Scottish independence round-up: RMT | Frankie Boyle

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: HeMediaPicture: HeMedia
Picture: HeMedia

MEMBERS of the RMT rail workers’ union in Scotland have voted to back independence, becoming the first major industrial union to come out for a ‘Yes’ vote in this month’s referendum.

Members of the RMT in Scotland voted in favour of independence by a margin of 1,051 to 968 in a ballot result announced on the same day Labour leader Ed Miliband made his latest referendum visit north of the border. There were 365 undecided voters.

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In other news, controversial Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle is to host a comedy show dissecting the referendum to be filmed the day after the vote, and new YouGov polling suggests that David Cameron will not face calls to resign as UK Prime Minister if Scotland votes in favour of independence.

Picture: HeMediaPicture: HeMedia
Picture: HeMedia

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.

Watch our Google Hangout on the referendum campaign, with Kenny Farquharson, Duncan Hothersall and Kate Higgins.

A wide range of prominent literary and artistic figures give their personal views on Scottish independence in this piece from the London Review of Books.

Anne Enright, Tariq Ali, Tom Devine and TJ Clark are among those offering views on the political, global and local influence of Scotland’s decision in two weeks’ time.

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The Scottish independence referendum debate has breathed new life into Scottish politics and civil life, writes Alex Massie.

Massie describes the referendum debate as “thrillingly unpredictable”, with both sides making passionate arguments and spreading big ideas.

Older women’s concerns about the ageing population are driving the group’s decision to vote ‘No’ in this month’s referendum, according to Dr Brooke Magnanti.

Magnanti, who lives in Lochaber and is voting ‘Yes’, highlights the plight of rural communities as a major issue for both sides of the campaign.

Manfredi La Manna, economics reader at the University of St Andrews, hits out at what he views as a lack of ambition in plans for Scottish independence in this piece for Scottish Review.

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The Conversation convene a panel of academic experts to look at the possible effects of a ‘Yes’ vote on Scottish life.

Too many people seem willing to demonise and overestimate the power of the people representing each campaign in the referendum debate, writes Professor Paul Cairney in this blog post.

Simon Childs of VICE reflects on a recent interview with Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, and suggests that the coalition are the wrong people to be convincing Scots of the merits of staying in the UK.

Severin Carrell of the Guardian visits the Faslane naval base to discuss the issue of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil. Carrell meets campaigners and local residents to find out the possible impact of a move.

The Scotsman’s Martyn McLaughlin joins the campaign trail with Africans for an Independent Scotland, and finds that many of the 30,000 African and Caribbean Scots expected to vote in two weeks’ time look set to cast their ballots for independence.

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Our supplements on some of the key issues in the independence campaign – international affairs, financial affairs, welfare and young people – are now available as a free eBook.

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