23 days to go

I was in Dumfries this evening to take part in a Chamber of Commerce Debate about the Independence Referendum . Joan McAlpine , one of the local regional MSPs ( as I was between 2007 & 2011) and I were facing the entire Westminster Scotland Office team - Scotland's only Tory MP David Mundell ( who was also a South of Scotland Regional MSP from 1999 to 2007) and Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney & Shetland Alastair Carmichael ( who is originally from Islay in my constituency) .

The event was an early one , from 5.30 to 7.30 so I was able to listen to the main event of the evening on the car radio when driving back to Argyll. It was a pleasure to hear Alex comprehensively demolish the same negative, snide, undermining case for the Union that , alas, David & Alastair had also spent their time promoting in Dumfries.

I think it is becoming increasingly clear that people want something to hope for and the prospect of a better country. To be told that things are as good as they get is bad enough ( as exemplified by that great question in the TV debate - if we really are better together then why aren't we better together already ?) but then to be undermined by a litany of all the things we - uniquely - can't do and could never do is turning people from neutrality to positive support for change.

The worst reason for any action is fear as "Project Fear " (the name the NO campaign gave itself ) is in the process of finding out . All it can talk about are those worst reasons for staying as we are.