Scotland’s former First Minister has called on pro-Union activists to transform their campaign ahead of next year’s independence referendum.
Henry McLeish addressed a packed audience in Kirkcaldy on Saturday morning and urged his Labour Party colleagues to “sidestep” the Conservatives and take the lead in the Better Together campaign.
He joined fellow political heavyweight Gordon Brown, who hosted the Fife Talks event, and said that it was no longer acceptable for those seeking independence to lay claim over the national identity.
Calling for a “transformation” of the “No” campaign, he said: “We need a vision of Scotland that is positive, radical and transformational and at the same time we need to tell Scots, disillusioned by austerity and alien Tory policies at Westminster, that the Union has a modern story to tell.
“We need to acknowledge that the embrace of passion, pride and purpose, wrapped up in a national flag, is all part of being Scottish, and is not a slippery slope to anywhere but merely an embrace of our nationality and identity.
“There is an overwhelming need and urgency for the ‘No’ campaign to be more positive, more in tune with the aspirations of a modern country, more Scottish and spell out what a positive vision for the Union looks like. There should be no difficulty for Labour promoting the idea of being a proud and passionate Scot and practical Unionist.
“Saying ‘No’ can never be a policy or a vision and there is always the danger that a series of rebuttals starts to sound like the threat of revenge if you vote for independence.”
In a call to arms to the Labour Party, Mr McLeish clearly distanced himself from whispers that he could fall behind the “Yes” campaign and demanded that his colleagues step up to the challenge laid down by the pro-independence movement.
Clearly wary of the Conservative influence within the Better Together group, he also said that those involved in the “No” campaign should emphasise that the battle was not just for votes next September, but far beyond.
“Labour in Scotland should sidestep the Tories; they bring nothing to the constitutional table and are a toxic force at Westminster,” he added.
“In addition they are liable to undermine the prospects for Labour in 2015 and 2016.
“Instead, Scottish Labour should lead a ‘Better Tomorrow’ campaign made in Scotland and free from the ‘made in London’ label.”