The need for unity and a sense of direction

Speech by Sheena Jardine at the Eric Liddell Meeting, 23rd of August 2025

I am rather surprised to find myself here on the stage with a team of very esteemed and dynamic individuals and I want to thank the remarkable Jim Sillars for inviting me, and thank both him and Alex Neil for putting this great team and this whole project together.

I am not a public speaker and I think this is the first time I have ever made a speech like this. I am just an ordinary YES campaigner and was originally one of a team of two organisers for Yes Pentlands in Edinburgh, myself and Jon Drummond, and we gave our all in the years 2013 and 2014, along with thousands of others across the country including many of you.

I grew up in Stirling just a few 100 yards from the Battle of Bannockburn site. Every year, the SNP march came up the hill past my house, and as children we always ran out to watch the display of flags, marchers and pipe bands. The march made a deep impression on me, especially the music. I can also remember as a child, the time after the 1979 referendum where we won but were cheated of victory. A deep depression, a greyness, came over me for about a week which I didn't understand at the time, but now I realise I was picking up on the vibes of the nation, which was miraculous as we had no television in my house.

I followed politics closely from 2007 onwards and joined the SNP in 2010 mainly just to support their 2011 campaign. How amazing that time was, building up to the referendum in 2014. The campaign itself brings back so many happy memories. It was such a joyful time, full of hope, connection, laughter and creative output, most of which was reflected on twitter which was fairly new at the time. The energy of the campaign was so positive, it was intoxicating, and I am sure many of us will never forget it.

This beautiful movement was disbanded almost overnight with the closing of the YES Scotland website and most people were absorbed into political parties, mainly the SNP at that time, although the connection and unity of all people pro-YES continued for about a year or so post referendum. However, although we were absorbed into political parties, politics was not what brought us together. Hope was what brought us together. The hope of a new start for Scotland, of a way out of the entrapment and injustice which has been present in Scotland from 1707 because of the very nature of the Union. This hope can, and must, be rekindled.

I play the violin and also traditional Scottish fiddle music. The music from around the 1700s reflects what a strong nation we were, with a strong national identity. I want that back. We are a colourful and warm hearted nation and our people deserve so much better. Yes, some people say Scots are too thrawn, too argumentative, too aggressive, too tribal to work together for the greater good. They point to our divided history as proof to back up their arguments. I say, we have many Independent thinkers, which can only be a good thing. However, it doesn't matter what has been said, none of this matters. What matters is only what we choose to do now and what we choose to do moving forwards.

Can we rise above these assertions and work together for the greater good?

The world is changing so fast, I believe Scotland's very existence is at stake. If we don't get independence soon we are going to sink along with the UK. I am not here today to speak about all the injustices and corruption we are surrounded by and witness on a daily basis. We see and hear about this all the time and we feel powerless. However, I believe the future of Scotland lies within our hands at this very time. We, the people working together, are the only force that can bring about the big changes we need and it is vital that we take back our Independence as soon as possible. We have a responsibility to work together now before it is too late.

So how do we do this? When we talk about the need for unity and direction within the movement, it could be argued that this is almost impossible. There are so many differing views on how best to move forward. Many if not most of the current activists have strong opinions and strongly held views on what is important, where their priorities lie, and why other parts of the movement have got it wrong. I even had someone say to me they couldn't support YesUnited because their way is the only way.

The grassroots YES as it was back in 2014 has shrunk back to several thousand very keen people who are keeping the flame alive. These people, including everyone in this room today, keep themselves busy occupied with different pursuits, some working for political parties, some working for Salvo, Manifesto for Indy, Believe in Scotland, Project Arbroath, the Independence Forum and so on and so on. Many are focussed right now on next year's election and quite rightly so.

However, no matter what we are currently focussed on, we are all agreed on the end goal, the day when Scotland takes her place once more in the world as an Independent Nation, the day we finally extract ourselves from London rule, the day we take the Union Flag down from Edinburgh Castle and replace it with a Saltire.

