Our 18th century European ancestors were talented at remorselessly colonising the globe. Among many successful methods, one tactic prevailed in the destruction they waged: that old chestnut, Divide and Rule.

The vestiges of Divide and Rule, where the masses are pitted against one another through divisions either created or encouraged by the ruling class in order to maintain power, proliferate still today; look at India, or the whole continent of Africa for example. This is not a tactic that belongs exclusively to Europe, or to discrete nations, and its basic mechanism can extend to the most minute of social scenarios. Fundamentally, it is a question of power, and if the little people are busy fighting one another, they will have neither the organisation or energy to tackle the centralised power of the ruling elite.

Now, I don’t want to shit where I eat, but let’s be honest, this 45% thing needs to stop. Call a spade a spade, this is textbook Divide and Rule in action. When we concede that we are a discrete group, that no one can join our ranks, they have won. Do not let yourself believe otherwise.

I get it, I really do. I spent Friday wrapped in a duvet soaked in my own tears, oscillating between silent anger and hopeless weeping. Folks, we came within a baw hair of a Yes vote (and in the process, some of the most progressive policies, for which we will now have to work so much harder to achieve) and the man one. The establishment, capitalising on everything they had in their arsenal in those final weeks, got what they wanted. We should be proud of how much we achieved. We should be honored to have taken part in this movement, and to have thrown everything we had into the ring. But we should not use our number as a badge of honour, which can only symbolise division for those now questioning their No vote.

The Yes campaign were accused of an arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude. We were charged with occupying a moral high-ground, and being unforgiving of dissident voices. Let us not succumb to these stereotypes and define our movement on our difference. We are 45% right now, but we must grow. Our language must be inclusive and our arms open to the rest of the nation if we are to move forward and get shit done. Be proud, be sore, but get over it, and get back in the game.

Take this opportunity to reflect on our unbelievable achievements, but also accept that we had shortcomings, and we need to develop new, and more powerful methods that engage that silent majority. If we are to have the monumental change our movement called for, we must move beyond the 45%, and become the 100%. We are all citizens of Scotland, and it is through the continuing communication of our message, questioning of mainstream media, and bringing working people together that we become powerful. When we do this, we will win.