The Solidarity party has called on the Scottish Executive to take the national conversation about the constitutional future of Scotland into every workplace and every community over the next three years. They say that such a truly innovative and inclusive move will be necessary to involve all of Scotland's citizens in a genuine debate about their future.

Co-convenor Tommy Sheridan said "a debate that takes place on news programmes and in the letter pages of Scotland's news papers, even on the web, while a welcome part of the process, will involve only a minority of Scottish citizens.  What is needed to clarify the issues and allow everyone to come to an informed decision is a genuine national conversation and that means ordinary people actually talking to one another.

We in Solidarity are calling on Alex Salmond and the Scottish Executive, together with trade unions, employers, community councils and local authorities, to ensure that every community in Scotland has a public meeting on the issue over the next three years, and that every workplace has a workplace meeting on the issue. At these meetings, proponents of all the options, full independence, fiscal autonomy and increased powers within a federal UK and the status quo can be put forward their views for examination.

Solidarity welcomes the idea of a national conversation on the question of independence. We should all aim to make sure there is a genuine dialogue and one that is not dominated by the partisan ownership of this or that tabloid newspaper.

Solidarity remains committed to full independence for Scotland, but would welcome increased powers for the Scottish Parliament short of independence as a democratic step forward.

Independence would mean no more participation in illegal wars, it would mean deciding our own priorities on poverty reduction and social justice, it would mean full control over our own rich oil, energy and financial resources but what is most important right now is that we have the debate and that it is a fully participative debate.

I hope Alex Salmond will take on board our suggestion of meetings in every workplace and community in Scotland as a positive and helpful one. Let us make this a real national conversation."