Disaster for Yes campaign
Posted on
January 28, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Now it all makes sense.
But how will we get by without our best undercover agent? We’re in trouble now.
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If you compare the two groups, one is trimming the fat and jettisoning needless liabilities (Stan Blackley) whilst the other is taking on yet more people, hey, they have blood money to spend, but Yes now strikes me as being a lot more focused than they were before.
Better Together seems to be adding to the voices in its boardroom, with the same people around that have brought about a massive loss in the polls.
I know what team I’d rather bet on.
When do we get your review of the latest poll Stu?
I’m assuming this is a comment on the inappropriate photo next to the story. That said, I look forward to reading “Yes Scotland – WTF Went On” once the referendum is over. I expect it’ll be interesting.
I have no idea what’s actually going on in the Yes office but, speaking as a member of a local campaign group, the Yes grass-roots are already established and spreading so this story doesn’t worry me. It won’t hurt the campaign to save money at the top as so much good work is being done by volunteers on the ground.
Better Together – a Tory funded campaign, a Tory run campaign, with Labour activists employed as the hired help.
YES Campaign – beginnings of a lean, mean fighting electoral machine.
The actual article.
http://archive.is/zksLO
Labour in England want to kick Balls into touch and bring on Darling anyway, as future Chancellor of the Exchequer in future PM Milliband’s return to power. It all depends on which timeline you like. Lucky old rUK, Milliband, Darling, Balls to the econonic rescue, saving us from the disastrous economics of er the last lot…
Is that the same Yes Campaign Naughty Blair keeps sending me emails about how much better funded they are?
Are Yes Scotland having financial problems?
I’ve sent them a wee donation via PayPal just in case.
You can just read the positive Telegraph headlines for the Yes side once you click on the image. 🙂
It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise that Ian Dommett and Stan Blackley are leaving Yes Scotland. Their roles were very much to do with developing an overall strategy and initiating the grass-roots network. Both these tasks have been satisfactorily completed. The campaign strategy that Ian Dommett played a leading role in developing is now working effectively. The running of that campaign is for others.
For the most part, those others are in the myriad community-based groups which now exist throughout the length and breadth of Scotland. It was always intended that these groups would be autonomous – local people speaking to others in their own communities. They are also self-perpetuating and self-generating. We long since passed the point where groups could form and function without any direction from “head office”.
What is slightly perplexing is the fact that journalists and commentators in the mainstream media have so abjectly failed to realise what Yes Scotland really is. Locked into the concept of political parties they seem unable to see that the Yes campaign simply isn’t the top-down, rigidly directed organisation that Better Together is.
Yes Scotland is organic, dispersed, connected. It is more network than organisation. It is permeated by a wealth of talent and commitment. It’s resources are distributed rather than being held in some central reserve. It will do the job of winning a Yes vote. It will do that job even if Hope Street is reduced to a skeleton staff.
Thanks Ian! Thanks Stan! You’ve done a great job. We’ll take it from here.
Not sure why the heading was “Disaster for Yes Campaign”.
Hope it isn’t a bit of gloating.
Perhaps we should ALL try to donate more to Yes Scotland – the main campaigning group for a YES vote in Scotland’s Referendum
@ Peter
Well said (and that’s not just ‘cos Stan’s a pal). Our own local group has grown with every meeting. Last night, the room booked in the hotel was too small and we spilled out and damn-near filled the ballroom instead.
At every meeting it’s the same message:if you want something done, do it yourself – don’t wait for permission. A grassroots campaign is more than just a name – it does indeed spring from the bottom up and from where I’m sitting it’s about to burst into full bloom.
(Aye, I know, that sounds more like flowers than grass but you get my drift).
Donating to YES is always good. But nothing really to write home to your mother about I don’t think.
O/T
Have you seen this from Carlaw!
http://archive.is/0Nzwx
Ha. The caption to the Darling picture reads: ‘Alistair Darling said the SNP’s plans for a currency union were “looking increasingly dead in the water”.’
How does one become ‘increasingly dead’..?
“Yes Scotland is a slime mould! It doesn’t need a brain!”
OK.
phew, thank fizz for this disaster. as a minoritist i was having to contemplate my move to the no campaign as the yes campaign went ahead in the polls. fingers crossed for many more disasters for the separatistas in the run up to sept.
“All the great battle victories throughout history are characterised by one thing: the winning side was comprised of a cadre of uncoordinated and highly motivated untrained people with the will to win.” – Winston Churchill
JHC,that Blair MacBlabbermooth must have may finger,s in
many arsehole,s, Mark Carney confide,s in him
is Blair Jenkin,s oown the swally in the green room
Green grow the Rushes o, that,s the Rushes MacDougall
no the GRASSROOTER,S o WINGS & YES campain
Funded beyond you teeny imagnation
Peter’s right. This reminds me a bit of Keith Wyness, who was a director at Aberdeen FC about ten years ago. He was essentially brought in to bring financial stability to Aberdeen (which led to stories about being charged to use the toaster, etc), and I distinctly remember him saying that if he was successful, he would end up putting himself out of a job.
