Independence for Scotland

Something for the May Day weekend……

The May Day Bank Holiday weekend is upon us and traditionally there are May Day marches to commemorate International Workers Day and Spring. This Saturday sees the first of the bigger All Under One Banner Independence marches. Although Stornoway ‘stole a march’ on Glasgow last weekend. There will be some friendly rivalry between Edinburgh ( salt and sauce) and Glasgow ( salt and vinegar) over who can get the most people taking part but its the Union that will have had its chips at the end of the day.

Plenty of routes to assembly point such as subway to Kelvinbridge and just follow the crowd.

The march will leave Kelvingrove Park at 1.30 and All Under One Banner have put out a call for volunteer stewards. Please answer the call if you can by approaching an existing steward.

The requirements for being a volunteer steward are very simple and joining the team will in no way hamper your enjoyment of the big day with donning a Hi-Viz vest and following simple instructions all that will be asked of you. You do not need any experience whatsoever (even though naturally any previous experience either voluntary or in a professional context is obviously good) as full guidance will be given on the day via Steward briefings running every 30 minutes from 12.00 am, 12.30am, 1pm, as we approach the 1.30pm prompt start time for the March.
All Under One Banner

This is a family friendly march and people are encouraged to bring flags including flags of their country of origin to show we are altogether in the struggle for independence as all Scots old or new. A mark of previous marches has been the great turn out from older people and people with disabilities who know what it is like to suffer Tory austerity and dehumanising DWP assessments.

The procession route is:
Kelvingrove Park; Kelvinway; Gibson Street;Eldon Street;Woodlands Road
Sauchiehall Street;Pitt Street;West George Street;Blythswood Square (S)West George Street;Nelson Mandela Place ( shout Amandla! passing through here); West George Street;George Square;High Street
Saltmarket;Glasgow Green

The march organisers facebook page is Here to check for any changes.

Many thousands of people will walk the whole march while others may meet marchers at the Glasgow Green Rallying point. Remember to bring your flags, dugs are also very welcome! Its going to be massive so bring a peece, sun screen and a bottle of juice, but because its May there could be hailstones!Lol.

Check AUOB pages for details of other scheduled marches near you……

Last weekend saw the SNP conference in Edinburgh being virtually ignored by the main stream media. Not only was it massive for a political party conference in Scotland, it was huge in terms of both size and content. The speech Nicola Sturgeon gave was world class. It set the week off to a great start and the Tories and the media were really showing their fear of our determination.

This weekend will see the Scottish Tories conference in Aberdeen. It will have mainstream media coverage even though it will be tiny by comparison. Potential future Tory leaders will be paying Aberdeen a visit although Ruth Davidson, that super mum returning from maternity leave that the media have been fawning over all week is playing down Boris’s visit.

Although Gove and other Tory ‘stars’ will grace the conference Boris Johnson will also be up campaigning helped by his pal local MP Ross Thomson. Ross will no doubt be showing Boris all his favourite fiddling venues in Union Street and we don’t mean the ones Robbie Shepherd likes.

One thing is for sure the Tories have taken a beating in the English local government elections and Ruth Davidson did not pick a good week to return to politics. But with most of the state media on her side she can still say and do what she likes and the media will report it as if she is the First Minister.

This is why marches like tomorrow are so important.They burst the media bubble and show the people of Scotland mean business.

Sunday will also see the more traditional workers day march in many places. Thousands of trade unionists and supporters will march through Glasgow to celebrate the international workers day. Organised by Glasgow Trades Union Council this celebration looks to reach out to all those striving for justice peace and equality in our city. This year theme is on young people as they face the brunt of unjust austerity enduring insecure low paid employment, zero hour contracts and cuts to educational services.

Enjoy your May Day Bank Holiday Weekend .

Tomorrows march will be covered by Independence Live , indylive.Radio and Yes Scotlands Future

Peace Love and Scottish Independence!

Indylive.radio can be listened to online —-> here

Team Yes Scotlands Future

Friends Not Masters

It’s an often quoted myth that the Scots hate the English and vice versa but for most individuals that couldn’t be further from the truth. There may be competitive rivalry between the two nations in, for example, sporting matters but it is (for the most part) a good natured affair. Like a friendship we would not wish ill of the other.

Politically however this is not the case within the UK as there does not exist the natural balance of a friendship, where both parties are equals and they have a mutual respect. Imagine if you will two friends going into a bar for a drink? Before ordering they will discuss what each wants so that each is happy with what they receive. Not so with the political union of the UK where Scotland will almost inevitably be subject to the will of the English MPs in any matter arising. This is of course because the Westminster parliament works on a system of representation based on percentage population of the countries within the union. On the face of it this seems fair and democratic but is it?

