About the petition

Background

The next significant democratic event is the Scottish Parliament election scheduled to take place on Thursday 7 May 2026. It is only on such occasions that the people have any leverage with politicians and political parties. It is only when there is an election on the horizon that we can force them to pay attention to us. Scotland’s independence movement must use this leverage.

It is obviously essential that we keep a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament and a pro-independence Scottish Government – preferably with a good working majority.

But we have had nominally pro-independence governments and parliamentary majorities since 2007. Not only has Scotland’s independence not been restored, not a scrap of progress has been made towards that goal for at least a decade. Clearly, something more is required.

Unity of purpose

We are told endlessly that what the independence movement needs is ‘unity’. But this ‘unity’ has proved as elusive as the goal we all supposedly share. Given the urgency of Scotland’s predicament, we would be foolish to rely on it happening in time to make a difference in the 2026 Holyrood election.

Unity in the sense of all pro-independence parties, organisations and groups coming together under one umbrella is not happening. But a different form of unity is eminently achievable – unity of purpose!

A comprehensive solution

There are a number of reasons successive nominally pro-independence governments and parliaments have failed to progress Scotland’s cause. All can be boiled down to three points –

• Lack of commitment to a plan for restoring independence
• Lack of a plan to be committed to
• Lack of accountability to those who voted in expectation of both plan and commitment

The Manifesto for Independence offers a way of resolving all these issues.

When the nominally pro-independence parties adopt the Manifesto for Independence, they make an explicit, solemn, binding commitment to a process by which Scotland’s independence will be restored.

Should they decline to make this commitment, we decline to vote for them! Thus, the political parties are immediately and forcefully made accountable to pro-independence voters.

Our purpose

The purpose for which we must unite is to have all the nominally pro-independence parties adopt the Manifesto for Independence, on pain of forfeiting our votes. In this way, it doesn’t matter which of these parties we campaign for or vote for, we are all campaigning and voting for the same commitment to action on the constitutional issue.

A demand and a pledge

By signing this petition you issue a demand that all the nominally pro-independence parties adopt the Manifesto for Independence, in full and unaltered, before the start of the 2026 election campaign.

The Manifesto for Independence should be the first item in each party’s manifesto and every effort should be made to ensure that the Manifesto for Independence is presented in a consistent manner.

In addition, you hereby pledge that you shall not vote for any party which refuses to adopt the Manifesto for Independence.

Every signature counts so that every vote will count.

Sign now!

Privacy notice

See the privacy notice here.