We believe Scotland lost an opportunity to set in motion a new age of Enlightenment; not just as patriots of Scotland, but as patriots of the cause for a democratic, socially just, and an Enlightened society. A society where education and health care are an essential and equal right to all, not simply for those than can afford it.

The Group believes in the ancient principle that in Scotland, the people are sovereign. Monarchs and parliaments are the servants of the people. Profit is okay, but not greed; reward is fine, but not avarice; trade is obviously essential, but exploitation is not. We believe we could have stood alongside our neighbours in these islands as United Kingdoms, in synergy and strength, in friendship and common values.

There is growing social antagonism towards financial institutions and multi-nationals. People don't rail against successful corporations - they rail against corporations which put profit ahead of people; growth ahead of of society and communities; technology and production ahead of the natural world; market domination ahead of compassion for humankind. None of this is right and good, and these organisations are on borrowed time, as are we all unless we have a game changing structure to Governance.

The greedy and the deluded have traditionally been able to persist with unethical irresponsible behaviour because there's been nothing much stopping them. We accept the result of the referendum in September 2014, however the whole process has given birth to a movement that we believe will one day soon move Scotland to becoming a new and proud nation, with a people united in the the belief that there is a better way. We have all the ingredients of a very successful country in absolutely every sense of the word, all we need now is the will and determination of the Scottish people to achieve this. The Group seeks to nurture and develop that will, to share ideas, to identify state bias and injustice under the staus quo.

J.P. Atsma and Gavin Mitchell
IndependentScotland.org