IndyRef 5 years on: Better Together promises have turned to dust

by the SNP
Posted on
5 years ago
2 min read

In 2014, Scotland was promised the ‘best of both worlds’ whilst being an ‘equal partner’ within the Union.

5 years on from the independence referendum, the promises made by the No campaign have turned to dust. Scotland now faces a very different future to the one that was promised.

Here’s our top 10 Better Together myths debunked:

Promises made to Scotland during the 2014 referendum were never kept

  • Scottish voters were told they could protect their EU citizenship by rejecting independence in 2014 – now we’re being dragged out of Europe against our will.
  • We were told by voting No we could build a more equal society across the UK. Now the United Nations says UK welfare policy is “tragic” and inflicting “great misery” on our citizens.
  • Labour said there was no need for independence because they would sweep to power and sort everything out – yet Scotland is now suffering its third Tory Prime Minister since 2014.
  • They said staying in the UK would protect our NHS – but Donald Trump said the NHS was ‘on the table’ in a US trade deal.

And remember this? Blair McDougall, the head of Better Together, said a Boris Johnson government wouldn’t happen:

In 2013, the No campaign said it was ‘negative scaremongering’ for Nicola Sturgeon to suggest the UK might force Scotland to leave the European Union against its will. But that’s exactly what happened:

Voters have consistently given the SNP a mandate to deliver a referendum on Scotland’s future

  • This mandate has been reinforced through consecutive elections – most recently with the SNP winning its best ever result in Europe.
  • It’s not just the SNP – a majority in the Scottish Parliament has also agreed to deliver a referendum on Scottish independence.
  • At the European Elections, the Tories stood on an explicit platform to stop a second independence referendum – their message was totally rejected by Scottish voters, giving the Tories their worst ever result.

Scotland’s mandate for a fresh referendum is rock-solid. Here’s why:

Independence is an exciting opportunity for Scotland to take a different path

  • Scotland has already demonstrated what can be done with the limited powers of devolution, from free university tuition and prescriptions to world-leading green energy initiatives and baby boxes for all new parents. With the full powers of independence, Scotland could do so much more.
  • An independent Scotland would play its full part in the international community, participating in cross-border initiatives and making its voice heard in the European Union.
  • Independence is an opportunity to bolster our representative democracy, bringing an end to unelected Tory governments at Westminster – with independence Scottish voters will always get the governments we vote for.

More and more Scots are changing their minds on independence. Here’s one of them:

There is no better time to get involved in the campaign for an independent Scotland. Pledge your support and stay informed about all the latest developments at yes.scot