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Twitter the Telegraph Scottish Independence Referendum

The Sunday Telegraph's final front page before referendum vote deemed 'shameful', 'low' and 'distasteful' by social media users

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By Gillian West | Social media manager

September 14, 2014 | 3 min read

The Sunday Telegraph has drawn criticism from Scottish voters with its final front cover before Thursday's independence referendum that many social media users believe crosses a line mentioning fallen servicemen and women.

The headline, which reads 'Scottish soldiers lost their lives trying to preserve the United Kingdom. What will their families say now: 'Well, it no longer matters'?', is accompanied by an image of Highlander Scott McLaren's repatriation at RAF Lyneham in North Wiltshire and headshots of Donald McCaughey, Joseph McCaig and his brother John from the Royal Highland Fusiliers who were killed by the Provisional IRA in Belfast during March 1971.

In the article the newspaper tells of the former head of the British Army's "passionate appeal" for Scots to remain in the UK come Thursday for the countrymen who "fought and died to keep the United Kingdom safe".

Minutes after the front page went online last night social media users deemed the cover "shameful", "distasteful", "low", "ill-judged" and "offensive".

The latest opinion polls have given contradictory information about Thursday's expected result with one telephone poll of 1,000 Scots by Survation for Better Together giving No an eight-point lead. However, an ICM poll of 700 Scots for The Sunday Telegraph put Yes out in front, again with an eight-point lead.

Twitter the Telegraph Scottish Independence Referendum

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