'The Union has failed': Veterans of the indyref on why they're Still Yes

INDEPENDENCE is an absolute imperative now as the Union has totally failed. The move towards independence in Scotland was happening before Brexit but that has been a very brilliant example of why the Union is so dysfunctional.

It does not matter what we vote for – we will always get what England votes for. Scotland is now more like a colony of England and that is very well illustrated by Brexit and by Boris Johnson, who has taken a very belligerent attitude to hammer the Scots.

I think what has happened now is that independence is a completely mainstream view which makes ludicrous labels like “separatists”, “extremists” and “cult members” all the more laughable. When the Tories say stupid things like that they don’t realise they are now insulting the majority of people in Scotland who are just expressing a normal view. It is completely normal for a country to be governed by the people it votes for.

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During Covid – and Nicola Sturgeon has greatly assisted in this – I think the middle ground has moved towards independence as people have seen we can run our country in a decent way.

My husband Richard and I set up the Million Reasons campaign last year, while I was recovering from a major stroke, because we felt the media was so biased that people’s voices were not being heard. People from all walks of life have very good reasons why they support independence and we wanted to publicise their own words in their own handwriting.

The idea is that when campaigning begins for a new referendum we can swamp social media with these reasons and print them out as campaign posters to be hung up everywhere.

We feel more passionate now than we ever did – we are so angry about everything we are ready to explode into campaigning as soon as it starts.

https://amillionreasons.scot/

Artist Gerard M Burns

I went on a bit of a journey from No to Yes prior to 2014. I really dug deep and asked lots of hard questions of myself and came to the conclusion that we had effectively been sold a lie for decades. I maintain that anyone who goes on that journey cannot fail to come to the same conclusion.

However, I think we are in a really tricky position. I can see us in a situation where the polls, which are steadily and consistently showing for independence, could reach as high as 70% or more and this particular government in Westminster still would not be minded to shift in any way.

Nicola Sturgeon has been brilliant in just giving them enough rope but I think we are at a point where it will become glaringly obvious that no matter what the polls say, there won’t be any change at Westminster.

Powers are being taken away and I think they will seek to almost remove the teeth from the Scottish Parliament.

I think we are dealing with people who simply don’t understand the game the way we understand it. There are no rules, in their opinion. They will do whatever they think is necessary, whenever they think it is necessary, to shut this down and I wonder what will happen when the tipping point comes and the population says enough? What happens after that?

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What needs to change, and I think this is almost inevitable, is that Scottish Labour has to embrace independence. They are already almost irrelevant in terms of Scottish politics. That is the one thing that will take us to 75-80% because there are so many people that simply cannot vote SNP and have to label themselves as anti-independence when they are not really.

I do think independence is inevitable though. It is just a question of when, not if, so I remain optimistic.

A new book on Burns’ work called Gerard M Burns is being published this autumn.

Cameron McNeish, outdoor enthusiast, presenter and writer

I am even more of a Yesser than I was before. I am now absolutely desperate because of the state of affairs that the UK Government has brought us to. Leaving Europe is one of the craziest political acts I have known in my lifetime.

The only way we can get out of that is to be an independent nation in the EU and as far as I am concerned that would be the ideal scenario.

I don’t think there is any doubt that the rest of the country is starting to think the same and I am particularly encouraged by the number of young people who are now voting Yes.

I am slightly frustrated at the moment because we are not seeing greater movement towards doing something about it.

I fully respect that we are in the middle of a pandemic but I would like to have seen the First Minister give one of her colleagues the role of getting people ready for a referendum.

I have huge respect for Nicola Sturgeon but it seems to me everything is being left to non-politicians at the moment, such as groups like All Under One Banner.

We already have a mandate just now for a referendum but if the SNP run away with the election next year, as everyone expects they will, that will give us a powerful mandate. And if Nicola Sturgeon asks for a Section 30 order and it is refused I think we should go it alone and have one anyway. If we can prove to Europe and the other nations that we tried every legal way possible to do this and it is the will of the Scottish people to be independent, then I think they will back us.

Gordon Ewan, chair of Yes Kirriemuir

I have been Yes ever since a visit to our primary school when I was nine in 1979. It was about the devolution referendum that year and they handed out SNP badges. I can’t remember what they said but it must have made an impression as I have seen independence as a natural thing ever since.

There is definitely a momentum building now but we can hardly expect anything less because of what is going on down in Westminster.

However it is plenty scary looking at what could happen as Westminster is really trying to bind Scotland into the Union the same way that Spain did with Catalonia. Will the May election go ahead if emergency powers are enacted next year following Brexit?

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I don’t think anyone on either side of the debate believes we are getting more powers and I think most folk have made their minds up already about independence, apart from some in the middle.

In 2014 people were looking for an excuse to vote No, but I don’t think they have that option now and they are now looking for an excuse to vote Yes.

Hopefully people will see how bad it is getting and how dangerous it is for devolution in Scotland. It is our democracy that is at risk.

Recently a good friend and a member of Yes Kirriemuir died and I have been making circular silver Yes badges with her name on the back so she can still be here when we eventually get independence.

Her name was Magrit Pollock and she was a force to be reckoned with and a big part of Yes Kirriemuir.

I have also made little enamelled Yes badges which are sold at cost price to other Yes groups so they can make some money to help their funds.