Something remarkable is happening in this wonderful nation of ours.

You can almost touch it, you can almost feel it in the air. This is a nation on the move. A nation that is not prepared to settle for what it currently has. A nation that wants to do something different, something better, that is considering the type of community it wants to secure for its future generations.

This is a nation that is becoming emboldened. That believes in the multitude of possibilities that is open to it. A nation that won’t be ‘telt’ by others over what it can get or what we may be allowed. Which refuses to believe that it is not good enough, that utterly rejects that it would uniquely fail. That now shouts down those who would even hint that we are somehow ‘too wee, too poor or too stupid’ to succeed as an independent nation. This is a nation that is ready to assume that responsibility and to blame no-one else for the setbacks we will undoubtedly encounter. To secure that national self respect and dignity that all other normal, self governing nations have.

A nation ready to make its own peaceful contribution to world affairs. That rejects the notion of cavalier military interventions. That is appalled at illegal wars that were fought on the basis of a lie and weapons of mass destruction that defile our beautiful country.

This is a nation that wants the Government that it always votes for. That is increasingly uneasy of Conservative Governments we did not support, pursing agendas we disapprove off and which we can’t remove. A nation that instead wants its own Government reflecting our sense of community, pursuing policies that we as a nation have collectively agreed.

This is a nation that is engaged in the most amazing transformative process. That has this incredible opportunity to dramatically change our nation for the better. This is a Scotland that is highly motivated, engaged, informed. A nation where conversations are taking place in every household and every meeting place. A nation that, the more it finds out about the possibilities of its independence, is increasingly attracted to the idea. A nation that won’t accept the ridiculous scare stories and will not have its confidence sapped.

Next Thursday we can change our nation for the better by taking responsibility for it. This is a once in a lifetime chance to secure a better Scotland. Let’s take it.