Pro-independence The National newspaper details revealed

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the nationalImage source, Newsquest

Details have been released of a pilot which could lead to a new daily, pro-independence newspaper for Scotland.

Sunday Herald editor Richard Walker told a 12,000 crowd of SNP supporters at Glasgow's Hydro that The National would be published from Monday.

However, Mr Walker said publishers Newsquest had only committed to running the newspaper for five days.

Mr Walker, who will edit the paper, said independence supporters needed to convince them there was a market.

The Sunday Herald was the only Scottish newspaper to actively support independence during the referendum.

The new newspaper, which will cost 50p, will be available in newsagents and in an electronic version via online subscription.

Image source, Christian Cooksey/CookseyPix.com
Image caption,
Richard Walker will be the editor of The National

The editor told the crowd at the Hydro that people had suggested the paper should cost 45p, to match the percentage of people who voted Yes in the referendum.

But he added: "We are no longer the 45. We are the 50-plus and we will become the 60 and the 70."

He urged independence supporters to ensure that the newspaper became a permanent feature in the Scottish media landscape.

Herald & Times Group managing director Tim Blott said: "It is the first time in many years that a new daily newspaper has been launched in Scotland. The National is an exciting opportunity to meet the needs of a very politically-engaged section of the Scottish population.

"We recognise that launching a newspaper in 2014 is to some extent counter-intuitive but we consistently argue for the power of great journalism and informed opinion.

"We will trial the new title in its proposed format for a week and if, as anticipated, it takes off, then it will become a new and dynamic fixture in Scottish publishing."

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