So it is with these guys. Both spoke at the inaugural Yes Aberdeen meeting, and right from the start, their emphasis was on setting up the grassroots groups and handing control over to them. Well, we’re now at the stage where these groups are running themselves. So does Yes Scotland keep paying the wages of two guys whose jobs have effectively been accomplished, or do they focus those revenues elsewhere?
As an example, in Aberdeen we’ll be having another public event in March with various speakers (not mentioning any names, but the ones confirmed so far are all top drawer). That’s not being set up by Yes Scotland – it’s set up by our local student group. We’ll organise the printing of posters and flyers, we’ll organise the handing out of those flyers, we’ll set up the venue, yadda yadda – there’s simply no need for central HQ to get involved.
Both Ian and Stan can be very proud of the parts they’ve played in the campaign. The grassroots groups are what are going to win this referendum.
“How does one become ‘increasingly dead’..?”
30 minutes of an Alistair Darling’s stand-up comedy routine would be a good test for that.
Does any reader have the time/knowledge/inclination to submit an FOI request to find the size and cost of the UK government delegation to Davos? Presumably, in these times of austerity, Cameron Clegg and Osborne travelled economy class and stayed over in a backpacker’s hostel.
I would be interesting to compare those with the cost of the Scottish Government’s delegation to Chicago with which the right wing press and JoLa currently seem obsessed.
In the Torygraph and the Mail, Johan has some unsavory allies these days.
@jbird,
Right on. I was out today again delivering another 150 Yes papers.
Anyone in the Coatbridge area fancy helping, Stu has my e mail address, feel free to contact me through him
“Stu has my e mail address, feel free to contact me through him”
…Yes Scotland website has a Join In section?
Severin also has this in the Guardian. It looks suspiciously like a Better Together released brief as a spoiler for the disconcerting headlines the latest poll raised. Quite what they hope to achieve I am not sure. People like an underdog, the plucky home campaign pitted against the Tory millions. Things were tight but they still put out a more engaging and positive message; still had far more volunteers and far more open to the public meetings; still had far more stands staffed by far more people.
Of course it could be complete nonsense and Yes Scotland is simply re-organising for the next phase of the campaign.
@Peter A Bell 4.24, Nail hammer heid,weil said that man
Whits that new pop group cawed
Grassrooters gone by their ain Direction
alang wie that ither group, NEW POLITICO,S
Thankfully those who are leaving have already completed their remit, the grassroots yes campaign, has grown so much it doesn’t really need a figurehead at every meeting. The local people are organising the rallies, and meetings, a sure sign the message of independence brings is getting through.
As for Mr John Nugee, a former manager with the BoE, it seems he’s using his former position, as a means to scaremonger, though the Telegraph newspaper, needs no incentive to promote scaremongering.
@naebd,
Thanks, have contacted them.
Sorry Doug, I was at that inaugural meeting as well and wasn’t impressed by him (Stan) add in the twitter stuff and it’s for the best he is gone.
No offence to any that know him
A Map of Yes.
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2014/01/28/a-map-of-yes/
We are being watched.
http://documentingyes.com/
some really good pictures.
Call Me Dave
That …is just f****** hilarious. Seriously! Has Carlaw seriously lost the plot. He’s taking the Scottish Golden Eagle …and saying that it’s a Nazi symbol.
So let’s compare Eagles. The American Bald Headed Eagle. Is that the ‘Symbol of Good?’ And the Scottish Golden Eagle. Is that the ‘Nazi Evil All-Conquering Devil-Bird!’
Maybe the Tories are suggesting that we should have a cull on this nasty evil thinking eagle. …Bad Eagle! Naughty Eagle!
Seriously …are these Tory clowns trying to drive us to Independence????
Priceless (as well as speechless…)
@ Peter A Bell
Thanks for the information about Ian Dommett and Stan Blackley! It looks like they did some good work there.
And what you said about groups “self-generating” without even needing Yes Scotland itself, or its central office is very true. For example, what started off, just a couple of months ago, as a small group in my local area has continued to grow in numbers exponentially week by week. And week by week further ideas are put forward as to how to spread the message about the positives of independence and what it can mean – directly – to the lives of the people, and their children, within the area.
It will be grassroots groups spread out throughout Scotland which will help Scotland to win its independence. It’s there for the taking. Let’s do it!
Carlaw is serious – eagles are evil because they eat the poor wee grouse that his party backers like to shoot come August.
Peter Bell is right. They don’t get the campaign and are too lazy to find out how it works.
Grassroots OR Scorched Earth
sorry wrong thread !
Who really thought there would be no 5th columners in either of the camps or no disagreements though politics or ego. It’s my ba’ and I’m goin’ hame or he he he got them only time will tell.
Peter and others above are right. People are hired for a prohect. Project is completed. Those people move on to other things.
Maybe Better Together judge their success by the number of (over)paid directors, managers and heads of this and that they have amassed? 😉
cynicalHighlander:
Love the map…way better than the London underground! Would be interesting to see what a no campaign map would look like?…back of a fag packet?