One year ago today we were on the brink of history.
As part of the team at the heart of the Yes campaign, it had been a long but exhilarating haul one in which Scotland had become a politically engaged nation, with the biggest grassroots campaign the country had ever seen working flat out to achieve a vote for independence in the referendum.
We had just organised the sell-out #VoteYes concert at the Usher Hall featuring top artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Amy Macdonald, Frightened Rabbit, Mogwai, Eddi Reader and many more as part of the final push. We felt our dream was possible.
However, a year and one day ago there had been a paradigm shift as “The Vow” was delivered.
The pledge, signed by Prime Minister David Cameron, then Labour leader Ed Miliband and then Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, promised Scots more powers if they voted No. It made front page news and changed the campaign in those final hours.
The three party leaders signed up to it after a poll put the Yes campaign ahead for the first time in two-and-half years.
However, a more recent YouGov survey has revealed voters in Scotland overwhelmingly feel the Vow has not been fulfilled, with only 9% of Scots believing the promises have been kept.
Joe Pike’s book Project Fear, out this week, states this “hastily arranged front page” has become “central to the changing constitutional position of the UK”. It certainly impacted on the referendum result, by how much we may never know.
However, its cast-iron promise of “extensive new powers” has not been delivered in the Scotland Bill and did not even meet the Smith Commission recommendations.
And the proposed amendments from the SNP’s 56 MPs to strengthen the bill were all voted down by Tory MPs.
Ironically, that front page pledge may have helped pave the way to the next referendum, with disappointment over the Vow contributing to continuing high levels of support for independence.
Wouldn’t that be a turn-up?