Oui Ecosse: French-born MSP launches Gallic group for independence A French-born MSP has launched a new campaign group hoping to encourage francophones to vote 'Yes' in the independence referendum. The SNP's Christian Allard entered the Scottish Parliament in May after Mark McDonald, who placed ahead of him on the party's North East Scotland list, stood down to contest the Aberdeen Donside by-election. Mr Allard, who was born in Dijon, launched "French for Yes" in Edinburgh's Grassmarket on Friday night. He is hoping to draw upon the legacy of the Auld Alliance and appeal to French-Scots and French-speakers living in Scotland ahead of the 2014 vote. Mr Allard said: "The group is for all French-speaking people living in Scotland and for people with an interest in the many links between our two great nations to express their views on voting Yes in 2014. The future of Scotland is in the hands of all the people living in Scotland. French citizens and French speakers will have the opportunity to contribute to Scotland becoming a better nation in 2014 and for "L'Ecosse" to join the rest of the world. Working in the fishing industry for the last 28 years and living in Glasgow and Aberdeen, I quickly understood that Westminster is not working for Scotland and that the inequalities in this prosperous nation need to be addressed. Yes Scotland, the umbrella group campaigning for Scotland to leave the Union, said Mr Allard's election as the first French-born Scot has already sparked interest in the referendum in the French media. Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland chief executive, said: "New Scots have a crucial role to play in shaping the kind of Scotland we all want to see. French for Yes are the latest group to join our ever-growing campaign and I look forward to them contributing to the debate.