The problem is that there is no party which is even trying to "convince people" on the constitutional issue because they are all solely focused on getting elected. (I discount New Scotland Party as it is not yet in a position to stand candidates in 2026.)
Convincing people on the constitutional issue requires three things:
(a) A full and honest account of Scotland's current situation.
(b) A positive and plausible story about what Scotland might be if liberated.
(c) A clear and credible plan to achieve liberation.
For nearly thirteen years, the nominally pro-independence parties - mainly the SNP - have been obsessively focused on (b). Only lately has there been any effort to address (a). That effort has fallen very far short of full and honest. None of the nominally pro-independence parties has even attempted (c). Although they often claim to have a plan - and manage to convince the gullible - none of those claims is at all credible.
After the sham referendum of 2014, there should have been a rigorous review of the whole approach to the constitutional issue and a reframing of that issue. The matter required a much more assertive mindset which would have informed a campaign which seized the momentum the independence movement had in 2015 and built on that in the lead-up to a proper constitutional referendum in 2018. Instead, more than a decade has been wasted by those responsible for guiding a campaign to restore Scotland's independence.
The only silver lining to this dark cloud of squandered opportunity is that while the politicians and parties took to using 'independence' as nothing more than an electioneering device, elsewhere in the independence movement people were doing the serious work of developing nationalist thinking on the constitutional issue. I refer to people such as Sara Salyers and Professor Alf Baird and more recently, Professor Robert Black.
There is now a large and growing part of the independence movement which has developed a fresh perspective on the constitutional issue and the campaign to restore Scotland's independence. The politicians and parties have not kept pace with this new thinking. Some ignored it. Some actively sought to suppress it. The result is that we have an independence movement which lacks the essential party-political and parliamentary arm.
While people continue to squabble about which party is best and/or which voting strategy will be effective, they fail to see that as things stand, none of those parties is a credible 'party of independence'. To vote for any combination of the parties which are pro-independence in name only is to vote for another five lost years for Scotland's cause.
The way the electoral system works and the way the electorate behaves within that system, means that getting a new and genuine party of liberation into a position where it could force a chance of approach (such as New Scotland Party) is not an option. It is not impossible to do so. But success is far too improbable to rely on. The only option, therefore, is to put pressure on all the nominally pro-independence parties such as to force them to embrace the approach to the constitutional issue known as #ScottishUDI and adopt the Manifesto for Independence which commits those parties to specified action within the first year of the new parliament.
In an attempt to have the independence movement combine in sufficient numbers to scare the politicians, the Manifesto for Independence Petition was launched. But the largest part of the independence movement that is left after many walked away in despair continues to obsess about the electoral fortunes of their favoured party or the popularity of their favourite 'cunning plan' to elect parties on the basis of their empty electioneering rhetoric about independence. The Manifesto for Independence Petition has not taken off as we hoped it would. Not because it is 'wrong', but because it is new. It requires that people regard the constitutional issue in an unaccustomed way.
The only hope for Scotland's cause is in the hands of the independence movement. But just as was the case with the 2021 election, most are just not interested.
Another excellent comment Peter.Now I'm waiting for the second boot......AND?
I also read another excellent comment by Jim Sillars this morning. Same again...AND?
I speak to Scots around me re independence.They shrug their shoulders and mumble..'Whit's the point'. (never heard so many Scots be so uncaring about their country)
I watched the Andwelsh parliament this morning. Why Andwelsh? Cos I thought that was their name. Anytime their country is mentioned on the news it is EnglandANDWales. They don't seem to exist as an entity..just an appendage tae foreign england.
We are not as far down that road as the tragic Andwelsh. We are Northern Britain according to Classic FM weather report while GB News appear not to have heard of Glasgow. They only do the east coast of Scotland on their weather map...nae Glesga.
As a nation we are like the Andwelsh.. in danger of being erased or obliterated by the foreign english,the bbc and their sidekick the foreign english media.
Noo whit tae dae? Here comes a tartan boot...
* Set up a National Fund to support Independence or Scotland's War of Independence.
* Declare UDI
* An oath of loyalty from Police Scotland and the Scottish military..because the foreign english will attack..they have too much to lose.
* Scottish Bank..Scottish £1
* Set up Scottish Media
* Hands on our resources while setting up demand for reparations of the theft of those resources by our grabby neighbours.
* Compulsory purchase of land held by foreigners or obscure corporations
* Scottish passport..I'd suggest tartan...in conjunction with border control
* Declare a republic..no foreign english royal family ..even if Kate is a saint.
* No foreign english political parties. ( that's you f*ckd farage)
These are only a few suggestions. They are my tartan boot brought down firmly on our parasitic hostile thieving neighbour's neck.
Finally I'd like to see Bannockburn Field a national treasure with annual celebrations to remind us of who we were and will be again...and a little warning to our foreign english neighbours that we massacred them before and will do it again if need be.
This is OUR country We are Scotland. Wha's like us? Naebody..cos we are the Scots and this land is OURS.
Off to watch the riots in LA and see what happens when people feel empowered and take action..right or wrong but they don't say..whit's the point..they take action.
As Scotland must.
For Scotland and her weans!
I tried to sign to sign the petition a few minutes ago but the page had frozen and I could do nothing with it.