By Elizabeth Ferguson
In May, my contacts in Scotland asked me for help because they felt discouraged, outnumbered and outspent against a UK government to create a case to the voters why they should be independent. While I felt that it was ultimately the decision of Scottish voters to decide what they felt best was for their country and future, I understood the factors leading into the referendum and advised Scotland only that the UK would fight hard to retain the asset, due to 8% of UK revenues coming from Scottish oil revenues. I advised them that the best thing they could do was realize that this was going to be the tactic the UK would employ in their campaign, and if they felt that Scotland would be better off on their own they needed to create a vision of an Independent Scotland for the voters to believe in.
During the past week, there has been a drastic shift in what is happening on the ground. However, the press and the polls are not giving a correlating view. This broadcast has gone viral and is being broadcast on radio stations all over Europe:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152686075243832
What is going on in Scotland? How likely is it that they will become Independent? The story from sources on the ground say that undecided voters are not just trickling in to vote in favor of Independence, but that truckloads of voters who were in favor of backing the union a week ago are turning their backs on it and campaigning for Independence, including the majority of women who were previously backing the union. The UK released a campaign video, presenting a female role model to the next generation of a woman who is dispassionate, disinterested and uninformed, discouraging the education of her children. Supposedly, they spent money on tons of market research and focus groups and didn’t realize how this would be perceived, and really conveyed to the women of Scotland that this is how little thought they would give to their country’s future.
In contrast, Vivian Westwood used her acceptance speech last night to support Scotland’s Independence.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/u/vivienne-westwood-iscotland-could-be-a-model-to-us-all.1409660567
The movement of women in Scotland have responded with a viral video campaign, reminiscent of the ice bucket challenge stating that they are doing their research and engaged, demonstrating a much stronger image of role models for younger girls. They are also seeking to launch a campaign to back Westwood’s statement by making purchases from her clothing lines to send a message to the UK that Scotland’s economy will not be weak.
There are many opinions about the potential for Scotland to succeed or not, but I think we can all agree that their voices deserve respect to be heard, and to have a fair election so the decision they reach is reflected for the rest of the world to understand and adapt accordingly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLAewTVmkAU
