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S
cottish voters have rejected
independence by 55 percent to 45
percent. But they gave the British
ruling class the fright of its lifeand
Scotland will never be the same again.
Te genie is out of the bottle, and
there is a new movement that can
change Scotlandand help inspire
people across England and Wales too.
Tis was the highest turnout ever for a
British vote. People have proved they are
not apathetic.
Tey go to the polls when they feel
they have a choice and their vote makes
a dierence. People suddenly felt politics
was for them. Tey came to meetings,
argued and campaigned.
Marvels
Te Yes movement achieved marvels.
All the main parties except the Scottish
National Party (SNP) organised Project
Fear to win a No vote. Te vast majority
of the mediaand in particular the
BBCrubbished independence.
Big business, bankers and billionaires
unleashed a campaign of threats to jobs
and pensions in an eort to stop a Yes
vote.
Te Tory, Labour and Lib Dem
leaders were forced to promise new
powers for the Scottish government and
upheaval in the British constitution. Te
Tories need to be held to the promises
they made and not allowed to renege on
them.
Over 100 Labour MPs were sent
to argue for No, and Gordon Brown
wheeled out to persuade Labour
supporters that it was right to reject
change.
Yet still 45 percentover 1.5 million
peoplevoted Yes. It was much more
than a nationalist vote.
Te areas of the highest Yes vote
follow the map of unemployment and
social deprivation. It was a vote for a
dierent Scotland, and a judgment on
Labour.
Labour has saved the British state.
But it has lost tens of thousands of its
usual supporters.

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Scots referendum 19/09/14
It was sickening to watch Labour
gures wrapped in the Union Jack
celebrating their victory alongside
Tories and Lib Dems who are tearing up
working class peoples lives.
Te SNPs tactics also reduced the Yes
vote. It was not until the second televised
debate with Labours Alistair Darling on
25 August that Alex Salmond began to
stress class issues such as the NHS.
Tis provided an instant boost to the
independence campaign, but it was too
little to late.
However, a tremendous social
movement was born out of the main
campaign.
It saw mobilisation after mobilisation
on the streets in a joyous and determined
atmosphere of hope.
Tey argued for a Scotland that does
not join imperialist wars, that rejects the
priorities of big business and the rich,
which stands against racism, oppression
and scapegoating, and supports the
Palestinians. It was a movement for
people before prot.
Normal
Te media and most politicians will now
tell us to return to normal life.
Tats not our view. We want everyone
who has been part of the Yes movement
to stay engaged and active.
We need demonstrations against the
new war even now being prepared in
Iraq, against racism and Ukip, against
the devastation of wages, services and
communities.
And the same anger at austerity,
inequality and big business exists across
England and Wales too.
Tis is why those who worried that
Scotland becoming independent would
leave England to face eternal Tory rule
are wrong.
But Labours acceptance of austerity
doesnt inspire much enthusiasm and
the trade unions leaders have been too
slow and too cautious about launching a
serious, sustained ght back.
Resistance
Without collective resistance, right
wing forces on the Tory right and Nigel
Farages Ukip will seek to channel some
of that discontent into scapegoating and
bigotry.
We have to seize every opportunity
to resist and turn the mood of bitterness
into action against the Tories and their
friends in big business.
Everyone should join the
demonstration called by the trades
unions in London and Glasgow against
the Tory assaults on Saturday 18
October.
We need to build for strikes that can
shatter the pay freezes, give condence
to the ghtback and challenge the
bullying bosses. Scottish workers need
to unite with strikes south of the border
and struggles across Britain.
Lets unite against the Tories,
austerity, war and racism.
Scottish

Yes

campaign has
created a new movement