Meanwhile back at the bar I arrive with nine friends for a drink. My friends all drink Bitter but I like a pint of Heavy? Now, normally this wouldn’t be a problem except that under the ‘rules’ of our friendship it is the majority who choose what everyone gets to drink. So nine votes for Bitter and one for Guinness results in everyone drinking Bitter together (for every round). Another issue with this arrangement is that the bill is shared which again seems reasonable except that my friends all order food and snacks when I don’t require any or share in them. It is apparent that although my friends realise my unhappiness at the situation they are reluctant to change from the status quo as they are content always getting what they want and,truth be known, having me subsidise their expenses.

What seemed like a democratic arrangement in hindsight feels very unfair and is an ever increasing strain on our friendship. The sensible and mature solution is surely for me to simply remove myself from the arrangement before irreparable damage is done to our relationship. I will still socialise with the same people, and consider them my friends but now each of us will take responsibility for our own needs and budget/finance for this accordingly. This new arrangement will be much fairer, eradicating any resentment between us, and strengthening our friendship in the future.

If we apply the same principles between Scotland, England and the rest of the UK, there is no reason why we cannot re-assess our relationships, adjust them accordingly and remain friends. No one is suggesting a split which is irreparable or destructive. We are simply looking to re-establish some equivalence and equality, beyond which our relationships can bloom because the resentments and frustrations of the imbalance no longer exists. We can rebuild a strong relationship with the rUK, without the dependency upon them. It can, and should be done.

Yes Scotlands Future social media activists

This is the full text we supplied to the National newspaper for the article about the readiness of the Yes movement in the article printed this morning.

Yes Scotlands Future are a collective of activists on social media who have been active since before 2014.

Our Mantra is positivity, good humour and above all understanding the manipulation and bias in mainstream media.

The Yes movement has been like a group of planes flying in a ‘holding’ pattern above Scotland since 2014.

Some have crashed and burned already, or fallen out with each other, but many have gone on to develop a strong network built on trust , friendship and a common belief in a better Scotland.

There will always be “egos” in any movement but we try to sidestep those and just get on with it.

The Brexit shambles has exacerbated things and made people impatient but it has also revealed the true nature of the union, it is broken beyond repair.

The people who share posts on our pages are ordinary Scots looking to get involved. There is still a role for pages like this to help put information in front of people to help them argue the case for independence.We just need a date to land safely and get a move on.

Team Yes Scotlands Future

Tis the season to be deceitful…..

While everyone is celebrating this is the time of year Unionist parties have already prepared their press releases to take advantage of the lack of stories in the media, hoping that some of their ‘spin’ will make the headlines as fact.

In the case of Scotland that will not be a problem there is a willing press pack in radio, print and TV media eagerly awaiting stories which can help to undermine the Scottish Government, and the Scottish Parliament.

Like a broken record (remember those 12 ” bits of plastic you put on a record player) these press releases get stuck in the same message that the SNP are not doing enough to prevent austerity. They usually highlight issues that you would expect such as pensioner poverty , low pay and the increased use of food banks. All sounding quite normal ground for a political party to cover. But when you take a closer look you see them for what they are, thinly veiled lies and spin.

Take Richard Leonard for example, we do not know if he wrote this himself but his piece in The Scotsman on 21 st of December is a classic example of seasonal deceit. The headline screams at you:

Why are working Scots living in poverty? The SNP refuse to help
source here

He starts out talking historically and ends up talking hysterically.

‘I joined the party over 35 years ago’.

So that would be the 1980’s then just after two back to back Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan heralded in 11 years of Margaret Thatcher. Another 13 years of Labour Governments were to come in the shape of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. We point this out as Richard seems to get all heated up about Labour and positive and practical things it could do to eradicate poverty. In the 24 years of Labour Governments since Wilson’s 1964 government they have had 5 chances in government to do something about it and little has changed. And they want us to vote Labour to let Jeremy Corbyn govern us.Assuming he would win if there was an election?

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…when first we practice to deceive.”
Walter Scott,Marmion

So why are Scots living in poverty? Let us answer his question for him by using the well worn phrase , ‘It is the economy stupid’. Here is a standard overview of the UK economy right now and its recent history. A history Labour conveniently forgets when blaming others for their own continued failings.

UK Economy – overview:
In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded the UK’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the then CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which has continued under the Conservative government. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 3.6% of GDP as of 2017, and the UK has pledged to lower its corporation tax from 20% to 17% by 2020. The UK had a debt burden of 90.4% GDP at the end of 2017.
The UK economy has begun to slow since the referendum vote to leave the EU in June 2016. A sustained depreciation of the British pound has increased consumer and producer prices, weighing on consumer spending without spurring a meaningful increase in exports. The UK has an extensive trade relationship with other EU members through its single market membership, and economic observers have warned the exit will jeopardize its position as the central location for European financial services. Prime Minister MAY is seeking a new “deep and special” trade relationship with the EU following the UK’s exit. However, economists doubt that the UK will be able to preserve the benefits of EU membership without the obligations. The UK is expected to officially leave the EU by the end of March 2019.

