Well last weekend showed a definite change in the SNP’s recent attitude to independence when Nicola Sturgeon made two speeches seemingly setting out a new take on the independence issue. This was followed all week by postings and tweets on social media from Yes supporters in their new found state of euphoria. Many of them announcing Nicolas secret plan was now coming to fruition.
Well I would caution as to what was actually promised because nothing was in effect put forward as anything which could be considered as a road map to independence.
Basicly,what was stated is what is in the SNP constitution and that is that the propose of the SNP is to take the country towards independence.
Now this might very well be a change of heart, from being terrified of the dreaded word independence being mentioned anywhere near an election, to a reassessment of the wishes of the members of the party. If it is, then that in itself is to be welcomed, but that will not in itself get us any nearer independence without action to go along with the new found bravado.
Now ,there is understandably many people who are now starting to campaign through social media for the SNP to include a date for a referendum in the elections. I do not think they will and I do not think it is necessary, if they properly pave the way for another referendum at a time of our choosing. To be able to do this we must firstly have the power to call a referendum at a time of our choosing and this will require a commitment to pursue this goal the manifesto. This is something that should have been included in the manifesto for the Westminster elections, if it had been then we could very well have had this power now.
There should be a concerted effort to address the issues that lost us the last referendum, such as pensions and the currency , plan B issue. To do these things the grass roots organisations must once again be activated and campaigned on a lower level with materials supplied centrally, through the SNP.
It is only if these basic things are done that we are ever going to get near the magical 60% of comfort that the SNP see as a possible trigger point for another referendum. Another way is of course to actually set a date in the manifesto and then work towards converting the no voters to yes and I am sure there are many now who have made that change. It should be remembered that when Alex Salmon set the train in motion for a referendum the yes vote was standing at only 27% and it went up to 45% if the results were in fact accurate .
On this point ,there is something that yes campaigners can do themselves to help in this conversion and that is to treat people who voted no in the last referendum with some respect and consideration. These people were as entitled to their opinion as we were to ours and there were in fact a great many of them who voted in the way they did because of some of the mistakes that we made in properly informing them of the various issues like pensions. So there must be no more calling them Naw Bags etcetera. If you cant coherently debate with opposite views without resorting to name calling than stay out of the debate and leave it to people who can. There is also of course the ongoing problem with SNP supporters who immediately jump on people who dare constructively criticise the SNP, and the SNP should be reigning in these unpleasant people.
There will never be a better time to get the independence movement going again after this unnecessary 15 months of hibernation. The Tories are now as unpopular in Scotland as they were when Thatcher was the Prim Minister and Labour in Scotland are in self destruct mode , to the point where I feel they are now actually realising this and I have a feeling that before long there will be Labour MSP members jumping ship rather than be ignominiously given their marching orders in May. I have said it many times that the only hope for Labour in Scotland is to separate completely from London Labour and embrace independence. I would like to think that they are considering this option as only then, can they rebuild a once proud party.
So it is over to the SNP , they need to be more open with the Scottish people and they need to do more than talk about independence . The Army is ready to march , we lost a battle 15 Months ago but .there is still a War to be won.
“So open the West Port and let us gang free”
We are still on that road to independence .
Our Journey
Bob Costello 
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