A BOOK setting out a new prospectus for Scottish independence by a high-profile campaigner is to be published next year. How To Start A New Country – A Practical Guide For Scotland sets out a blueprint for creating an independent Scottish state.

Author Robin McAlpine says it is aimed at addressing "gaps" in the independence prospectus from the 2014 referendum campaign. Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the Scottish Government's white paper – Scotland's Future – in November 2013. McAlpine said his book would focus on issues such as job recruitment, as well as areas such as currency and EU membership.

He said: “To he honest there were simply too many things around the prospectus for independence last time which were simply assumed or not spelled out.”

The book by McAlpine, the director of pro-independence think tank Common Weal, is to be published by Common Print. McAlpine said campaigners had to remake the case for independence despite plans for a second referendum being put on hold.

He said: “I really believe that the independence movement needs to stop treating independence as if it is just a campaign, as if it is just about winning a referendum. It should always be about more than that, about creating a strong country which really works for its people. which really lives up to its promises. It doesn’t matter if the next independence referendum is tomorrow or 20 years away.

"From now on, I think the Scottish independence movement should always be a big, national project which takes seriously not only the business of winning independence but also the task of creating a great country.

"We must keep campaigning on why, but we need to do a lot more on how. This is a first big attempt to explore the how of Scottish independence.”