A Scottish daily newspaper is set to produce a special Welsh edition this weekend – featuring articles written in two languages.
Newsquest’s pro-Scottish independence daily The National has announced the one-off edition, which will be given out for free to marchers at a Welsh independence rally in Merthyr Tydfil tomorrow.
Up to 2,000 copies of the bilingual English and Welsh edition, which will feature eight pages of news plus sport, will be distributed to demonstrators at the All Under One Banner Cymru march.
It will also include an exclusive article by Adam Price, leader of Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru.
How the front page of tomorrow’s Welsh edition will look
He told The National: “Something’s happening in Wales. There’s a surge of interest in Welsh independence and it’s good to see that The National is taking notice.
“Saturday’s march in Merthyr is one more sign that we in Wales will not be far behind our friends in Scotland in campaigning for independence to safeguard our future in Europe.
“We wish we had a newspaper like The National publishing in Wales. Why don’t you come and join us? The water is warm.”
The National’s editor Callum Baird told HTFP: “Scotland’s only pro-independence newspaper has just become the only pro-independence newspaper in Wales too.
“On a day in which thousands of people in both countries march for self-determination, we wanted to show solidarity with our friends in Wales with this special one-off (probably) edition.
“Our circulation is currently 10pc up on this time last year, and with thousands of new digital subscribers as well we’re in a strong position to have a massive influence in the next referendum campaign.
“The success of The National proves there is still life in print – as long you put innovation at the heart of your newsroom.”
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
It would be very helpful if HTFP could stop mindlessly regurgitating any claims the Herald, Evening Times and National leadership make about circulation rises, or at the very least add a disclaimer that the figures they claim are entirely unaudited and not based on industry measurements.
Baird saying “Our circulation is currently 10pc” and that they have “thousands of new digital subscribers” certainly isn’t backed up by the National’s last ABCs, and the fact they’ve withdrawn from the measurements now mean they can make any claim for success without any practical evidence to support it.
Report this comment
I have no inside knowledge of the circulation performance of The National. But with the last three polls showing more than 50% of the Scottish population now in favour of independence, the real tragedy is that only one newspaper/media brand published in Scotland has even an open mind on independence. It’s time titles like the Daily Record, The Herald, The Scotsman, The P&J and The Courier started to reflect the interests of their readers rather than of their proprietors. The fact that the BBC is so openly partisan only compounds this imbalance which in Scotland, is wearing away the trust readers have in our media.
Report this comment