The New Case for Optimism

Lifelong campaigner Jim Sillars has returned to the spotlightto campaign for unity in the independence movement and also reach out toothers, while underscoring that there is much to be optimistic about. This is a far-reaching analysis but also meant as a start to the debate.

Over adecade has passed since the Scottish referendum on independence, and the issuehas faded into the background in spite of a chain of electoral mandates forrenewed pressure for a second referendum. Today the issue has been overtaken byausterity at home and dramatic events abroad, but veteran campaigner JimSillars has written this call for a renewed campaign and a plea for optimism. Now in hiseighty-eighth year, Sillars has plenty of campaigning experience behind him andsays that this will be the last one. His support for Scottish independence goesback to the seventies when he founded the Scottish Labour Party, establishingthe connection between the left and independence. With thismove he hopes to kick off a process and a debate that reach out not only tothose who have always maintained their enthusiasm for independence but also tothose how have been distracted by other political and social developments andthose who have never supported independence in the past. Independence, Sillarsargues, is not about dislike of the English, but the wellbeing Scots in thecontext of a dramatically declining UK economy.