Alistair Darling provoked anger from the Yes campaign yesterday when he unveiled posters that appeared to suggest that people who loved their families should vote “no” in the referendum.
The Better Together leader introduced the series of campaign posters in Greenock, all of which were designed to take on the Nationalist arguments on an emotional level.
The approach immediately proved controversial. One of the advertisements stated: “I love Scotland — I am saying No Thanks.” Another pictured a family with the words: “We love our kids — we’re saying No Thanks.” The third was: “I love my family — I am saying No Thanks.”
Mr Darling championed the campaign, saying the posters showed that the referendum was not a test of patriotism, but a test of judgment. The posters drew a quick and irate response from senior Nationalists.
Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister, said the poster campaign was so inept she thought it must be a spoof. She added: “For the record, I love my family but I’m voting ‘yes’.”
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This is not the first time a Better Together advertising campaign has run into criticism.
Last week a television advertisement was branded “patronising” and “sexist” after it featured a mother who seemed to be distracted, unaware of what was going on and not clued up enough to make a decision.
Alex Salmond derided the No campaign and its advertising efforts. “The No campaign, I think it is disintegrating. I don’t know who leads them any more. Alistair Darling has been shoved aside. It is a series of disastrous misjudgments,” the first minister said.
“The No campaign are in kind of serial-blunder mode. That incredible, astonishing patronising broadcast last week. Everybody loves their family . . . it’s just daft. It sounds like another major gaffe.
“All families love each other. To argue that as a political thing is silly.”
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Other Nationalists said that the posters were patronising and offensive. Mr Darling said the message of the poster campaign was relevant to Scots.
He said: “These adverts today speak of the decisions all of us are making. We all love our country, we want what is best for our children, we want what is best for our families.
“ ‘Yes’ voters and ‘no’ voters will come to different conclusions, but we all love our families.
“Our case to those who are undecided is that we believe the best future, for the love of our families, for the love of our children, for the love of our country, is as a proud and prosperous part of the United Kingdom.”
He added: “I don’t believe that breaking away from the UK is in the best interests of Scots and Scotland.”
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The head of Better Together argued that the referendum was not about patriotism, but rational arguments.
“This poll is not a test of our Scottishness. It is a test of common sense,” he said, adding: “I don’t agree with the Nationalists that our sense of ourselves is so weak that the only way to express our Scottishness is by walking out of the UK we built.”
Meanwhile, Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, issued a warning about Scotland defaulting on its debts. Alex Salmond has made it clear that Scotland would walk away from the UK’s debts if it were barred from a currency union after independence.
Mr Brown said: “The SNP’s proposal to default on the debt would make Scotland an international outcast.”