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Scottish leader beats the drum for independence
May 27, 2012
SCOTLAND'S First Minister, Alex Salmond, predicted 1 million Scots will be signed to join a popular mass movement that will eventually win independence for Scotland, as he launched a campaign to leave Britain.
He was the first to sign the new yes declaration, an open-ended pledge to make Scotland a ''greener, fairer and more prosperous'' independent nation, which won backing from actors such as Brian Cox and Alan Cumming, and left-of-centre political figures such as the Scottish Green leader, Patrick Harvie.
Mr Salmond acknowledged the new Yes Scotland movement - touted as the largest community-based campaign in Britain's political history - needed the 2½ years before the expected referendum in autumn 2014 to persuade a majority of Scots to support independence.
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Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond predicted 1 million Scots will join the campaign to " restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland."
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond predicted 1 million Scots will join the campaign to "restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland." Photo: Reuters
Only a few hours earlier on Friday, the former British chancellor Alistair Darling released a YouGov poll putting popular backing for leaving Britain at only 33 per cent, with only 57 per cent support among Scottish National party voters. With 4 million registered voters in Scotland, signing up 1 million people to the declaration would not be enough for the yes campaign to win. Mr Salmond said the next two years were needed to give ''form and substance'' to the desire for independence.
''We're at the start of something very, very special: the beginning of a campaign to restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland. Our opponents are rich and they're powerful and, therefore, to win and to win well, we're going to have to galvanise the whole community of the realm of Scotland,'' he said.
It emerged the campaign still has no significant organisational structure. Although offices are being rented in central Edinburgh, it has no full-time, paid staff, campaign director or board of management. It is also unlikely to present any firm policies, to avoid internal disputes over joining NATO, retaining the monarchy or relying heavily on North Sea oil. The campaign has already received millions of dollars in donations.
Read more: Scottish leader beats the drum for independence
May 27, 2012
SCOTLAND'S First Minister, Alex Salmond, predicted 1 million Scots will be signed to join a popular mass movement that will eventually win independence for Scotland, as he launched a campaign to leave Britain.
He was the first to sign the new yes declaration, an open-ended pledge to make Scotland a ''greener, fairer and more prosperous'' independent nation, which won backing from actors such as Brian Cox and Alan Cumming, and left-of-centre political figures such as the Scottish Green leader, Patrick Harvie.
Mr Salmond acknowledged the new Yes Scotland movement - touted as the largest community-based campaign in Britain's political history - needed the 2½ years before the expected referendum in autumn 2014 to persuade a majority of Scots to support independence.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond predicted 1 million Scots will join the campaign to " restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland."
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond predicted 1 million Scots will join the campaign to "restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland." Photo: Reuters
Only a few hours earlier on Friday, the former British chancellor Alistair Darling released a YouGov poll putting popular backing for leaving Britain at only 33 per cent, with only 57 per cent support among Scottish National party voters. With 4 million registered voters in Scotland, signing up 1 million people to the declaration would not be enough for the yes campaign to win. Mr Salmond said the next two years were needed to give ''form and substance'' to the desire for independence.
''We're at the start of something very, very special: the beginning of a campaign to restore nationhood to the nation of Scotland. Our opponents are rich and they're powerful and, therefore, to win and to win well, we're going to have to galvanise the whole community of the realm of Scotland,'' he said.
It emerged the campaign still has no significant organisational structure. Although offices are being rented in central Edinburgh, it has no full-time, paid staff, campaign director or board of management. It is also unlikely to present any firm policies, to avoid internal disputes over joining NATO, retaining the monarchy or relying heavily on North Sea oil. The campaign has already received millions of dollars in donations.
Read more: Scottish leader beats the drum for independence
