Funding levels required
Having looked at past exercises of this level, such as Irish Citizens Assemblies and the Welsh Independent Constitutional Convention (as detailed in appendices), we estimate the Citizens’ Convention will cost between £2.5m and £3.5m. Critically, because it will consider Scotland’s future rather than be a specific Constitutional Convention, the Scottish Government can fund it. There is also the precedent of a much smaller Citizens’ Assembly mobilised and funded by the Scottish Government in 2019, which we see as a test exercise.
We envisage the Creating a Better Scotland plan will be put before the Scottish Parliament in early 2026 and MSPs should pass it by majority vote.
Because it’s not just about independence, unionist MSPs who wish to oppose it will have to vote against the dreams and ambitions of the people of Scotland.
Because it’s not just about independence, unionist MSPs who wish to oppose it will have to vote against the dreams and ambitions of the people of Scotland. This should see them face electoral fall out if they do so.
Believe in Scotland will run its own self-funded and non-political cultural and storytelling based campaign alongside the Citizens’ Convention. It will take the plan to the people, alongside the Convention’s official communication activity, making it a dualcommunication strategy approach, which is then democratically ratified by the Holyrood vote.
Independence support will rise during the process. Polling based on a Wellbeing Economic Approach, with a Wellbeing Pension at the heart of the independence cause, suggests 62-65% support for independence. As the Convention’s plan will almost certainly include such elements and more, we believe the top end of that scale should be achievable