| Good morning, "Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit." These immortal words from Scotland's beloved national bard are perhaps more important this year than ever before. Yes, it's Burn's Night tonight, a celebration of iconic Scots poet Robert Burns and all things Scottish. It's going to be a different one, that's for sure. However, while we may all be stuck at home, in light of events in the last 10 months, maybe it is a good chance to be reflective and 'be thankit' for what we already have. Join The Scotsman for a dram If you're stuck for ideas tonight then why not join us? We're coming to you live for a virtual Burns Night, tonight at 7pm (UK time). We'll have special guest appearance from Outlander star Sam Heughan, Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean and more. There will be live music, prizes and all viewers will get an exclusive discount code to get 20% of all Scotsman subscriptions. Sign up the FREE event here. Now onto the news. Indyref2 battle intensifies The constitutional debate heated up over the weekend as the SNP launched an 11-point 'roadmap to a referendum'. It comes amid a poll showing that a majority of UK voters now expect Scotland to be independent by 2030. Now in a sign the battle over the constitution has escalated, a committee established by the UK Government dedicated to shoring up support for the union is set to act on a five-step programme to tackle the SNP’s dominance ahead of the Holyrood elections in May. Westminster said the issue of Scottish independence was settled “decisively” in 2014 and there are no indications that stance has changed recently meaning UK Government may not grant Scotland indyref2. But if the SNP campaign on a referendum and secure a majority in the Scottish Parliament come spring, what happens then? Will Edinburgh or London blink first? Read the latest news on the independence debate here. Vaccine roll out for people aged 70-79 will starts today Vaccine roll out for people aged 70-79 will start today. If you or relatives are in this category tell them to watch their mail closely this week. White envelopes will now be used for the first group of coronavirus appointments for those aged 70 to 79 rather than blues ones as previously announced. Here's how the rollout will proceed. 'Significant jump' in school students learning Scots language We think Rabbie would approve of this story. There has been a “significant jump” in the number of school pupils studying the Scots language has been recorded. Scots is recognised as an indigenous language of Scotland, a regional or minority language of Europe, and as a vulnerable language by UNESCO. The 2011 Scottish Census identified over 1.5 million Scots speakers in Scotland. Learn more about the Scots language in our education system, here. Thanks for reading. If you value what we do please consider supporting us with a digital subscription from just £3 a month. However you're celebrating Burns Night, have a wonderful evening. Slàinte! Sam Shedden, sam.shedden@jpimedia.co.uk | 
