The Scottish Government will today release a historic and comprehensively detailed document setting out the background and the rationale for an independent Scotland. It will be an invitation to imagine the Scotland we all want to see, one where the bedroom tax and current UK austerity measures are not OK and need not be tolerated. There will be boldness and vision as well as cold, hard facts and figures underlining Scotland’s true potential. We understand that the White Paper will say that Scotland will become an independent country on Thursday 24 March 2016 in the event of a vote for independence in next year’s referendum.
This is a red letter day for the Scottish independence movement, a long-anticipated moment in time that many never thought they would see and some stalwarts sadly never did. This is the day that they stand tall, square their shoulders and meet the full gaze of public scrutiny head on and unafraid, stating their case with conviction and certainty, telling the assembled media of the world that Yes, this Scotland of five million people should be considered an equal and a partner to all the other normal Nations of the world. The messages relayed at home and abroad will transcend medium, forcing even the most biased of media opponents to broadcast the message, no matter the tactics subsequently employed to rubbish that message.
The response from the No side of the debate will be shrill in it’s condemnation, before a single word of the White Paper has been read, digested or considered. This much we know from the attempts to claim that the preferred media launch somehow sidelined the Scottish Parliament. Let us be clear, there would be criticism from the No side no matter how the Scottish Government chose to launch the White Paper. There is a wide spectrum of opposition to independence (or separation as some on the No side so petulantly call it) in Scotland’s mainstream media and it is often left to social media to act as a crucial counterweight.
Make no mistake, for all the naysayers may grumble, this is a momentous time in Scotland. The independence debate is focusing attention on where we want to be as a country and, more importantly, who we want to be when we get there. Will we meekly accept that the UK is OK or will we strive for something more, something better, believing that OK is just not good enough? As a Nation, do we collectively believe that a UK Government who we did not elect should rule us more than half of the time, implementing policies we despise and hurting our most vulnerable people? There is sure to be a real public debate to be had on the contents of this vast and immensely important white paper, we hope that our readers will resist the constant fear-mongering from the No side and engage with what is actually being said. Please don’t let fear be pulled over your eyes, blinding you to the potential for something better. Enter the debate with open eyes and embrace the hope of a better nation to come.
To read more, go to https://www.scotreferendum.com