Issue #1 How i came to be a Yes Campaigner

If you had told me two years ago I would be sitting here typing up a (terribly written) political blog, I would have told you that you were madder than a box full of weasels on acid. The idea would have been utterly ridiculous to me. I am however sitting here now in the process of doing just that. So, how did it come to be that i would be slowly but surely bashing the keyboard to bring you my musings dear reader? (Assuming I get at least one)

I have been interested in Scottish Independence since 1999 when the Scottish Parliament was formed. I was coming up for 13 years old at the time and remember learning about it at High School in modern studies. They told us that although Scotland would have her own government, the big issues would still be decided at Westminster. I remember asking my teacher a simple but powerful question "why?". I cant remember what his answer was, but i remember that i wasn't contented with it. Looking back it amuses me that (unbeknownst to myself at that time) George "forces of darkness" Robertson had said a couple of years previously that "devolution would kill nationalism stone dead" but paradoxicaly in my case it had planted the seeds of nationalism in my mind!

Over the years I kept an eye on politics without ever being too interested. I've always voted for the SNP. My family are traditional Labour but i never trusted them after Iraq and the way they seem to abandon every one of their traditional principles to pander to the swing seats down south. I despise the Tory selfservatives for what Thatcher did to Scotland in the eighties; destroying all our industry (being from a mining village originally) and the way they refer to her as some kind of shining example and visionary when in reality she ruined a lot of peoples lives by forcing them to unemployment. I've admired the way the SNP have conducted themselves in government, protecting the NHS in Scotland while its being privatised one piece at a time south of the border by the Tories. The Labour government in the Welsh Assembly just now have grossly mismanaged its NHS, putting cuts as deep as £800 million in place, sadly the patients will pay the price. The SNP also vigorously supported our right to a free university education meaning someone coming from even the poorest background can go on to achieve greatness in any field they wish, nowhere else in the UK offers this marvelous opportunity.

When the referendum was announced I vowed to my partner I would campaign a few weeks beforehand to help YesScotland out a wee bit. That WAS all I intended to do. That was until late January this year when I decided to skim read the white paper, look at some pro union writings, start using twitter and watch a few speeches on YouTube from either side to make sure I would be doing the right thing supporting Yes. Ladies and gentleman, after a few days research I was so overwhelmed I joined the SNP and also put my name forward to volunteer for YesScotland. Not only was i hugely impressed with the vision for an independent Scotland but I was disgusted with BetterTogethers lies, bluffs, smear and negativity.

I remember my first Yes meeting, I had contacted @yesdivit (Divit being a local slang term for Inverkeithing) and I'd been invited along to a hall just a few minutes walk from my house. I really had no idea what to expect on that wet Tuesday night as i kissed my girlfriend goodbye and started walking up the road, the first person to greet me with a warm smile as we both walked in the door at the same time I now know was councilor Alice Mcgarry, a lovely lady i have been lucky enough to get to know a little since that evening. I was glad to get out of the rain and hall was packed and filled with a diverse crowd, old people, young people, men, women, English people who had decided to make a life in Scotland and most of the people like myself had never been involved in politics before. As the meeting started we were told about the plans for canvass and leafleting in the area by lead volunteer Les Wilson, a true gentleman. We discussed tactics and were instructed in the use of the wonderful Yesmo technology (a system that allows you to download and record canvass data on your smart phone or tablet).

The following Saturday I was rocking up to a front door with Derek Rossborough - @DRossborough (whom i'd recruited to the cause myself after badgering him on twitter a day or two before). We canvass in two's and Derek had drawn the short straw and been lumbered with me, the poor guy! I wasnt nervous, being from a sales background im very used to speaking to complete strangers (I find it much easier than writing a blog!) although this was a little different. I cant remember that first door but I remember as we walked back to the meeting point after we completed our assigned street that Derek and I were almost euphoric. We had recorded Yes's, No's and a lot of undecideds, we had shared a lot of truths and dispelled a lot of myths and lies created by BitterTogether, U-KOK and their media shills. We had a good laugh on that walk back discussing some of the strange people we had encountered and ridiculous things people had said like "will we have to drive on the other side of the road?". Since that day, my partner Kristy and I have found out we are expecting our first child in November, this has motivated me to canvass and leaflet every Saturday, Sunday and most weeknights only taking a break to attend public meetings or go to the occaisional Dunfermline match (the Pars being my first love).

This blog article hasn't covered a lot of the real reasons for independence, however those will be discussed in future articles perhaps, this piece is about my personal journey. I feel i have rambled on for long enough just now so i will leave you with Ross's final thoughts...

If we win on the 18th of September we will have beaten the establishment and the biggest, most relentless and one sided propaganda machine this country has ever seen (Yes i mean you BBC and pretty much every tabloid rag) and we will have beaten them with a million conversations on a million doorsteps by folk like myself who give up their time to bring about a change we believe in.

If it is Yes it will be a victory for every day people, a victory for grassroots campaigning, a victory for hope over fear but most of all a victory for Scotland and the generations to come. 

Get involved, donate, join your local Yes group and help in whatever way you can. Every little helps.