Campaigning with @NaeFear in Edinburgh

In the two General Election of 1974, I stood as the very young SNP candidate against Jim Sillars, the then Labour MP for South Ayrshire.

Although we argued and clashed at the time, we became good friends and have remained so.

I have to say, it is much better campaigning with Jim than against him. Despite the recent loss of his wife Margo MacDonald, with whom I was friends for even longer than with Jim, he has been out everyday, in part in her memory, campaigning for that Yes vote. I joined him for a few hours today and his great team of workers, a few of whom are captured in this picture as we waited on others to arrive.

In the picture, you can see the back of another great friend of mine as he steps up onto the MargoMobile, Iain Lawson. Iain is a key organiser of the MargoMobile, and it will soon be the 24th anniversary of a rather unique by-election campaign we both featured in. In November 1990 two by-elections for the Westminster parliament were held in Paisley. Iain was the SNP candidate for Paisley South, and I was SNP candidate for Paisley North. A very rare, twin by-election.

Things have moved on greatly in recent years. And now the greatest vote in my lifetime awaits on Thursday. So, my Blips from now until polling day will be focussing on who I meet on the campaign trail.

The biggest issue arising today was the recent scare mongering by the Westminster establishment about banks and supermarkets. Clearly the no side have nothing to offer now other than trying to frighten people into accepting Westminster rule is best for them. Today, it became very clear when meeting people that ambition is overcoming fear.