Cllr Chris Cullen: We were lied to in 2014

This week marks eleven years since Scotland’s independence referendum. Eleven years since Westminster promised that a No vote would secure Scotland’s future. We were told our place in Europe was safe, our rights protected, and our voice respected. Instead, we have been dragged out of the EU against our will, stripped of rights we were assured would remain, and left watching as our vast natural resources are siphoned off while families here struggle to heat their homes.

Independence supporters are right to feel frustrated. Eleven years of delay and deflection have brought us no closer to our goal. That is because the strategy of politely asking Westminster for permission was always destined to fail. The truth is clear: Westminster will never willingly grant Scotland its freedom.

That is why Alba says the 2026 Holyrood election must be a plebiscite on independence. If the people of Scotland choose independence at the ballot box, no Westminster veto can stand in our way. But that will only happen if we organise now, build momentum, and ensure that independence is placed front and centre of the national debate.

Every Alba member has a role to play in this movement, and the method to maximise our reach is simple. By combining in-person conversations with online activism, we can extend Alba’s message to every community in Scotland.

On the doors and in our everyday lives, three simple steps make the difference. Start the conversation: raise independence at the school gates, in the shops, and on the streets. Share Alba’s policies: choose just one example that shows how independence would transform lives here and now. And connect locally: bring people into the movement by pointing them towards Alba meetings, leafleting sessions, or our conference.

Online, the same three-step approach works. Post regularly, sharing Alba’s key messages once a week. Engage others by liking, commenting, and retweeting fellow activists to build momentum. And always direct people to action, whether that’s joining the party, donating, or attending events. With this 3+3 structure, every member can extend Alba’s reach and keep independence alive in both our communities and our digital spaces.

The policy focus that cuts through right now is energy sovereignty. Scotland produces more energy than we consume, yet our people are left cold in their own homes because bills are set in London and profits disappear into Westminster’s coffers. Alba’s message is clear: bring Scotland’s energy resources back under Scottish control. With independence, our energy wealth could power our homes, lower our bills, and invest directly in our people.

That is the story we must tell. Scotland is not too poor or too small — we are rich enough to thrive. But our wealth, our resources, and our future will only ever work for Scotland if they are in Scotland’s hands.

Eleven years on from that referendum, it is time to act. We cannot wait for permission that will never come. We must make the 2026 election a plebiscite on independence, and we must take Alba’s message to every door and every platform. Max the Yes. List Vote Alba.

[Chris Cullen is an ALBA Councillor on South Ayrshire Council and is a member of the ALBA National Executive Committee]