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Scottish referendum: majority of Sunday newspapers back no vote | Scottish referendum: majority of Sunday newspapers back no vote |
(2 days later) | |
Campaigners against Scottish independence were given a late boost when a large majority of Sunday papers urged their readers to vote no in Thursday's referendum. | Campaigners against Scottish independence were given a late boost when a large majority of Sunday papers urged their readers to vote no in Thursday's referendum. |
After a spate of polls confirming a recent surge in support for independence, the boldest appeal to vote no came in a front-page article in the Sunday Post, perhaps the most distinctive Scottish Sunday paper. | After a spate of polls confirming a recent surge in support for independence, the boldest appeal to vote no came in a front-page article in the Sunday Post, perhaps the most distinctive Scottish Sunday paper. |
Reminding its readers that it was home to the Broons and Oor Wullie cartoon strips and "as Scottish as haggis", it ran a picture of crossed saltire and union flags carried by two kilted young men. | Reminding its readers that it was home to the Broons and Oor Wullie cartoon strips and "as Scottish as haggis", it ran a picture of crossed saltire and union flags carried by two kilted young men. |
It said: "The collective strength of the UK has allowed us to be a powerful economic force on the world stage. That umbrella, that safety net, that success story, is too important to easily cast aside." | It said: "The collective strength of the UK has allowed us to be a powerful economic force on the world stage. That umbrella, that safety net, that success story, is too important to easily cast aside." |
While all the UK-based Sundays backed the union, with the Sunday Telegraph invoking the memory of dead servicemen in its appeal, there was conspicuous ambivalence among Scotland's domestic Scottish papers. | While all the UK-based Sundays backed the union, with the Sunday Telegraph invoking the memory of dead servicemen in its appeal, there was conspicuous ambivalence among Scotland's domestic Scottish papers. |
The Glasgow-based Sunday Mail came close to endorsing a yes vote as it criticised Better Together, accusing the "dismal" pro-UK campaign of "baffling complacency" and seeing "only a bleak and terrible blackness rolling over an independent Scotland". | The Glasgow-based Sunday Mail came close to endorsing a yes vote as it criticised Better Together, accusing the "dismal" pro-UK campaign of "baffling complacency" and seeing "only a bleak and terrible blackness rolling over an independent Scotland". |
Arguing that yes voters were justified in viewing the referendum as a protest vote against the Westminster government, it declined to tell its readers how to vote but stated: "Yes or no, Scotland is moving on to where we are meant to be. And you know what? We'll be fine." | Arguing that yes voters were justified in viewing the referendum as a protest vote against the Westminster government, it declined to tell its readers how to vote but stated: "Yes or no, Scotland is moving on to where we are meant to be. And you know what? We'll be fine." |
So far among the Scotland-based titles only the Sunday Herald has explicitly backed a yes vote, in a front-page editorial in May. It followed that on the final weekend of campaigning with a special supplement illustrated with 1,000 selfies taken by readers, urging people to vote yes with the words "now is the time … you are the generation." | So far among the Scotland-based titles only the Sunday Herald has explicitly backed a yes vote, in a front-page editorial in May. It followed that on the final weekend of campaigning with a special supplement illustrated with 1,000 selfies taken by readers, urging people to vote yes with the words "now is the time … you are the generation." |
Its closest rival, the Edinburgh-based Scotland on Sunday (SoS) took the opposite stance, arguing that the UK parties' pledge of greater powers for Holyrood were attractive and meaningful. Following the no stance taken last week by its stablemate The Scotsman, SoS said Scotland's failings could not be blamed on others. | Its closest rival, the Edinburgh-based Scotland on Sunday (SoS) took the opposite stance, arguing that the UK parties' pledge of greater powers for Holyrood were attractive and meaningful. Following the no stance taken last week by its stablemate The Scotsman, SoS said Scotland's failings could not be blamed on others. |
"The powers we have at the moment, strengthened with the powers promised, give us the toolkit we need to build a better future for Scotland, if we have the will," it said. | "The powers we have at the moment, strengthened with the powers promised, give us the toolkit we need to build a better future for Scotland, if we have the will," it said. |
Among the UK Sundays, there was a nearly uniform appeal to vote no. The Observer offered a highly critical assessment of the UK's political and constitutional failures but suggested Scotland should continue to show solidarity with the rest of the UK by pressing for far-reaching reform. | |
The Sun on Sunday was unusually neutral, perhaps reflecting its proprietor Rupert Murdoch's unhappiness about Alex Salmond's alliance with the radical left Scottish Socialist party and Scottish Green party in the yes campaign. | The Sun on Sunday was unusually neutral, perhaps reflecting its proprietor Rupert Murdoch's unhappiness about Alex Salmond's alliance with the radical left Scottish Socialist party and Scottish Green party in the yes campaign. |
Warning about the risks of a Quebec-style schism in Scotland after polling day, the paper said: "Both camps say their [polling] figures tell them they have victory in the bag. But there is only one winner and by the time you read your next Scottish Sun on Sunday, Scotland will either be independent – or it won't." | Warning about the risks of a Quebec-style schism in Scotland after polling day, the paper said: "Both camps say their [polling] figures tell them they have victory in the bag. But there is only one winner and by the time you read your next Scottish Sun on Sunday, Scotland will either be independent – or it won't." |
After weeks of teasing David Cameron about the scale of the yes vote's support in Scotland, Murdoch tweeted on Sunday about Scotland's free market traditions and suggested the greater devolution pledged by the UK parties might be the best course for Scotland. | After weeks of teasing David Cameron about the scale of the yes vote's support in Scotland, Murdoch tweeted on Sunday about Scotland's free market traditions and suggested the greater devolution pledged by the UK parties might be the best course for Scotland. |
"With all-party promises of max devolution, if kept, Britain will be a different place, certainly better managed. Tough negotiations ahead," he wrote. | "With all-party promises of max devolution, if kept, Britain will be a different place, certainly better managed. Tough negotiations ahead," he wrote. |
The comments may imply that the weekday editions of the Sun, despite their energetic championing of Salmond's case for independence in recent weeks, may not endorse a yes vote. So far among the UK's daily papers, both the Guardian and the Financial Times have urged a no vote in their editorials. | The comments may imply that the weekday editions of the Sun, despite their energetic championing of Salmond's case for independence in recent weeks, may not endorse a yes vote. So far among the UK's daily papers, both the Guardian and the Financial Times have urged a no vote in their editorials. |
The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express were predictably pro-union, all warning their readers about the economic and political dangers of independence. The Sunday Times said the breakup of Britain would be "a profound tragedy", adding: "True patriotism for Scots should be a vote for the union to which they have made an enormous contribution and whose loss would diminish both them and the world." | The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express were predictably pro-union, all warning their readers about the economic and political dangers of independence. The Sunday Times said the breakup of Britain would be "a profound tragedy", adding: "True patriotism for Scots should be a vote for the union to which they have made an enormous contribution and whose loss would diminish both them and the world." |
The Mail on Sunday's full page editorial urged readers to "vote no, appreciating that this is a vote for a Scotland confident enough to resist the illusory blandishments of an impossible nationalist nirvana." | The Mail on Sunday's full page editorial urged readers to "vote no, appreciating that this is a vote for a Scotland confident enough to resist the illusory blandishments of an impossible nationalist nirvana." |
• This article was amended on 16 September 2014 to clarify the fact that not all the UK Sundays appealed for a no vote: the Independent on Sunday's editorial, in its words, "refrains from offering its Scottish readers advice on how to vote". |
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