Sillars slams party’s warnings of pain ahead

levels of poverty and sanctions that independence offers more of the same.”

Nicola Sturgeon last week declared independence is more important than “oil, national wealth and balance sheets”.

But Sil lars said: “The Yes movement cannot allow itself to be defined by these kinds of statements, already recorded and stored in the f iles of Better Together for a Project Fear2.

“The Yes movement has great talent that we must draw upon far beyond the boundaries of a single party. To win the next referendum the Yes movement has to inspire our people to believe that once free from a debt-ridden UK, independent power over our material and human resources will free them from austerity and provide a better standard of living.”

Sillars added: “This isn’t a time for big N nationalism which seeks independence as a means of escaping f rom Engl i sh hegemony.

“We lost last time on the poor qua l i t y of the economic arguments in the SNP’s White Paper. When some tell us not to bother too much with the economy, just remember what happened when the currency arguments, a key economic tool, damaged us, fatally, in 2014.”

An SNP spokesman said: “In 2014, the Yes movement comprised a wide range of voices and we encourage all those with ambitions and ideas for Scotland’s future to contribute to the debate.

“It is for just that reason that the SNP is engaged in our party’s biggest ever listening exercise.”