Fear and Smear: The Campaign against Scottish Independence

Fear and Smear pretty much summed up the whole campaign against Scottish independence. The peddling of fear was a constant tactic from the moment the referendum was first mooted. Scare stories about an independent Scotland having no jobs, no hospitals, no money, no defence capabilities and no way to pay for any kind of welfare screamed at us from our television screens and from every newspaper. Old people were told they would have no pensions and no medical care while there would be no schools for our children. There would be no money, in fact, to pay for anything. Within a decade life in an independent Scotland would be like a Mad Max film. As if that were not bad enough we would also be living under a one-party, fascist state. This was where the smear tactics came in. Alex Salmond was a crazed, power-hungry megalomaniac, while the SNP was nothing more than a latter-day version of the Nazis. The party even had its own version of the SA, the 'Cybernats', who were part of a concerted campaign of intimidation. NO supporters were targeted for abuse and worse, while English people in Scotland were being driven from their homes in an organised effort at ethnic cleansing. Here is the truth about the Better Together campaign. Mistruths, half-truths, disinformation, suppression of the facts and calumny; in fact, anything and everything was done to undermine the case for Scottish independence. Tories, Liberals and Labour all conspired against the independence campaign. There were secret meetings, coalitions in councils, plans to hijack anniversary celebrations and, ultimately, even flouting election rules. Nothing was sacred in the drive to stop Scottish independence happening; even the Queen conspired with politicians in secret. This book lays bare the whole story of this negative campaign. When you read it, and realise just how far the Unionists went, it is surprising that anyone voted for independence at all!