IT was very kind of Boris Johnson to coincide his latest visit to Scotland with our Yes Challenge campaign launch.
Nothing seems to drive support for independence more than a visit from the Prime Minister. The man who delivered Brexit is losing the Union – and we’re here to help him along with that.
READ MORE: MPs tell Boris Johnson to stay out of Scotland amid Covid fears
The Yes Challenge is the single biggest campaign we’ve ever run at The National. We’ve had the idea for more than a year now, but it was put on hold after Covid hit.
But the concept is really a simple one and has its basis in a question asked by all of the best political campaigns. What would happen if every single one of our readers and subscribers were able to convince just one person that independence was the best future for Scotland?
We want to find out.
Everybody (probably) knows somebody in their social circle who might have been a No voter in 2014, but has recognised that things have changed since then.
Perhaps your aunt who really liked Gordon Brown is sick and fed up of Boris Johnson. A work colleague who believed The Vow and despaired at Brexit. A family friend who wishes Nicola was in charge of the fight against Covid at UK level. Maybe you’ve heard your neighbour muttering “I still don’t like independence, but...” as he passes you in the close.
It’s these people who we know in our daily lives that we need to convince to get Yes support to 60%. Ordinary people will deliver independence for Scotland. And today we launch a campaign to reach them.
READ MORE: The National launches the Yes Challenge – let’s convince undecided voters to back independence
This is what The National was founded to do. This is why you’ve been supporting us through thick and thin over the last six years. This is why 11,800 of you have subscribed to support us.
Now have a think – who do you want us to convince to vote Yes?
Sign up at yeschallenge.scot to take part – there’s nothing to lose and everything to win.
READ MORE: Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp: We’ll explain the merits of Yes to your undecided voters
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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