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. Call for business unitypublished at 10:12 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Business leaders have called for unity on Friday regardless of the outcome of the referendum.

    The Scottish Chambers of Commerce says, whatever the result, the country must work together to drive Scotland forward.

  2. The day ahead for "Yes"published at 10:11 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Speaking ahead of a visit to apprentices at an engineering firm in Renfrew with Finance Secretary John Swinney, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Only a 'Yes' vote will ensure we have full powers over job creation - enabling us to create more and better jobs across the country.

    "So instead of almost 40,000 young people leaving Scotland each year as is currently the case, there will be more opportunities for our young people here at home."

    Ms Sturgeon will then join carers to talk about the NHS and welfare reform. She added: "With a 'Yes' vote we can ensure our NHS is protected for future generations by enshrining it in our written constitution."

  3. Get involvedpublished at 09:56 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    In reply to Gladys from Aberdeenshire on Morning Call, James in Edinburgh emails: It is a valid point to ask if the Scottish government can set up all the departments needed. There won't actually be that many needed as the Scottish government already has most departments either set up or other departments able to take on the tasks.

    In reply to Paul from Dunblane on text, Neil from Falkirk emails: Scotland has voted for the Westminster government 14 times out of the last 21 elections, not bad for a country who never gets the government the majority vote for.

  4. What the papers saypublished at 09:45 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    The referendum again dominates the front pages of Scotland's papers today.

    The leaders of the three main parties at Westminster have signed a pledge to devolve more powers to Scotland if it votes "No". David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg's agreement appears on the front of the Daily Record.

    Front pages 16 September

    The Herald says the PM would be "heartbroken" if Scotland leaves the UK, while the the Scottish Sun sees a possible omen for Thursday's poll in a cloud, shaped like a map of the UK - but without Scotland.

  5. Get involvedpublished at 09:40 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Alison, Glasgow: Of course Scotland will be outward looking! We want to be part of the world on our own terms, not via Westminster, whose reputation has been tainted by illegal wars and intransigence in the EU. As Winnie Ewing said - "stop the world, Scotland wants to get on!"

    Ella in Dundee: So many unanswered vital questions. Lets say NO this time but come back and ask again when we have clear detail on finance etc.

  6. '£400m NHS funding gap'published at 09:33 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Eleanor Bradford
    BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

    Confidential papers passed to the BBC suggest a radical cost-saving plan will be implemented in the Scottish NHS after the referendum.

    The papers were passed to the BBC and The Herald by a senior NHS whistleblower, who said they had become frustrated by the argument of the "Yes" campaign that the biggest threat to the NHS comes from the UK government.

    They were presented to a meeting of health board chief executives and civil servants last month and suggest the NHS is facing a £400m funding gap.

    Speaking to the BBC this morning, First Minister Alex Salmond described the £400m funding gap claim as "absolutely untrue".

    "Our plans show a real-terms increase in spending - the first time the health service budget has ever passed the £12bn mark," he added.

  7. Morning Call - your viewspublished at 09:20 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Sandy, Ayrshire: I am voting Yes. One of the main reasons for voting Yes is saying goodbye to the Westminster system of politics. I am completely disillusioned. I am not voting Yes blindly.

    Gladys, Aberdeenshire: An independent Scotland will have to set up all the departments to collect all the taxes, pay all the pensions, benefits, defence. They are promising to have all this set up in 18 months - is this possible?

  8. Press gangpublished at 09:17 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Earlier we featured a photograph of how of Holyrood is facilitating the world's media.

    Alex Salmond media scrumImage source, Matt Cardy

    BBC Scotland's Emma Ailes has being writing on the topic - you can read her article here.

  9. Postpublished at 09:09 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    John Curtice
    Professor of politics at Strathclyde University

    There probably aren't that many people out there who are wholly undecided in the sense that they really are not clear at all whether they are going to vote 'Yes' or 'No'.

    Really, the battle is not so much about getting people who have no idea at all - there aren't too many of those - but rather those people who have got an inclination but they're still wavering. It's to persuade those people to go in one direction or the other.

  10. Referendum - Your Viewspublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Irene, Brighton. What happens if it's a dead heat? Pistols at dawn with Salmond and Cameron? That I would pay good money to see!

    Paul, Dunblane: The basic tenet of democracy is that a nation gets the government it votes for. Scotland has not been a democracy for 300 years. A Yes vote changes that. A No vote and we cease to be even a country.

    Larissa, Fife: I feel we are guinea pigs in Mr Salmond's experiment. An experiment that has so many extraneous variables that it is not safe to run.

    John, Stirling: Surely what is now being offered should have been there BEFORE polling started? Almost 25% of electorate have already voted.

  11. 'Scaremongering falls on deaf ears'published at 08:56 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Mr Salmond concluded: "I think no-one seriously thinks that this land is not capable of running its own finances.

    Alex Salmond

    "All of the scaremongering is going to fall on deaf ears. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

  12. 'Mythical package'published at 08:52 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Mr Salmond describes the pledge signed by the leaders of the three main Westminster parties that there will be more powers for the Scottish Parliament as the "mythical package of nothing".

  13. 'Sustainable borrowing'published at 08:50 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Asked whether an independent Scotland would have to pay more to borrow money, the first minister replies: "No, you have to have sustainable level of borrowing and debt. As far as the cost is concerned, we'll be borrowing at Sterling rates."

  14. Economic criticismspublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Asked why many companies and financial experts are criticisng plans for a an independent Scotland, Mr Salmond replies: "Many economic experts take a different view," and mentions Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who recently criticised the "scaremongering".

    He claims the Scottish government is building "better schools and better hospitals" through capital funding, rather than having money "creamed off" by private companies in PFI arrangements.

  15. Salmond on GMSpublished at 08:39 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    First Minister Alex Salmond is live on Good Morning Scotland.

    Responding to Alistair Darling's claim that the SNP is cutting NHS funds and there is a £400m funding gap, Mr Salmond says this is "absolutely untrue".

    "Our plans show a real-terms increase in spending - the first time the health service budget has ever passed the £12bn mark," he adds.

  16. View from the Borderspublished at 08:29 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Good Morning Scotland has been reporting from the Borders this morning.

    Bob Burgess, deputy editor of local newspaper the Southern Reporter, said the question of boundaries and currency had been among the key issues for people in the area.

    He told Gary Robertson: "We have had to expand our letters pages quite dramatically."

  17. Morning Callpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Louise White
    Presenter, Morning Call

    Coming up, have you seen or heard anything specific which has helped you decide how you are going to vote in the referendum?

    From the economy to health, from business to currency, let's have your questions and your comments.

    Louise White

    Lines are open now - call 0500 929500 text 80295 or email morningcallscotland@bbc.co.uk

  18. Postpublished at 08:11 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Tim Reid
    Political correspondent, BBC News

    Darling: "What you have is an undertaking. A promise. That if we say no to independence we will get the change most people want"

  19. Postpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    Tim Reid
    Political correspondent, BBC News

    Darling struggling to explain how pro union parties can "guarantee" powers other than "will be an awful lot quicker" than independence.

  20. Salmond coming up...published at 08:06 British Summer Time 16 September 2014

    First Minister Alex Salmond will be speaking to Good Morning Scotland after 08:30.

    You can listen to the programme at the top of this page.