In 2014, Scotland will decide whether or not to end the 300-year old union with England.
Now, a new book by one of the UK’s top political correspondents brings to life the battles that have been fought on the road to 2014 and the issues that are shaping the independence debate.
Road to Referendum by Iain Macwhirter is the accompaniment to a three-part series created by STV. In collaboration with The Herald, Cargo will publish this landmark book in hardback and ebook on 5th June 2013.
Multiple events for the book are to be announced throughout summer 2013 at various book festivals and signing appearances by Mr Macwhirter.
The book takes in the long journey to the present day, and takes us back to the time of William Wallace, through Scotland’s attempts at empire in the Darien project and up to the present day with a frank insider’s look at the major players in this political debate, including a revealing chapter on First Minister Alex Salmond.
“Road to Referendum is a significant contribution to informed debate over Scotland’s most important political decision for three centuries. It provides, in a most readable form, the essential background to this critical referendum. We are delighted with the outcome of this fruitful partnership,” said The Herald editor Magnus Llewellin.
Alan Clements, director of content at STV, said: “The three unique Road to Referendum programmes utilise archive material from STV, The Herald, and other sources to bring the history of Scotland’s independence debate to life.
“The series takes an accessible look at the past seven decades of Scotland’s political and cultural landscape, exploring the development of Scotland’s changing attitudes to culture and politics across the period and contributes to STV’s aim to provide the go-to platform for debate in the run up to the independence referendum in 2014.”
Cargo’s Managing Director Mark Buckland commented: “For me, Iain is the sharpest political commentator there is. It’s a pleasure and honour to publish this book and to be part of this project; it contains the most astute, accessible and downright interesting analysis of our history and politics I’ve read.”