ANYONE looking back on the 2014 independence referendum campaign will know it had its fair share of funny moments.
We all know how important a vote it was, but there’s no denying it was nice to have a few moments of light-hearted relief throughout the campaign.
Now, 10 years on from 2014, we’re looking back throughout the week and reflecting on the referendum.
Here’s our pick of some of the funniest moments from that memorable campaign.
Imperial March
Who could possibly forget when dozens of Labour MPs made their way to Glasgow for a No rally ahead of the referendum only to be met with the iconic Darth Vader theme?
They were given a less than warm reception by a man on a rickshaw who continually blared The Imperial March theme from Star Wars as he welcomed Scotland’s “imperial masters”.
There is a 10-minute video of the MPs being criticised available on YouTube with some members of the crowd heard laughing.
In the footage, the man can be heard shouting: “Say hello to your imperial masters. These lovely people, they have travelled all the way from England to tell us they are better to rule us than anybody else, our imperial masters.
“People of Glasgow, your imperial masters have arrived.”
Lady Alba
How could anyone forget indyref guitar hero Lady Alba?
Scottish comedian Zara Gladman became well known for her Tunnocks Teacakes-inspired dress as she took to the streets and internet with her costumed character.
Taking the chart hits of Lady Gaga and giving them a political rewrite, Gladman provided some brilliant light relief during the campaign while also helping others to get involved.
Lyrics about love and relationships in the smash hit Bad Romance were replaced with a spin on arguments against voting No.
These included nuclear weapons on the Clyde, student fees and a “country run by Tory MPs”.
Gladman looks back on the period fondly, saying it was the “best summer of her life” but has stuck with comedy and is still known for her viral videos.
Tory MPs vs pandas
One of the best exchanges throughout the campaign came courtesy of Alex Salmond during a debate with Alistair Darling – the leader of the No campaign.
It’s safe to say the tone was set early on as the pair clashed in a live TV debate on Scottish independence.
Speaking to a packed hall, Salmond (above) commented: “How can we help build a just society when we have policies imposed upon us from Westminster – that Scottish MPs voted against, but did not have the power to stop?”
It was all very sensible and very compelling, until the former SNP leader couldn’t help but add a wee dig.
He told Darling there were “more pandas in the zoo in Edinburgh than Tory MPs in Scotland” but that the country was still stuck with a Tory government.
Darling meanwhile hit back at Salmond on the economy, saying: “I presume the flag is the Saltire, I assume our capital will still be Edinburgh, but you can’t tell us what currency we will have.
“What is an eight-year-old going to make of that?”
THAT Better Together advert
It might have racked up more than half a million views on YouTube, but how could anyone forget this absolutely classic advert for the No campaign?
The somewhat patronising Better Together ad featured a woman apparently struggling to stay up-to-date with the ins and outs of the independence referendum.
“It all sounds a bit too good to be true if you ask me,” the woman says as she complains that her husband – the infamous Paul – can’t stop going on about politics.
That’s right, shame on you, Paul, for trying to discuss one of the most important decisions in Scottish political history. Do as you're told and go back to eating your cereal.
The icing on the cake though is that the woman claims that Scottish independence “has not been thought through”.
The same could just as easily been said for this bit of campaigning.
Enemies from space
Anyone reading this now who is perhaps too young to remember the independence referendum would be forgiven for thinking it could not be true that Philip Hammond said Scotland faced threats from "space". Oh, but he did.
Perhaps the former defence secretary was thinking of the classic 90s film Independence Day in which aliens invade.
He said: “In the past, threats we faced came only from the sea, from land and, more recently, from the air.
“Now, they also come from two new domains – space and cyber space – and from non-state protagonists as well as from nation states.”
When a government insider was pressed on the comments, they said the nature of such threats was “classified”.
Neon Yes sign
Apparently not content with the BBC’s coverage of the referendum, one group of Yes supporters took it upon themselves to get the message out there.
Everyone is accustomed to the familiar Glasgow background when they find themselves tuning into Reporting Scotland.
But one night things looked slightly different as a few indy campaigners held up a giant, neon blue Yes sign.
People were certainly impressed at the time, with Twitter users calling it “brilliant” and “genius” while another said it was just as “inspiring” as the man who blared The Imperial March at Labour MPs when they came to visit.
