A campaign has been launched to build support for a third option to be included on the ballot paper should there be another referendum on Scotland’s future.

Launched by the Red paper collective, a group of activists, politicians and trade unionists the campaign seeks to bring together all those who believe the status quo is untenable and who want to see more powers devolved to the Scottish parliament, Scotland’s councils and Scotland’s communities. It seeks to unite Yes and No voters in support of greater democracy and voter choice.

Launching the campaign Labour MSP Neil Findlay, a long-time advocate of a Devo max option said, ‘The status quo is untenable and the SNP’s Growth Commission blueprint completely fails to address Scotland’s long-standing inequalities or the challenges of a post Brexit, post Covid 19 world. All sides of the constitutional debate must come forward with new plans for Scotland’s future. The Red Paper Collective rejects the view that there should only be a binary YES/NO vote. More voter choice and more democracy is a good thing.’

 Pauline Bryan editor of the Red paper on Scotland and Labour Peer added ‘It is not only Scotland that feels excluded by the centralised state, so do Wales, Northern Ireland and many of the English regions. Devolution has unfinished business; to achieve an equal relationship between nations and regions based on social justice and redistribution’.

And Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University explained ‘A third option must be on the ballot paper in any future referendum if we are truly to understand the views and aspirations of the Scottish people. Instead of one simple binary option, the question of whether people want change could be asked, and then, assuming an affirmative vote, two change options would be offered, independence or more powers. This broadens choice and avoids forcing voters to choose between the lesser of two evils’.

Sign the online petition: https://www.change.org/ThirdOption