Debate night for Scotland

TONIGHT Scotland will get its first chance to see the leaders of the two campaigns, for and against independence, go head to head.

The televised debate between pro-independence leader Alex Salmond and the Better Together Campaign head Alistair Darling has been pitched as a key moment in the build up to September's referendum vote.

Political debates have long been an important part of politics. In America they are viewed as crucial for the success of Presidential campaigns. In Britain, however, they are still watched with a degree of scepticism by the voting public.

The televised debates between David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg prior to the 2010 General election were hailed by some observers as the reason for the astonishing gains made by the Liberal Democrats.

Despite Mr Clegg's presence and personality in the debates, however, he has failed to meet expectations, leading to the party's relegation to fourth place in opinion polls.

Both Mr Salmond and Mr Darling will be hoping that their performances tonight have a longer lasting impact.

The campaign has heated up in recent weeks as both sides have accused the other of misleading the electorate over the repercussions of Scotland leaving the Union. Tonight they will be able to confront each other face to face. Many will be hoping that they are able to make sense of an increasingly confused economic agenda amongst other things.

Blair Jenkins, chief executive of the Yes Scotland Campaign, has been reported as saying: "Viewers will get the chance to hear why decisions made on Scotland's future should be taken here in Scotland.

"Our experience is that most undecided voters choose Yes when they hear both sides of the debate, and therefore we believe the mass TV audience will benefit our positive campaign.

'We also believe that the No campaign have a problem with both the negativity of their message, and the unpopularity of their messengers."

Meanwhile Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall has lowered expectations of the debate, claiming that the real discussions will take place off air.

"The referendum debate isn't confined to TV studios. It is taking place in conversations between friends and family across Scotland.

"The biggest debate is taking place on the doorsteps, around kitchen tables and in workplaces across the country.

"And the more people talk about what leaving the UK would mean for our schools and hospitals, the more they are saying no thanks to separation."

The danger of the debates, as proven by the 2010 election, is that the policies are lost amid the personalities of the participants. Mr Salmond potentially holds the winning hand in this case. His bombastic and larger than life approach may appeal more to swing voters than Mr Darling's more academic reasoned arguments. Whatever the pro's and con's debated it could all come down to how well they are put across, rather than the actual merits of, the facts and opinions which persuade voters. With recent polls putting the difference between two camps in single digits the only thing certain for tonight is that both campaigns still have everything to play for.