Introduction and Personal Journey
John Richardson opens the episode by welcoming Colette Walker, leader of the Independence for Scotland Party, to discuss the new Liberate Scotland alliance. Colette explains that even as a child she felt more Scottish than British. She resented the class system portrayed in period dramas and never grasped why decisions affecting her home were made in a distant parliament. That early instinct now drives her push for full sovereignty rather than mere devolution.

Founding ISP and Electoral Tactics
Colette recounts helping to establish ISP in May 2020 to capture regional list seats under Scotland’s mixed-member system. After Brexit, she saw a glaring mismatch between Scotland’s pro-EU majority and UK Government policy. Voters needed a pro-independence list party to top up constituency wins, because the SNP was winning most constituency seats and thus failing to gain list seats under the D’Hondt method. ISP’s mission was to build a “super-majority” of pro-independence MSPs via coordinated “indy party one, indy party two” ballots.

Joining Liberate Scotland and Salvo
John asks how ISP became part of Liberate Scotland, the cross-party, non-partisan campaign. Colette describes two years of shared goals with Salvo – legal decolonisation at the UN, research into Scotland’s colonial status and advocacy for popular sovereignty. 

Navigating the Holyrood System
The discussion turns to tactical voting. Colette explains how Labour dominated early Holyrood constituencies, allowing SNP, Greens and independents to fill list seats. That balance broke down once the SNP swept constituencies, leaving unionists to fill list seats. In 2021 the SNP won over a million more votes yet lost two list seats because voters had nowhere else to give their second vote. Colette recalls offering to stand down in regions for the SNP or Alba to avoid that split, but the parties declined. Now Liberate Scotland seeks to unify all pro-independence groups so list seats go to independence supporting candidates.

Beyond Independence Policy Vision
John pushes Colette on whether list-only MSPs can govern on day-to-day matters. Colette defends ISP’s manifesto as a visualisation of possibilities: universal basic income to end poverty, for example. These policies reflect human-centred economics. But she insists that Switzerland’s system of binding referenda, citizens’ initiatives and recall mechanisms must guide real legislation. MSPs would draft laws yet citizens would hold the final veto, ensuring accountability and preventing power from concentrating in any elite.

Local Government Reform and Accountability
The pair compare Scotland’s local council woes to England’s Freeport and privatisation wave. Colette notes that as English councils outsource services and enter Freeport deals, public spending shrinks, reducing Scotland’s Barnett consequential block grant. She cites Edinburgh’s seventy per cent Freeport zone and a council forced to raise its investment from eighty thousand pounds to three hundred and thirty-four thousand pounds within two months. Both agree that smaller local bodies, fiscal autonomy, transparent budgets and local referenda could re-empower communities and check unresponsive councils.

Defining Scottish Citizenship
They revisit the question “Who is a Scot?” Colette endorses Nicola Sturgeon’s civic definition: anyone living, working, studying or raising a family here is Scottish. She rejects ethnic, racial or origin qualifiers and calls for an inclusive identity based on shared civic values and contributions.

Mandate and Timeline
John seeks details on next steps. Colette explains that Liberate Scotland will unveil its full plan, crowdfunding strategy and candidate slate as the campaign gears up. She envisions a major launch followed by six months of door-knocking, stalls, social media outreach and community meetings leading into Holyrood 2026. The aim is to reignite grassroots energy and secure the democratic mandate to declare independence. Once that is clear the new government can work on actually obeying the will of the people.

Rallying Call
In closing Colette urges listeners to join the effort- leafleting, volunteering, standing as a candidate or simply sharing the message. She insists that independence is not an abstract ideal but a necessary step to secure Scotland’s economic future and public services. Without it she warns, energy wealth and public block grants will slip away under Westminster’s control.

Final Reflection
John wraps up convinced that a fresh political alliance, backed by direct democracy mechanisms, could shatter centuries of Westminster inertia. Colette’s blend of electoral tactics, legal decolonisation work, Swiss-style referenda and civic mobilisation offers a clear blueprint for how an independent Scotland might emerge. The episode ends with a reminder that sovereignty belongs to the people and only they can seize it.

• Petition: https://www.change.org/p/replace-the-oath-to-the-monarch-taken-by-elected-members-with-an-oath-to-the-people

• Salvo Scotland: https://salvo.scot

• Liberation Scotland (legal arm): https://liberation.scot

• Liberate Scotland (2026 campaign): https://www.isp.scot/liberate-scotland/

• Independence for Scotland Party: https://isp.scot