In 2008 it was Labour’s Gordon Brown who presided over the banking crisis admitting he did not do enough to regulate the finance sector. What followed was Conservative imposed austerity starting with the Cameron government ( including an alliance with the Lib Dems).

Here is the rub.

Government programmes like austerity are set out at Westminster not Edinburgh and run for years.At the time it was Labour, in opposition at Westminster who abstained and did not not put up any kind of fight against the imposition of austerity.

That leaves us with two main conclusions, one Richard Leonard is lying to the Scottish public as the programme of austerity which sets the block grants for years to come were in effect supported by Labour.

Secondly, he disrespects the Scottish public because he thinks we are stupid enough to belief this rubbish.He consistently repeats it at every opportunity especially now at the end of the year when editors will be very willing to use any press releases they can get. Nothing but deceit and disrespect for the people of Scotland.

The Scottish Government took positive and practical steps to mitigate the introduction of austerity measures as early as 2014. This was in response to the UK Government introduction of the ‘removal of the spare room subsidy’, more commonly known as the “bedroom tax”. The ‘mitigation’ continues and has come to the point using the limited powers of devolution the people on benefit have been involved in large scale consultations to help design a rights based Scottish Social Security system- but he says the SNP ‘refuse to help’.

Note also at this point after the 2014 referendum the ‘Vow’ and the promises of ‘substantial new powers’ were made to the Scottish people, remember ‘as close to federalism as you can get?’

Being deceitful is a prerequisite for Labour Party leadership. You have to call out the lies every time you hear them repeated because they will just keep on saying them.

Gordon Brown being deceitful in 2014 by promising us things he could never deliver.

Look to the future…its only just begun

Merry Yessmas……and an active New Year on the streets of Scotland!

It was a small step for us back in 2014 which sadly we did not take.

We were bullied and lied to by Project Fear…that tactic cannot be repeated.

Those Labour/Better Together canvassers who called on the doorsteps of old people and people from ethnic minorities to scare them about pensions and immigration status in case they voted YES were and still are a disgrace to Scotland and the Labour movement.

In time people can see that for themselves as Labour stood shoulder to shoulder with the Tories and the Liberals as Unionists to crush the aspirations of the Scottish people. They had and still do not have any real commitment to Scotland only to curry favour with London and gain access to the House of Lords in return for unquestioning service.

As this year draws to a close we have seen even more evidence of Labours complete betrayal not just to Scotland but to huge numbers of people in England and Wales who would at least want to delay if not stop the Brexit bus. It is like the bus in the movie ‘Speed’ and is not only booby trapped to explode but is going to take a lot of innocent bystanders with it.Scotland did not vote to leave the EU but as with General Elections we often do not get what we vote for.This time Scotland is fortunate to have an escape route-Independence.

This year saw the start of a steady mobilisation of All Under One Banner marches across all of Scotland culminating in around 100,000 marching in Edinburgh in support of independence. Next year we will see another round of marches and an all movement campaign for independence which has already started to be funded with over £104,000 raised so far. The momentum will build again march by march, rally by rally and street stall by street stall.

If you cannot get along to marches or street stalls you can still do good by sharing information that challenges the constant drip, drip, drip of misinformation which is circulated in the press daily. That is why pages like Yes Scotlands Future exist. We are here to share information and put it out there so that Scotlands aspirations can not only be voiced, but also heard above the cacophony of propaganda and news designed to have us all look the other way.

With the page growing in size we are closing the year with a ‘post reach for the last 28 days of over 1 million- not bad for a bunch of volunteer citizen journalists.

So we urge you to support pages like this by liking and sharing the posts and talking to as many people that you can about what is being posted. Many people are still led by what is in the main stream media and that is why the task to inform and let people make up their own minds through challenging everything is so very important.

The time has almost come to step back into the campaign for independence again. Some of us have never left I hear you say. That is true but its also worth reflecting on.

A new campaign needs new messages and new symbols and strategy.That is what the next phase will be all about, we need to reframe the arguments to the current time period not 2014 . That doesn’t mean giving up in any way it is just about being welcoming of people who have not yet come to being ‘Yes’.

When the time comes we will still be about letting the Scottish people RESET the political landscape in our country….( the redecorating the house analogy is one we like at Yes Scotlands Future ) Let us get control and ownership of the house first then we can sort out the wallpaper and paint.

We need to convince people to go for full on Independence and reject once and for all the cesspit that Westminster has become.They said they would clean it up after 2014 ,we are still waiting.We have seen it degenerate day by day and now Brexit and the ‘power grab’ threatens the existence of our own devolved parliament.

Team Yes Scotlands Future wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Have a good break because there is work to be done- we have bigger steps to take.