THE increasingly happy Greens gathered in Leith Walk, their buzz and self-confidence stemming from them having a good campaign buoyed by visitors from England and across Europe backing a Yes vote as a harbinger of change elsewhere.

A part of their huge banner said: "Bristol says, Give England Hope," and the Green leader on Oxford City Council, Sam Hollick, was clear that a Yes vote in Scotland could help bring a climate of change south of the Border.

Councillor Hollick said: "We recognise that this is a big election for all of the UK because a Yes vote could lead to a written constitution and a Bill or Rights.

"We also like the ideas coming from Common Weal as excellent plans for moving on from austerity."

Also present was Sinna Mani, a strong candidate to be Mayor of Lewisham in the early 1990s, a Labour member who quit over the Iraq War, and now an enthusiastic Green looking for a Yes vote to shake up British politics.

A sprightly 79, he says he arrived from India in 1959 and was taught at university by Ralph Miliband, who became as friend and would be "spinning in his grave" at his son's continuation of New Labour. He added: "This vote is going to trigger a big moment in English politics. I want the Labour Party to return to its roots - New Labour is not Labour at all, it has abandoned its moorings."

He talks about his admiration for the different civic nationalism created by the SNP, and adds: "The idea the Scotland cannot survive on its own is an outrageous lie."

Welcoming colleagues from England and across Europe, Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie said: "In recent weeks Scottish Greens have been receiving messages of support from colleagues around the world as we campaign for a Yes vote. Our friends see the chance we have of achieving a fairer, greener future for Scotland, but also the chance for the UK to renew itself as a result.

"With a Yes vote we can make real progress on nuclear disarmament, we can prioritise equality and end austerity. We can strengthen the case of colleagues who want change elsewhere."

Zara Kitson, co-convener of the Scottish Young Greens, said: "As internationalists, connected to the global greens political movement, Scottish Young Greens have been welcoming support from activists across the UK, Europe and beyond. Independence for Scotland offers an opportunity of a generation - one that generations before us have progressed to bring us to this momentous point."