Despite the fillip in today's ICM poll, the organisation itself appears in turmoil.
Yes Scotland has now lost all five members of its so-called "top team" of directors, 16 months into their 24-month contracts.
That leaves chief executive Blair Jenkins as the last man standing from the original line-up - at least for now.
His judgment must surely be in question given he appointed the five who've gone.
SNP members sceptical about his ability will not be reasured by his statement on the changes, which is stuffed with management gobbledygook.
Yes insiders say such staff churn is inevitable in a dynamic political operation, as new skills sets are required for the different phases.
Look at turnover in the Obama campaign, they say.
But while individuals do come and go from campaigns, losing the entire team is a bad sign, however you cut it.
It's telling that the original "top team" announcement has now been expunged from Yes Scotland's website.
Nicola Sturgeon's role on Yes Scotland's advisory board may also come under scrutiny.
Here's a longer version of today's story.
EXCLUSIVE
Tom Gordon
Scottish Political Editor
YES Scotland last night denied it was in meltdown after losing the last two members of its self-styled “top team” of directors.
The cross-party independence movement confirmed Ian Dommett and Stan Blackley had quit as Director of Marketing and Deputy Director of Communities respectively, but insisted the organisation was in good shape.
It is understood the exits were not voluntary.
The departures, which took place over the last 10 days, mean Yes Scotland has now lost all five members of what it called its “top team” since their appointment in September 2012.
Yes camp insiders said such changes were common for a dynamic political campaign.
However the pro-Union Better Together movement claimed Yes Scotland was “in crisis”.
The changes come amid persistent rumours - always denied - that Yes Scotland is suffering from financial problems.
Last week, the Sunday Herald revealed Yes Scotland has decided to delay publication of its latest donor information, despite chief executive Blair Jenkins repeatedly promising there would be financial transparency.
It has not revealed the source or scale of its funding since April last year.
At the time of their appointment, Jenkins boasted in a press statement that his five directors were “a team of the highest calibre”.
He said: “Each one of them has a proven track record in his or her field of expertise and I am confident that with their input and commitment we can deliver a Yes vote in 2014.”
However that plan team rapidly fell apart, with insiders claiming Jenkins had miscalculated by hiring too many highly-paid managers.
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| L to R: Caldwell, Somerville, Jenkins (survivor), Stewart, Dommett, Blackley |
Former Glasgow University media boss Susan Stewart left as Director of Communications in July as part of a “streamlining” operation.
And former SNP MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville quit as Director of Communities in November.
She had been on a leave of absence to stand in the Dunfermline byelection, but after losing she decided not to return, and became SNP deputy chief executive instead.
Now Dommett, a marketing guru and director of the Cor Agency, and Blackley, a former chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, have been forced out.
A source close to the operation said Dommett was hugely popular with staff, but there had been some doubts about the marketing strategy, which included selling £330 Yes-branded gold cufflinks when activists needed doorstep campaign material in their hands.
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| Yours for just £330 |
“It’s been a final clear-out. They’ve been really ruthless to square the budget. But it means they have enough to pay staff and rent through to the referendum, and there shouldn’t be more change.”
Many senior members of the SNP are sceptical about Yes Scotland’s ability.
Since its launch in May 2012, the cross-party campaign, which includes the Scottish Greens and Scottish Socialists as well as the SNP, has failed to move the opinion polls consistently.
One SNP source said the party was “carrying” Yes Scotland: “We keep getting told things are wonderful, but they’re not delivering on the ground for folk, that’s quite clear.”
The work of the dismantled top team is now being shared among other staff.
Businessman Mark Shaw, an SNP stalwart, is acting as Operations Director, while Yes Scotland advisory board member Sarah-Jane Walls, a pilates instructor, is the new Operations Manager.
Blair McDougall, Better Together’s campaign director, said: “It looks like Yes Scotland’s refusal to release details of donations is an attempt to cover up a campaign in crisis.
“They must come clean and disclose their donors. “A campaign with a genuine breadth of support simply would not be in financial meltdown.”
Jenkins said Yes Scotland was evolving, rather than in trouble, and thanked Dommett and Blackley for their efforts.
In a statement released last night, he said: “This is a unique campaign that will decide the future of our country, and we are totally focused on winning a Yes vote.
"That means we will continually test and optimise our effectiveness as the campaign evolves and moves through different phases towards September 18.
"Ian Dommett was engaged by Yes Scotland as a consultant, and has played a major role in helping get us to a position of real strength and momentum.
"I would like to thank him for his enormous effort, and the results he has helped us achieve to date.
"Stan Blackley has also played a key role in developing our grassroots campaign and I owe him, too, much gratitude for his efforts.
"2014 sees the campaign moving into an exciting phase, as more and more people become engaged in the debate.
"As we enter that phase, we are greatly encouraged by evidence which shows that the more our messages reach people, the more likely they are to vote Yes.
"Our existing team is therefore being augmented by a number of creative specialists, with extensive campaign experience, who will help us deliver those messages widely, and in innovative ways.
"I'm confident we now have the range of talents needed for the intensive and exciting period ahead, and that as we move towards the referendum, our marketing approach will continue to lead, to listen to, and to align with, campaign dynamics.”
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