Scottish independence: ‘People here are best qualified to run Scotland’

THE formal campaign for independence will kick off today with a central message that people living in Scotland are the best at running the country, not those elsewhere in the UK.

The launch of the “Yes Scotland” campaign saw battle joined last night, as the pro-Union camp published a new poll showing that just a third of people want to leave the UK to set up an independent Scotland.

The skirmishes mark the beginning of a marathon 29-month campaign in the run up to Alex Salmond’s preferred 2014 referendum date, as Scotland is asked to decide, once and for all, on its constitutional future.

Two of Mr Salmond’s former advisers, Stephen Noon and Jennifer Dempsie, are now helping to run the Yes campaign, which will have access to the SNP’s deep war-chest and is set to be one of the biggest “community campaigns” ever in Scotland. The “Yes Declaration”, to be signed today, is expected to be entitled Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.

The event in Edinburgh is expected to emphasise what organisers claim is a broad church in favour of secession, featuring political figures from other parties, including Scottish Socialists and former Conservative politicians who both back independence. The pro-independence Tommy Sheridan, however, is not among those expected to attend.

The campaign is also promising celebrity supporters at the launch in an Edinburgh cinema, following on from the SNP’s election campaign last year when a string of well-known Scots, including Alan Cumming, Brian Cox and Midge Ure, backed Alex Salmond as First Minister.

Pro-independence campaigners last night sought to claim they were already winning over voters to the cause of independence, citing unpopular Westminster policies on welfare reform as one of the “most powerful drivers” pushing people towards a fully autonomous Scotland.

A senior campaign figure said: “People are thinking about independence for the first time and they are open to the idea. There is an extremely powerful concept which has the ability to put people on a positive mood towards independence: that is the idea that people who care most about Scotland, the people who live here, are the people who will do the best job of running Scotland.”

But their claim of growing momentum was dented as the pro-Union campaign published a new YouGov poll showing only 33 per cent of people believe that Scotland “should become a country independent from the rest of the UK”. That compares to 57 per cent of people who said they preferred to stay in the United Kingdom.

Former chancellor Alistair Darling, who yesterday confirmed he is to co-ordinate the campaign against independence, said that while Mr Salmond “may be the First Minister of Scotland, on the issue of independence, he doesn’t speak for Scotland”.

With Mr Darling set to spearhead a cross-party campaign from next month, today marks the beginning of the debate on substance, with key issues such as the economy, social security, defence and foreign affairs certain to dominate. A source said last night the campaign would not make policy prescriptions. “It is for each individual Scot to assess what it [independence] means for them,” the source said.

However, the campaign is set to play host to a variety of divergent views on how an independent Scotland should be set up, with splits having already emerged on issues such as Nato membership and whether to keep the Queen as its head of state. Mr Salmond has said the Queen would continue at the helm of the new country.

One of those present today, Scottish Green party leader Patrick Harvie tweeted: “6,500 Jubilee street parties in England and Wales . . . under 100 in Scotland. Why exactly are we being asked to keep the monarchy?”

Mr Darling returned the debate to the issue of the economy last night saying that, with the economic crisis in Europe unfolding, “it is better for Scotland to be in the United Kingdom”.

He added: “The majority of us simply aren’t buying the independence policy they’re selling.”

However, the SNP’s campaign director Angus Robertson said: “We are extremely confident of winning the trust of the people and achieving a Yes vote in the autumn of 2014.”

Meanwhile, the UK government’s Advocate General, Lord Wallace, called on the SNP to agree a deal to ensure the referendum can be held legally under the auspices of the Scottish Parliament. To do so, Westminster must pass a so-called “Section 30 order” giving permission for Holyrood to proceed.

He said: “Both governments have expressed a preference for a single question on independence and the Scottish Government has accepted that it does not have the legal power to ask such a question.”