Scottish independence round-up: Polls | New powers

CATCH up on the day in the Scottish independence debate, with this round-up of stories, features and opinion pieces featured on our dedicated referendum microsite.

Picture: HeMedia

Ed Balls has suggested that Labour will devolve the bulk of income tax powers to Holyrood within a year of winning the next election as he pledged that the new responsibilities would be “big and significant”.

Hollywood star Alan Cumming has urged Scots to seize the “wonderful opportunity” of independence and vote ‘Yes’ in next week’s referendum.

Elsewhere, the fallout has continued following new polling data showing ‘Yes’ taking a lead in the referendum race. Alberto Nardelli, data editor at The Guardian, looks at the polls released by YouGov and Panelbase this weekend, and assesses the pollsters’ past record and trends.

TODAY’S BEST COMMENT AND ANALYSIS

Every day we highlight some of the most interesting and talked-about articles on the Scottish independence referendum - here are some of today’s best pieces, as featured on our Indyref microsite.

• Irvine Welsh: Time to let young Scots take the lead

In this in-depth essay for Bella Caledonia, novelist Irvine Welsh reflects on his Labour roots, his changing political allegiances, and his belief that independence will give Scotland’s youth a new outlet for their creative energy.

• Paul Krugman: Scotland, what the heck?

In his New York Times column, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman calls for Scotland to adopt its own currency if it does vote for independence, or risk a slump much like that experienced in the Eurozone.

• Lesley Riddoch: Better Together losing stardust

While Yes campaigners take nothing for granted, the No camp seem to get it wrong at every turn, writes Lesley Riddoch.

• Brian Monteith: What No campaign needs to do now

The Yes campaign will experience a powerful backlash as voters take notice of the dangers of Scottish independence, writes Brian Monteith.

• Peat Worrier: Pro-UK camp suffer bout of ‘the ol’ Gils’

A ‘No’ camp offer of further devolution in order to avoid referendum defeat “shouldn’t have been a high bar to leap over”, writes Andrew Tickell on his Lallands Peat Worrier blog.

Tickell adds that the leaders of the pro-Union parties appear to only be seriously considering further powers for Scotland having lost their lead in the polls.

• Alex Massie: Come in Britain, your time is up

Alex Massie notes the ‘part-time nationalist’ thread in Scottish culture which has been tapped by the ‘Yes’ campaign, and the ‘No’ camp’s lack of an exciting alternative to the pro-independence movement’s energy and ideas, in this piece for The Spectator.

• Aiming high with The Hills Have Ayes

Martyn McLaughlin climbs the Campsie Fells with The Hills Have Ayes group, a pro-independence band of strangers united by a desire to conquer geology and boost a Yes vote.