Scottish Independence: No campaign will cut out the negativity, says Alistair Darling

Alistair Darling has insisted the No campaign against independence for Scotland will run a positive campaign after growing criticism that is too negative.

The former Labour Chancellor, who heads the Better Together campaign, attacked  nationalists who “monster” anyone who disagrees with them and condemned the “cybernats” for directing online abuse at business figures and celebrities who urge Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom.

A poll published yesterday suggested the No camp’s lead has fallen from 24 points last year to just six points, with five months to go before the independence referendum. The Panelbase survey found that 47 per cent intend to vote Yes and 53 per cent No when don’t knows were excluded.

Mr Darling told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We are the ones who are being positive about the case for the UK. The nationalists are consistently negative and consistently will do anything to shout down anyone who speaks out against them.”

He insisted there was a powerful and positive case for staying part of the UK “in terms of jobs, in terms of opportunities, in terms of the ability of us in Scotland as a country to improve people’s standards of living, to ensure we have a fair and just society”.

Mr Darling  added: “We have strong bonds of culture, of kinship, of family, a shared history of 300 years, there is a powerful case for staying in the UK to be made and we will continue to make it.”