REPRESENTATIVES from pro-independence movements across Scotland, Wales and the island of Ireland met in Cardiff last week for what is believed to have been the first gathering of its kind.
The meeting brought together figures from a range of civic and political organisations just weeks after the leaders of the Celtic Alliance held a historic summit where they signed a memorandum of understanding and declared “ Westminster ’s time is coming to an end”.
It brought together representatives from YesCymru, Ireland’s Future, SDLP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party Wales, Believe in Scotland, Business for Scotland, Scottish Independence Forum and Common Weal to discuss their respective campaigns for self-determination and how they could work more closely together.
Among those inside the room was political strategist and founder of the latter Robin McAlpine, who has spoken to The National about what happened at the meeting and why he believes it could prove significant.
McAlpine stressed that the gathering was still at an early stage, with much about what any future collaboration might look like yet to be decided.
“The idea that, in some form, all of us want to run a consistent campaign in which we’re all working together was the whole starting point,” he said.
“What that meant hadn’t really been worked out – [and] still hasn’t.”
But he added: “I have been at plenty of exploratory meetings which were meetings for their own sake.
“I have no idea how many times people get together [with] a theme of intending to work together and walk out the door and nobody really means it.
“This is not that. This is not one of those. This is not a meeting for the sake of it. We are serious.”
McAlpine said he believed the initiative represented a major opportunity for Scotland’s independence movement.
“I can’t even conceive of a better opportunity than this unless somebody actually gives us a referendum,” he said.
“I don’t see there’s going to be anything better than this that comes at us.”
He added: “This isn’t something you say, this is something you do.
“Signing intentions to work together is all well and good. But what delivers this, what makes it, is actually working together, and that’s harder.
“We are trying to find a way, just for once in the indy movement, [to] put our money where our mouth is and deliver this one practically in a way that actually works.”
McAlpine also revealed that he had discussed the initiative with a senior US political strategist who played a key role in Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign.
“We were chatting about a number of things, and one of the things I said was, ‘Oh look, we’re involved in this campaign’, and this is what it is,” he said.
“She paused for about five or six seconds, and she turned around and said: ‘That’ll do it. You will win.’ “Serious people looking at that proposition think it will win. So that’s why I’m so desperate to get this to happen.
“This is a big deal now.”
