A unified strategy is needed to prepare for and achieve independence.
First there is the question of resolving the policy on independence in a way that makes it possible to answer the questions people have and do the work to build confidence in the case for independence.
The next major aspect is the public influence campaign. The model for shifting public opinion proposed in this paper is one that has been discussed by a number of people in the independence movement over a period of time. ... Significant money was invested in getting this right and that organisation exists – it is called Voices for Scotland. ...But if this is going to work there needs to be a dedicated central team there to support our advocate network, rapidly respond to requests for information (from target voter or the media), carry out research, manage IT systems and so on.
That takes us to trigger point. If we have secured the settled will and are seeking to use my preferred National Petition model then there is significant level of organisation required to deliver that.
And from there, with sufficient verified voters to demonstrate a settled will beyond reasonable doubt, the next step is for a Scottish Government to initiate negotiations.
The independence movement has got lost. It has been following a ‘strategy’ which wasn’t a strategy at all and has gone so far up a wrong turn that we need to work our way back to the beginning and start again. The very beginning, the part where we remind ourselves what we’re actually trying to achieve. It was never a referendum, it was always full international recognition. Start from there, assess the opportunities and barriers, look at the best available information and learn about the best practices we have at our disposal and you would end up somewhere very different from where we are currently. The faster we get to that place, the faster Scotland will become an independent country