WE – and by that I mean the all-encompassing Yes movement – have all helped to take a campaign from the very epitome of an embryonic nature to one that now stands on the very cusp of success. Whether assistance was given by a political party, local Yes group or non-geographical Yes group, we have all done what has been required.

Today there will be very few alive in our country who will have lived through such momentous times such as these that we are witnessing. Never has so much of our children’s or grandchildren’s future depended on the voters here in Scotland, but we must have faith in our own abilities and the ability to show faith in our nation’s leadership. Let us not be the generation of voters that condemned those too young to vote or those as yet unborn to an existence of abject misery under the jackboot of “splendid little Engerlander isolationism”, with Farage, Johnson and Rees-Mogg as the new unholy trinity.

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Let us now not throw that chance away by succumbing to the smoke and mirrors of a corrupt elitist group whose forefathers ruled by dictate and not by any sense of democracy. Oh, they cry about the longevity of their parliament and yet cover up that yes, they had a parliament, but not one elected by anything near universal suffrage, indeed it was not until 1928 that we saw anything close to universal suffrage here in the UK.

If the political landscape that lies ahead were a theme park ride it would, I think, be a rollercoaster ride. But not just any old rollercoaster – oh no, we are about to get onboard the theme park ride of all time. For this rollercoaster ride has been jacked up, pumped up and is ready to rock so let us strap in, get the shoulder bars secured, and standby for a trip of great acceleration, dips, twists, and tight, tight curves but one that will ultimately end with Scottish independence.

But let us pause for a second and reflect on what has passed these last seven years, since that time of the first independence referendum. The one that was lost not through sleight of hand but more a failure on our part to convince enough of the good people of Scotland to vote for independence. We have of course since then crashed to the lowest depths of despair then risen by steady increments to find our cause being accepted as the norm. No longer do the fine folk of Scotland view the movement as suspect, no longer are we seen as a fringe of politics but most of all Westminster is now viewed only with contempt.

Work has still to be done and in many ways these coming months may be the most difficult we have to undergo, but traverse them we must.

Scotland’s future is bright, independence is right.

Cliff Purvis
Veterans For Scottish Independence 2.0

THE coming Holyrood election is an opportunity for Scotland to take control of and determine the mandate required for an independence referendum. The pro-independence parties should make a clear statement in their manifestos that a majority of pro-independence MPSs – of one or more parties – will be a mandate to hold the referendum. If that majority comes about, then the electorate will not only have endorsed a referendum but also the terms of its mandate.

Hamish Scott
Tranent, East Lothian

AT the age of 88, and an SNP member (and activist!), I can assure Mike Fergus (Letters, March 16) that we oldies are not all tarred with the same brush as the Brits he meets in Norway. There’s lots I admire about Norway except the price of alcohol.

Ian Gilbert
Pitlochry