Monday, June 4, 2012

Braveheart Alex Salmond and Yes Scotland just got an independence bombshell, Unionists will run a Yes UK campaign, buy shares in midnight oil!














Dear All

In the not too distant future the YES UK Campaign will launch; the campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.

They seem to going for a Yes branding rather than a “No” campaign.

It’s exactly how I would set about the task.

So, now it’s two Yes Campaigns.

The cross-party drive to stop a Yes vote for independence in the 2014 referendum is going to be professional in nature.

You can expect no less, so far fronting the campaign; the big names are Labour’s Alistair Darling, former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy and ex-Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie.

All good speakers and having the ability to put forward an encompassing strategy of their vision, and of course they will be joined several others including senior politicians who will drop in and out of the campaign delivering something which they specialise on.

Organisers are saying that their “war chest” will be about a £1 million pounds by the time they launch.

A Yes UK source said:

“We are not going to be a No campaign. We are saying yes to partnership, yes to Scotland in the UK. It is a positive message. Staying in the UK is a positive message for Scotland.”

With YES Scotland, the Yes campaign for independence lurching from disaster to disaster, they now have a new problem to deal with.

YES UK.

The pressure just got ramped for Braveheart Alex Salmond; it was obvious that the opposition would also be running with a Yes Campaign.

The YES Scotland Campaign is run by people who aren’t activists and it shows; that lack of expertise will become more evident as this campaign goes on.

This is one time when spin, wee flags, balloons and big smiles won’t help to win.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

6 comments:

prody said...

independence will never happen under the Nat leadership, this is the swan song of Alex Salmond.

Longshanker said...

George

Quick question.

What would you do to change the current SNP strategy/direction re the Yes campaign?

You've convinced me that at best the Yes campaign will hit 40% max come the referendum.

I think it will be quite a bit less.

I'd like it to be closer.

G Laird said...

Dear Longshanker

If you are looking for a simple fix, it can't just be one thing, because they have let things slide so badly.

External oversight is a first step.

Second sit those in charge down running Yes Scotland and ask hard questions about their actual campaign experience.

Third dismantle all the phoney wee sites set up as pro indy, it's nonsense.

Fourth, get a grip of that zoo in Holyrood and make it plain to MSPs, you fail to turn up for anything and you will know what trouble really is.

Fifthly relaunch the entire thing again, its a hard thing to do, but singing is out, poetry is out, ranting is out.

Sixth, install a new SNP branch model. important.

Seventh, have a Yes Scotland rep attend cabinet meetings.

That is seven off the top of my head, on the way out the door for a 'historic' kebab.

This is a lot of work, and needs someone who has vision for both detail and presentation.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Longshanker said...

Thanks George

I'd like to see you as the Chief Whip for your fourth fix.

Some richt skelped erses I'd figure.

Conan the Librarian™ said...

A dangerous policy George.

Those simple-minded souls who may be persuaded by this campaign will then be faced by a ballot paper designed by the SNP...

G Laird said...

Dear Conan

Hi, how's tricks.

It isn't a dangerous policy because as people in politics know, mirroring is common.

It is a technique that is used to dilute impact.

As to the ballot paper, you might find that load of problems will be coming down the track soon enough.

And the Electoral Commission still has to rule on the design and content.

Things are only dangerous when people don't understand what they doing, don't think that the unionists are stupid. In the Glasgow Council Election, the SNP got hung out to dry.

Massive failure on all fronts and they were warned in advance.

18 months in advance.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University