We all surely look forward to the day when Scotland can blossom, flourish and prosper once again, where her people are free and abundant and can enjoy good opportunities and true justice.

This is the vision we must work together on to achieve. This is the time when we must understand that we may have disagreements on day to day issues, but accept the differences of opinion as strengths and still work side by side for the greater goal. We can become the movement that we were before, inclusive, positive, hopeful and hard working, except this time, we are all older, wiser and less naïve. It is ok to disagree, to debate, even to argue over various points of view, as long as we continue to stand side by side in Unity and step ever closer towards our goal of Independence for Scotland.

So we know what our goal is. How do we achieve it?

Support for an Independent Scotland has never been higher and it is consistently sitting around and often above 50%, but it could be argued that much of this is a reaction to the negatives that are coming from being in the UK. We need to consolidate this support for Independence and build it higher with a positive vision for Scotland which captures the imagination of the people and gathers momentum, just like we did the first time round. We need to ensure the desire for an Independent Scotland is truly the accepted will of the people, a desire reached through knowledge and a positive vision of what Scotland could and should be.

We have within the movement some very clever individuals focussed on currency, focussed on Energy, focussed on the constitution and so on. This information must first of all be readily available and shared across the Independence movement. YesUnited intends to do that.

The job then, is for the grassroots people in Independence groups to share this information out to the people of the country. Without this ability to disseminate the knowledge, how can we bring a vision to the people? We must come together and make this happen. Egos must be put aside for the greater purpose. Yes Groups must be encouraged to become alive and active once more.

The positivity of 2014 was infectious and we were all affected by it and grew through this energy.

Building something new requires time and effort, patience and planning. All of us on this team have put a lot of energy into YesUnited already. I think we have also encountered some negativity in the form of cynicism and remarks such as this is the wrong time, it'll never work, the movement has changed etc.etc.

Let me point out how easy it is to knock things down, to be cynical, to be negative. The destructive power of negativity can kill an idea stone dead especially at the fledgling stages. However, in contrast, positive energy can make an idea fly and have wings. I teach the violin using the Suzuki method and one of the mantras is to be relentlessly positive but when something needs improved, use only constructive criticism and encouragement to get the point across. It works every time.

This is why I ask you today to return to the relentless positivity we had in the movement first time round. It costs nothing, just a slight change of mindset. Constructive criticism is very different from cynicism.

Positive energy should be the fuel of our movement which we can use to rejuvenate our groups and to rise above the current sadness and disillusionment within society. Our Yes groups and Independence groups can then take this energy out to the people in the form of our vision for Scotland, including the work that so many great people have been doing, and inspire them to see the potential of a better future for all of us and the generations to come.

This is where we need unity of direction and unity in the movement. The direction is clear, to build and consolidate the desire and the demand for Scottish Independence through the vision of a great future as an Independent country. In YesUnited we have a target - Independence by 2030. We have two elections before then, a Scottish election and a General Election, and if the stars align in our favour, other doors could possibly open.

Achieving Independence by 2030 is surely a reachable goal if we and the people of Scotland are of one mind?

The grassroots YES has an important job to do, and YES United is needed to facilitate, share, and bring the movement together. Not for any egotistical reasons, not for any personal gain or recognition, but purely to facilitate unity and direction, to share the great work which is being done by so many, and to get this information out to the people in the form of a positive vision of an Independent Scotland.

The grassroots groups themselves are the key to reaching the public and we hope that as many of you as possible will join and support YES United and use it to rejuvenate your groups and rebuild enthusiasm. We can then grow the movement as a campaigning organisation, reaching the people and bringing to them our dream and vision of an Independent Scotland and turning it into a reality.

This is not about politics, this is purely about the future of Scotland on a grand scale.

When we all stand in our separate spaces and corners doing our own thing, there is no unity and there is no strength. However, if we all come together, with integrity and positivity, then there will be no stopping us, and we can create and build a Nation which will reflect the magnificent YES movement as it was and will be again.

Thank you.