A TOP level line-up of campaigners from both sides of the independence referendum debate has been secured by the National Farmers Union Scotland for what looks likely to be a fiery affair in Stirling next month.
Organisers are expecting seats at the ringside of United Auctions' market on the outskirts of the city to be in great demand on the evening of Monday March 17, as the union's president, Nigel Miller, takes the chair.
Speaking on behalf of the Yes campaign will be Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon; Rural Affairs Cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead and Perthshire farmer Jim Fairlie, a member of the Farming for Yes group.
Speaking on behalf of the Better Together campaign, will be Scottish Secretary of State Alistair Carmichael, Scottish MEP and chairman of the Better Together campaign George Lyon and Aberdeenshire farmer Peter Chapman from the rural Better Together group.
With the referendum set for Thursday September 18, this event is being touted as a prime opportunity for NFUS members and the wider rural community to get answers to the questions that will influence how they will vote on the day.
The speakers will give an overview of their understanding of what will happen in the event that Scotland either becomes independent or remains part of the UK. A debate surrounding the future for Scottish food and farming will follow. There will be a chance for questions taken from the floor.
NFU Scotland's parliamentary officer Clare Slipper said: "The line-up of leading politicians and campaigners simply confirms that rural Scotland and the future of our food and farming sectors is one of the key battlegrounds around which the referendum debate will be fought. Farmers want to be part of this crucial debate.
"This event provides an important public platform for both sides to lay out their vision for the nation and our agricultural industry and to answer the many pressing questions coming forward from the membership of NFU Scotland and the wider rural community.
"As the date of the referendum draws nearer, it is now more important than ever that our farmers gain a perspective on the arguments at play in the debate in order to make an informed decision on where to place their vote in September.
"The political frisson at our recent AGM in St Andrews showed that there is a real appetite for an event that brings an agricultural focus to the debate over Scotland's constitutional future."
Tickets are being sent to office holders across NFU Scotland's nine regions, as well as key agricultural stakeholder groups. Tickets will then be available on a first come, first served basis.
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