A LEADING independence organisation has voted to structurally reform into a new umbrella group for the Yes movement.
The Scottish Independence Convention (SIC) has evolved, and its structures will now be used for the Movement for Scottish Independence (MSI) with an aim to formally represent the grassroots movement.
The wider groups who have participated in the Independence Forum, and those who have not, are now invited to the first annual general meeting of the Movement for Scottish Independence, vote on the way forward and stand as office bearers.
The date will be announced soon.
A future meeting will host elections for office bearers to establish the first executive for MSI as well as development of the groups structure.
Last night’s special general meeting of SIC, and consequently their last as they were, was called to discuss proposals, amendments and urgently vote on a decision after a recognised general agreement with several organisations for an established umbrella group.
The timetable for these changes was noted as “very tight” because of a drive to establish a group before the new SNP leadership was announced.
The change was described as “exciting” and as “a beginning” of a body with room for change based on what is decided in the future by new members.
Yes groups in attendance included Yes North East, Yes Greater Glasgow, Yes East Lothian, Yes Fife, Yes Highlands and Islands, SNP Students, Pensioners for Independence, Christians for Independence, Time for Scotland and Common Weal.
A representative from SNP at the final SIC meeting was Tommy Sheppard MP.
Sheppard – the MP for Edinburgh East – raised the point to be loose in any proposals to ensure “durability” as an umbrella group after many have tried and failed to unite the movement.
The accepted proposals to reform and expand the established organisation include changing the name, automatically merge current SIC membership with the future and new MSI membership and exclusion of independence parties from membership.
The exclusion of independence parties will effectively allow the MSI body to represent the grassroots movement exclusively and engage with all branches of it.
Prior to the meeting, one member said: “The movement needs to have an ongoing body which would convene big assemblies at regular intervals and feasibly build a prospectus for an independent Scotland – it would be representative of the movement, rather than the politicians.”
