The launch, on 26 September, was the first public outing for the campaign, which encourages people to get onto the electoral register. They did not have to work the street. Shoppers came over on their own through the day, and the team lost count of how many times they were thanked: for setting up, and for the sight of the Union flag flying above them in the middle of Glasgow.
Several shoppers who stopped at the stall said they rarely saw the Union flag on Buchanan Street, and that other national and political flags, among them Palestinian, Israeli and Iranian ones, were a more familiar sight in the city centre.
Glasgow voted Yes in the 2014 independence referendum, by 53.5 per cent.
According to the team, there was some negativity. Not much. A little of it was aimed at the flag rather than the campaign, and it was comfortably outnumbered by the thank-yous. On Saturday, the flag mostly made people stop and talk.
The campaign’s ask is a small one. Registering to vote takes a few minutes at GOV.UK, and you only need to do it once, not for every election, though your details should be kept current if you move house. In Scotland, you can join the register at 14 and vote from 16 in Scottish Parliament and council elections. The next scheduled council elections in Scotland will take place on 6 May 2027, while by-elections can be held before then. At Westminster, a bill now before Parliament would, if passed, give 16 and 17 year olds the vote at UK general elections, adding an estimated 1.7 million people to the electorate.
Claire Bullivant, chief executive of Great British PAC, said:
“I could not be prouder of, or more grateful to, our brilliant Great British PAC team Scotland. Led by the indefatigable Ronni McMenemy, they are getting out there, leading from the front and showing exactly what Great British PAC is about, ordinary people rolling up their sleeves, taking action and making a real impact in their communities.
“What happened in Glasgow this weekend was incredibly encouraging. Our team did not have to chase people down Buchanan Street, people came to them. They wanted to talk, they wanted to engage, and again and again they thanked our volunteers simply for being there and for proudly flying the Union flag in the heart of the city.
“That matters. There is clearly an appetite among people who love this country to stand up, to be counted and to know that they are not alone.
“And that is why this register to vote campaign is so important. Whatever your politics, democracy only works when people participate in it. You cannot change the direction of your country from the sidelines. Registering to vote takes minutes, but it gives you a voice.
“This was just the first outing for the campaign, but our Scottish team have already shown what can happen when patriotic people stop complaining from the sofa and start turning up.
“The Great British PAC is leading the charge in Scotland, and I am incredibly proud of our Scottish team. Buchanan Street was only the beginning. We intend to take this message much further.”
Buchanan Street was the launch, not the campaign. But the day settled one small argument in its favour. Registering is the smallest thing this campaign will ever ask of anyone. It is also the one thing the rest of it depends on.
