HUMZA YOUSAF:

THIS week the people of Glasgow and Scotland will cast the most important vote of their lives - a vote on Scotland's future.

Record numbers of people have registered to vote so they can take part in this one-in-a-generation referendum, including many people who have never voted before.

Independence isn't about flags or anthems, and it isn't about Alex Salmond or the SNP.

It is the one opportunity that we have to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.

Scotland is the 14th richest country in the world, with our wealth coming from our multi-billion pound tourism industry, our expertise in life sciences, our food and drink exports and our vast natural resources.

However, many people in Scotland just aren't seeing that wealth.

The No campaign say we are 'better together', but try telling that to the thousands in Glasgow who queue up at foodbanks, those with disabilities who are being hit by the abolition of the Disability Living Allowance and pensioners whose pensions are worthless.

It's time to use Scotland's wealth not on nuclear weapons of mass destruction or illegal wars, but on the people who live here.

A Yes vote will give Scotland the powers to introduce transformative childcare in order to save families more than £4000 a year per child and allow mothers to get back to work.

Independence will give us the powers over job creation we need to create many more jobs, especially for Scotland's young people.

The Scottish Govern-ment's draft constitution also sets out a guarantee of access to education, training or employment for young people aged up to 24, demonstrating our commitment to providing Scotland's young people with the best possible future.

With independence we can offer Scotland's pensioners a triple-lock protection for their hard-earned pensions.

For too manyyears, Westminster governments let the value of the state pension slip back, by failing to increase their value fairly from year to year.

The triple-lock guarantee means that pensions will increase by average earnings increases, in line with CPI inflation or 2.5% -whichever is highest.

A Yes vote will also mean we can protect our Scottish NHS from the risk of privatisation south of the border.

Budget cuts in England are a serious threat to our health service in Scotland, as they will lead to reductions in the block grant allocation made through the Barnett Formula.

Only independence gives Scotland control over our finances and the means to protect our NHS.

Independence is the one opportunity for us, our children and those generations yet to be born to make a better, fairer and more prosperous Scotland - I hope we take it.

GORDON MATHESON:

AS A proud Glaswegian and a patriotic Scot I will be voting No on Thursday.

In eight months' time, a Labour government in Westminster will freeze energy bills, raise the minimum wage, abolish the bedroom tax across the whole of the UK, introduce fairer taxes that help those on low incomes and ask for a bit more from the wealthy, invest in apprenticeships and jobs for young people, and tax bankers' bonuses.

No wonder Labour's lead in the UK opinion polls is growing, and even the Tory leader in Scotland has admitted that her party looks set to be driven out of power in May.

And while Mr Salmond postures about wanting a fairer society, why has he opposed Labour's freeze on energy bills?

And why has he ruled out introducing a higher level of tax for wealthy Scots who can afford to pay a bit more to protect vital public services?

And don't think we didn't notice that only two SNP MPs recently bothered to vote to abolish the bedroom tax, while every Scottish Labour MP in Parliament voted against it.

Who are the SNP trying to kid? Could it be that the nationalists are trying to fool us into voting for independence by claiming it will advance social justice, while in fact Mr Salmond is only interested in getting his name in the history books as the man who broke up Britain no matter how many jobs it costs?

Meanwhile, the Financial Times last week reported that the £350million plan to transform Buchanan Galleries and the surrounding streets, and create 1700 jobs is under threat due to independence.

The backers of the scheme are prepared to scrap it because of the economic uncertainty that independence brings.

Last Friday, Clydesdale Bank joined RBS, Lloyds, Tesco Bank and others in saying that they will relocate their headquarters to England if Scotland becomes independent.

They have said they will regrettably do this to protect customer deposits - the money you and I have in our accounts - because of the huge uncertainty over currency, and whether Scotland would be able to bail-out banks if they get into trouble.

And according to the trade unions in Glasgow's shipyards, independence would sink thousands of jobs because the Ministry of Defence won't give a contract for a complex ship to a foreign yard. Not even Margaret Thatcher managed to do that.

This isn't scaremongering.

It's harsh economic reality, and is merely a glimpse of what's to come if we decide to go it alone.

None of this division and risk is necessary.

Last week Gordon Brown stepped into the debate to spell out that the Scottish Parliament will shortly benefit from extensive additional powers over the economy, taxation and welfare if we vote No on Thursday and stay part of the UK.

It's in Glasgow's and Scotland's interests to have a strong Scottish Parliament, while benefiting, in this uncertain and dangerous world, from the security and solidarity of being part of a bigger family of nations across the UK.

That's a progressive cause, and is why as city Leader I'm voting No.