Scottish Independence Referendum – An Open Debate in Craiglockhart

This week there is something new for referendum voters in the Craiglockhart area.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP is holding a Q&A session at the Edinburgh Napier University Riady Theatre. It is being held on Wednesday at 19:00. The event is public and open to every undecided voter with doubts and queries. Equally welcome is anyone currently of a ‘No’ persuasion as Yes believe that when people listen to the positive case for an independent Scotland then they do change their mind on occasion.

’What is so different about this event?’ you may be asking.

Well, those of you who attended the recent Craiglockhart event in the Parish Church Hall will have noted nobody was allowed to speak or ask questions – hardly a stunning success story for democracy. As a result of this I received more complaints, from both sides of the argument, about the manner of the rules laid down than from any other event that has been set up to date. For the record, YES did not arrange any part of the event. Many in the audience wanted the opportunity to put a balance of questions to both Jim Eadie MSP and Alastair Darling MP, but most importantly the undecideds did not get their chance. Such a waste of a great opportunity but that was only one of the unusual conditions laid down prior to the event.

So, what does Nicola Sturgeon do differently? For a start the Deputy First Minister believes in what she saying, it is not simply rhetoric written by a researcher and regurgitated verbatim. The event will open with a very short speech, kept short in order to open the floor to as many questions as can be fitted in.

Also, Nicola is open, approachable and willing to engage at every level of the debate with whoever has a question or an issue – hardly something mirrored given the aforementioned refusal to take questions that were not vetted and selected, or indeed even stand up so people could see and hear the two speakers at the Church hustings. Even from the back of the hall you can see Nicola’s expression and body language – there is nothing secretive or clandestine about the message.

Lastly, Nicola is doing these events all over the country whether as part of the Cabinet open sessions or on her own on Yes Scotland ’duty’. Across the country every single issue of concern will come up, Nicola has no idea what people are about to ask but no referendum based question is taboo, every single question to do with independence is valid and gets an answer.

Event details –  Wednesday 11th June 2014 at 19:00. The venue is the Riady Lecture Theatre at Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart Campus.

Submitted by Neil Hay