IT’S been a huge week for Progress Scotland. Last Sunday I launched the polling and research organisation which aims at better understanding how people’s views have been changing in Scotland since the independence referendum and the Scottish majority vote to remain in the European Union.
We intend to help prepare the case for Scotland to progress towards independence, keeping pace with the views of the people who make their lives here. We will research the opinion of people in Scotland and test their appetite to emulate the most successful small countries in the world. We will provide insight and analysis on what is needed to persuade people on the case for Scotland to make progress.
READ MORE: As a Yes voter I take no pleasure in watching this sorry spectacle
As things currently stand more than 70,000 people have viewed the Progress Scotland website, there are more than 14,000 followers on Twitter, thousands more across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. All in less than a week.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have generously subscribed, which will help finance the polling and research over the forthcoming months. This kind of work is not cheap, but it will be priceless if it is able to unlock the best way to understand and communicate with our neighbours and friends who are open minded about Scotland’s future.
Can I take the opportunity to thank every single one of you who has subscribed and urge anyone reading who has yet to do so, please go to the website and do so now.
Additionally, if you haven’t yet watched the videos of people whose views have been changing since the recent referendums you should have a look. They confirm that there are people of all mainstream political persuasions who are thinking anew about where we are heading.
There is Sir David Edward who is one Scotland’s most respected legal figures, who was the UK judge on the European Court of Justice. Having been a heart and head No voter in 2014, he now says he is ambiguous, but could be persuaded to vote Yes in certain circumstances.
READ MORE: First Minister puts forward independence case in Georgetown University speech
There is Murray Foote who was the editor of the Daily Record when it splashed with The Vow front page. He says that the Westminster Government has treated Scotland’s democratic preferences “with shameful contempt”.
There is Caroline Castle, a businesswoman originally from England, who believes there should be an independence referendum, but thinks the timing is important.
For solicitor advocate Mike Dailly, who was a Labour Party and Better Together campaigner, his change in views was a gradual realisation and he now believes Scotland’s best future will only be achieved by self-determination.
Edinburgh Councillor Ashley Graczyk, who was first elected as a Conservative, says it has been “the treatment of vulnerable people with disabilities and the treatment of Scotland which didn’t vote for Brexit”, that caused her to declare her support for Scottish independence.
Politics student and young Liberal Democrat member Chris Wilson from Lanarkshire said “I choose for Scotland to set its own path as a progressive, socially democratic society within the European Union, not as part of an increasingly right wing intolerant United Kingdom.”
Youth activist Erin Mwembo from East Lothian has just left school. She says: “At the time of the independence referendum I was too young to vote, but having looked at the issues I would probably have voted No. Since then however, my views have changed and like most young people in Scotland I now support independence”.
We all know people whose views have been changing. Some have gone from being No voters to now embracing Yes, some have lost their previous certainties and are open-minded, and it’s also true that some previous Yes voters have gone in the opposite direction.
READ MORE: First Minister puts forward independence case in Georgetown University speech
With so much going on it’s imperative that we understand what is making people change their minds and communicate effectively with those who are open-minded. It is a timely reminder that just speaking more loudly or more aggressively is counter productive, damaging to your case and downright rude.
Reading the angry and aggressive hardline Unionists on social media following the launch of Progress Scotland or hearing them in the BBC Question Time audience from Motherwell is a huge turn off for normal people. Just as Progress Scotland launches to understand and communicate with the reasonable, open-minded, moderate mainstream of society in Scotland, the most vocal opponents of Scottish independence sound increasingly shrill, intolerant and opposed to people having their democratic say in Scotland.
Scotland will become independent not only because it is a normal thing for a normal country to do and it offers the best future. It will also be because of the way in which we make our case. We must speak convincingly to the unconvinced as well as to those who have been long-term supporters. We must be welcoming, considerate and respectful. Everyone has had their own reasons for their previous preferences, but the world is turning around us all at the moment. I am certain that Scotland will progress in the right direction and hopefully Progress Scotland will play a big part in that. Please support us today.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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