I ENJOYED AG Petrie’s letter, How Many Yes Groups are ready to campaign? (Jul 3) for the unexpected confidence it initially gave me.

Many Yes and pro-indy groups are ready, readying, or dusting down, including my own community, Edinwfi. Campaign fund? Check. Campaign structure? Volunteers, experienced in running stalls, leafleting as starters? Check. Equipment for campaigning? Currently undertaking stock taking, so check. Constitution? Check. Bank count? Check. Activism training? Last undertaken pre-Covid, so OK, maybe revisiting is required. But we’re not unique. The grassroots is well versed, well practised.

But what we’re not is very visible at the moment. I mean the Yes movement in general. Zooming is great, especially with guest speakers, topics debated, teased out. But unless we get visible, get active beyond ourselves then it will be easy to be picked off by the anti-indys.

READ MORE: How many Yes groups are seriously ready to campaign for independence?

With vigorous claims of in fighting, how do we dial down the discord and regain the collective idea of independence before individualism, before party tribalism, before identity politics depletes us even further? Or do we just ignore the fluctuations in the polls? There will be claims we lack fiscal understanding, amongst other big issues, resulting in claims of jingoistic heart-stirring before the pragmatism that is required to change mindsets, replace old beliefs and doubts with alternative positives around the likes of pensions, taxation.

There will be claims we lack vision, purpose even. After all, just how many mandates does it take?

As someone who voted SNP, I believed it to be the vehicle that would get me to independence. I allied that to the hope that the SNP leadership and infrastructure from grassroots upwards had the ingenuity to manoeuvre from movement to opposition to government. I wanted to believe there was the ability to recognise and acquire the strengths, talents, and yes, street fighting skills required to distinguish between governing the country and simultaneously developing a twin-track approach that ensured no matter how long they governed, they would never lose the gut-twisting desire for independence. So is there a detachment within the party between a hierarchy and their grassroots? Has governing overtaken as the priority?

The indy movement, both political and grassroots, languishes in a Covid-induced stupor. Westminster appears to have managed the trick of deflecting attention from the very real threats to their beloved Union. Not just us, but Wales and Northern Ireland. Such a maelstrom. Shelves are empty, fruit rots unpicked, NHS staff are exhausted and insulted with a 1% offer? Without trained, experienced workers to fill vacancies, and trainers ready to upskill new entrants to the labour market and those forced to change jobs, just what is so great about their Union?

Ironically, we don’t hear much that actually extols the creaking Union. Is that because deep down Westminster realises they don’t need to? We can be poked by the increasingly politicised royals. We’ve been emasculated by Westminster’s grubby but effective power grab as we were dragged out of the EU. We’ve seen our MPs humiliated, ignored time and time again. We’ve called a halt, so just slap the Jack on every item possible, because as far as they’re concerned, we’ve left the field, we’re directionless and as a movement, we’re a spent force. Are we? Who or what will galvanise us? And when? And just how long can ready and waiting activists continue to wait?

Selma Rahman
Edinburgh