FAR be it from the Yes DIY page to suggest that Yes activists should pack an open meeting the way the BBC gerrymanders its Question Time audience, and we do note that the £9.99 entry fee will be a bit off-putting for many, but there is going to be a live online debate on the subject of independence next Tuesday, and your presence will be welcome.
Organised by the Intelligence Squared group, the debate on Tuesday March 16 from 6pm is entitled The Time is Right for Scottish Independence and will explore a familiar question: Should Scotland be Independent?
The advert for the debate on Eventbrite where potential attendees can register says: “The Scots didn’t vote for Brexit. They didn’t vote for the Conservatives. Their national leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has handled the coronavirus pandemic infinitely better than the incompetent UK leader, Boris Johnson.
“What’s more, once Brexit was finally done the London government arrogantly decided to keep control over funds that were previously given out by the EU rather than passing on that money to the devolved governments of the UK. In short, say proponents of Scottish independence, there’s no real reason for Scotland to remain in the Union."
Speaking for the motion is former MSP and Growth Commission author Andrew Wilson, while speaking against will be Alex Massie, Scotland Editor for The Spectator and political columnist for The Times and The Sunday Times.
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We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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