A SCOTTISH independence group has issued an update on a convention it has planned for later in the year.
Independence Forum Scotland (IFS), a group made up of 21 regional and national member organisations which encourages co-operation across the independence movement, is set to host a national convention on Scotland’s future on November 30 – St Andrew's Day.
With the recent proposal by grassroots campaign group Believe in Scotland (BiS) calling on the Scottish Government to organise a Citizens’ Convention, there has been confusion about whether the two conventions might clash.
However, in an update to The National on its plans for the convention, IFS confirmed there is “no significant overlap” between its plans and those put forward by BiS.
“The word ‘convention’ has been a hot topic in the pages of The National of late, with Believe in Scotland setting out its own proposal for a Citizens’ Convention running throughout 2025,” Ian Grant, convener of IFS, told The National.
“We wish Believe in Scotland well, and the two initiatives will undoubtedly have something to learn from each other.
“However, it’s important to clarify that there’s no significant overlap here. They’re two distinct ideas with different aspirations and timescales.”
While the BiS convention aims to bring groups from all aspects of society together to create a “new path to independence” circumnavigating the constitutional roadblocks put in place by Westminster, IFS said it hopes its convention will help to “make the case for independence” and to “demonstrate why it is essential for a successful future for our country”.
Grant said the convention will “identify the perceived obstacles to independence”, such as currency, borders, Europe and pensions, as well as how to overcome them.
He continued: “It will lay out the opportunities for a future Scotland with the full powers of a sovereign state.
“It will also tackle how independence might be achieved – an essential step, as without the route to independence being set out the question remains hypothetical.”
Meanwhile, IFS secretary John Brown stressed the convention is “not a citizens’ convention, or indeed a constitutional convention”, although it may have the potential to develop into the latter over time.
Brown continued: “[The convention] is not dependent on party politics, and isn’t an explicit independence delivery strategy – though it’s certainly aimed at achieving meaningful self-determination by working with individuals and organisations across all elements of society in Scotland.
“It will be an essential step in creating the sort of consensus that may enable Scotland to map out its route to independence.”
The IFS Convention for Scotland’s Future will take place on Saturday, November 30 at the Greyfriars Charteris Centre in Edinburgh.
More information can be found here.
