AS the only national daily newspaper which supports independence for Scotland, we have attempted to provide a service to the Yes movement with the noticeboard and these Yes Hub pages.
It is good to know therefore that many people appreciate what we try to do with limited resources.
For instance, we have been publicising an important talk and discussion which is taking place tonight in Airdrie on a subject which should concern all Yessers whether they are trade union members or not.
For it is self-evident that if the Yes movement is to succeed in gaining independence in the next independence referendum, then a great many trade union members are going to have to vote Yes.
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The unions are traditionally seen as the province of the Labour Party, and it has always rankled with the SNP and other parties that Labour tends to be the beneficiary of the unions’ political fund largesse.
So it will be good to hear tonight from Pam Currie of the main teachers’ union the EIS, and Gordon Martin of the RMT rail workers’ union, who will be giving those in attendance their thoughts on why pro-independence activists should take a greater role in their trade unions.
The talk and discussion is in the One Wellwynd Centre at 35 Wellwynd in Airdrie at 7pm. Entrance is free and no tickets are necessary.
Jim Cassidy of Airdrie for Independence wrote to us to tell us about the event. He wrote: “Thank you for including our talk on trade unionism in this week’s National. The noticeboard feature is one of the best ways outside social media for independence groups to advertise their events, and I really can’t overstate how important it is to us.”
Glad to be of assistance, Cassidy, who also told us that with Friday being possible Brexit day, Airdrie for Independence has organised a street stall for Saturday, April 13, which may well be Scotland’s first full day out of the European Union against its collective will.
Over the next few months there will be plenty of events organised by the Yes movement and, though we can’t catch every one, we will do our best to give a comprehensive coverage of as many as we can.
We always need feedback from events and would encourage Yes groups to drop us an e-mail reporting back on events. We won’t be able to include them all but do try to keep our readers informed via these pages, not least because it is good for morale to know what’s going on across the movement.
So please send a brief account of what you are doing to letters@the national.scot and community@the national.scot with contact information – this will be kept confidential by us.
Remember, we can’t publicise events if we don’t know about them.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
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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