted national spending directed at those seats and activists visiting nearby target constituencies.

This is why I’ve chosen to stand in Dumbarton, where my family immigrated to from Italy and where I spent part of my childhood. Home to Faslane, it’s a seat we must take to deliver independence – and I’m up for the challenge. It’s a diverse constituency, both urban and rural, both affluent and working class. A constituency where around a quarter of kids live in poverty. To win Dumbarton – where people voted Yes in 2014 – we need to inspire and motivate our core voters, but we also need to address the various myths that have been fostered by the Labour incumbent for too long. I know what it takes to organise a parliamentary campaign – I’ve won against Labour and the Tories as a local organiser and I’ve taken on our opponents in hustings and the media.

I’ll be a champion for the Vale of Leven Hospital, where my partner has worked as a doctor, and will always argue for the retention of local services. For the past six years I’ve been fighting injustice and inequalities through Scotland’s third sector and I know how important local services are in improving population health. If selected I’ll help raise awareness of the broad range of services that the Vale has to offer. It is a vital local asset with a bright future.

I’ll provide long-term ambition for the Rest and Be Thankful beyond sticking plaster solutions. If selected I’ll make the case to see a commitment spelled out in black and white in the SNP’s 2021 manifesto. If we’re prepared to invest large sums of money for infrastructure projects in the East of Scotland we can do the same in the West.

And I’ll counter Labour falsehoods on Faslane – which will thrive with independence as a non-nuclear conventional naval base. The SNP has never argued for the closure of Faslane, which will also be the headquarters of our armed forces. Faslane’s geographic position is paramount for the security of the North Atlantic and high north. A modernised Faslane – without the costly and immoral albatross of nuclear weapons around its neck – will be the linchpin of an independent Scotland’s defence policy.

These are some of the messages that we must take to the people of the area. Dumbarton can make history next year by electing its first SNP MSP and helping to secure an independence referendum. Let’s make it happen.