Yes and No - what is the difference?

 The Sunday Times (Scotland) poll by IPSOS/MORI in October 2012 largely supports the Yes Campaign's viewpoint of the trend towards a 'Yes' vote supported by the finding that 52% of Scots are likely to vote yes if it looks, in 2015, as if the next UK election will deliver a Tory / Tory coalition government.

At the same time the figure only dropped to 42% Yes vote if it looks like a Labour / Labour coalition government in 2015.

Given the recent drive to the right foisted on Lamont by Murphy and Alexander, with her 'something for nothing speech', and her repetitive train crashes at FMQ's I do not see a Milliband Government being any more successful in sustaining the Union than the Tories - unless there is a major change of tack back to the centre by Labour. A tack this piece in the Guardian, by Jon Cruddas, has clearly abjured.

My own sense on the streets of Scotland campaigning for a 'Yes' vote is the man and woman on the Partick tram are moving towards 'Yes'. Most folk are asking careful questions of us and we are able to provide information to allow them to make up their own mind. It is pleasing that after many of these conversations in good spirit and humour how many then sign the 'Yes campaign' declaration. The occasional blustering, irate and over blown Unionist we come up against merely seems to encourage more ordinary folk to sign up.

Unlike the Severin Carrells of this world me and thousands of other 'Yes' volunteers are out on the street speaking to folk, listening to their concerns and answering as best we can. If we do not know the answer we admit we do not know but if they are willing to leave a contact we will get back to them with information which will enable them to formulate their own answer. The difference between the 'Yes' campaign and the 'No' campaign is we in the 'Yes Scotland' campaign are not telling folk to vote for us or there will be a disaster of biblical proportions; a 'No' campaign based in fear, hatred and animosity.

'Yes Scotland' is looking at the sort of UK we, in Scotland, are now increasingly diverging from politically, socially and ethically; Scotland's place in it and simply asking is there a better future for Scotland as a stand alone nation state within the EU or EFTA, once more.

I hope you, dear readers, look behind the crude propaganda of the 'No' campaign and continue to ask yourself the simple question, 'What sort of Scotland do you wish to live in?', and how this can be best achieved. This is what the September 2014 referendum is actually deciding. The May 2016 elections, on independence, to the Sovereign Scottish Parliament will decide the political direction the 'how' will take.