Summary

  • Leaders of the three UK parties in pledge to devolve more powers

  • Nicola Sturgeon says the pledge offers "no guarantees"

  • There are just two days of campaigning left until the vote

  • Scotland's independence referendum takes place on 18 September

  • Voters will be asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

  1. Goodnightpublished at 23:31 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Giancarlo Rinaldi
    South Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

    That's all from the Referendum Live team for tonight.

    We'll be back tomorrow to bring you a comprehensive round-up from the final day of campaigning ahead of the big vote.

  2. Poll momentumpublished at 23:28 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Herald leads on calls for a final push with the referendum vote looking too close to call.

    The HeraldImage source, Other
  3. Postpublished at 23:14 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Kenneth Macdonald
    BBC Scotland Science Correspondent

    tweets:, external Just filed an #indyref story for the morning on the role of technology authenticating record number of postal votes. Enjoy.

  4. Close callpublished at 23:11 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Scotsman reports on its latest poll, which shows the Yes and No sides still only a few percentage points apart.

    ScotsmanImage source, Scotsman
  5. Daily Mailpublished at 23:01 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Daily Mail, in its front page, alleges intimidation of No voters by Scottish nationalists.

    Daily MailImage source, Daily Mail
  6. Bullying claimspublished at 23:00 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Daily Telegraph leads with a story alleging First Minister Alex Salmond bullied an academic from St Andrews University over the independence referendum.

    Daily TelegraphImage source, Daily Telegraph
  7. Campaign clashespublished at 22:54 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Guardian features the story of the NHS leak, with comment from James Naughtie.

    The GuardianImage source, The Guardian
  8. Rebellion warningpublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Times carries a story about David Cameron facing some angry Conservative members at Westminster over his plans for Scotland.

    The TimesImage source, The Times
  9. 'Keep the Heid'published at 22:44 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Daily Record's front page for tomorrow features current First Minister Alex Salmond and Donald Dewar, Scotland's inaugural First Minister.

    Daily RecordImage source, Daily Record
  10. Your choicepublished at 22:36 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Sun newspaper, in its front page tomorrow morning, says to Scots 'Your voice, your choice, your vote'.

    Sun's front page sept 17Image source, The Sun
  11. 'Hiding cuts'published at 22:30 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Responding to Mr Neil's claims, Scottish Labour health spokesman Neil Findlay dismissed the Health Secretary's position as "absolute fantasy".

    He said: "This is more like a crisis document. Alex has been hiding half a billion pounds in cuts - when was he going to tell us about this? I wouldn't trust him to open a box of elastoplast."

  12. Your Emailspublished at 22:30 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    John Brown wrote: Undecided voters should watch and learn as Yes supporters display the 'fair and open' society they profess to want by verbally abusing and shouting down anyone whose views they do not want to hear. They have done it time and again in this campaign; from politicians to journalists to anyone else they disagree with. Don't let our country set foot on the slippery slope of nationalism.

    Linda Hall emailed: Does anyone out there really believe that Cameron/Miliband/Clegg, even if they wanted to, are capable of delivering on this absurd pledge for more powers for Scotland post the 18th? Their backbenchers will never ever wear it and it will disappear into the Westminster long grass and life will just return to normal, which is what we get if we vote No.

  13. Neil defends NHS recordpublished at 22:29 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Health Secretary Alex Neil has accused former Prime Minister Gordon Brown of "talking mince" about the future of the NHS in Scotland.

    Speaking on Scotland 2014, he also claimed the documents shown to the BBC detailing a £400m funding gap at NHS Scotland had been available from health boards since the budget was passed in February.

    He said: "This is not cost cutting, they are efficiency savings and the difference between north and south of the border is we reinvest the money in the health service."

  14. Work to dopublished at 22:25 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The Sunday Herald political editor Tom Gordon reckons that after the three polls tonight the Yes side "need to convert about 70,000 No voters to win (on 80% turnout)".

  15. Barnett formulapublished at 22:24 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Central to the Scottish independence referendum debate today is the pledge signed by David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg to devolve more powers to the Scottish Parliament in the event of a No vote, and a promise of sharing of resources and preserving the Barnett funding formula.

    The Barnett formula is the method used to determine the distribution of public spending around the UK.

    However, in an interview with BBC Radio 4's World Tonight programme, Lord Barnett, who set up the system in 1978 when he was chief secretary to the Treasury, said it was "grossly unfair" and repeated his call for it be scrapped.

  16. 'Wish them well'published at 22:20 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Alex Salmond told David Dimbleby he believes the overwhelming view of people in England if Scotland gained independence would be to "wish them well" whether they agreed with the decision or not.

  17. 'Enlightened self-interest'published at 22:20 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Alex Salmond told David Dimbleby in his TV interview he believes negotiations can be positive following a Yes vote.

    "This is the land of Adam Smith and he developed the concept of enlightened self-interest," he said.

    "Smith said that deals were done and struck and people acted economically because of their self-interest which could contribute to mutual self-interest.

    "England is Scotland's largest trading partner and Scotland is England's second largest trading partner after the USA.

    "Therefore it is in self interests of both Scotland and England and the rest of the UK to get on with each other."

  18. Three new pollspublished at 22:12 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Three new polls, by Opinium for the Daily Telegraph, ICM for the Scotsman, and Survation for the Daily Mail suggested the "No" vote held a slender lead going into the final day of campaigning. With undecided voters excluded, all three polls suggested a lead for No of 52% to 48%.

    The full breakdown of the Opinium poll was 49% for No, 45% for Yes and 6% undecided, while the ICM survey was 45% No, 41% Yes and 14% undecided. The Survation poll had Yes 44%, No 48% and Undecided 8%.

  19. Bill Clinton backs No votepublished at 22:11 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The former US President Bill Clinton has urged Scots to vote No in Thursday's independence referendum.

    In a statement released by the Clinton Foundation, he reveals why he wants Scotland to remain part of the Union.

    He said the proposal to keep the pound as its currency without the support that UK membership provides carries "substantial risks" and adds separation will "require a long complex negotiating process with considerable uncertainty and potential to weaken the Scottish economy".

    Bill ClintonImage source, AP

    He also argues "the increased autonomy promised Scotland by the UK provides most of the benefits of independence and avoids the downside risks".

    He concludes: "Unity with maximum self-determination sends a powerful message to a world torn by identity conflicts that it is possible to respect our differences while living and working together. This is the great challenge of our time. The Scots can show us how to meet it."

  20. Scotland decidespublished at 22:03 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Scotland Decides graphic

    The latest news and analysis ahead of Scotland's vote on independence on 18th September - presented by Sarah Smith in Glasgow. Watch it here.