Our message to you ahead of the festive season..

Business groups have told shoppers to “use or lose” local retailers as they joined forces to call for shoppers to support local companies in the Christmas trading period. [View email online]( [Subscribe]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [The Scotsman] Nov 5, 2020 Good morning, Welcome to Thursday. For those of us that stayed up through the night to watch the US election, there may well be a need for an extra-strong coffee this morning. If you appreciate our work keeping Scotland informed throughout the pandemic, please consider taking out a subscription with us. [Try us out for £3 per month for the first two months, today.]( Our message to you this Christmas Yes, it's early November but this isn't a traditional Christmas message. Scottish retailers are in dire need of our support. Business groups have told shoppers to “use or lose” local retailers as they joined forces with [The Scotsman]( to call for shoppers to support local companies in the festive trading period. It's hard to downplay the danger facing small, independent businesses right now as we look set to have Christmas under some sort of Covid restrictions. This year has been brutal for them. [We must shop local and support Scotland.]( If you are fortunate enough to have spare cash to spend this Christmas, please make it count by spending it where it can have a positive impact. Time for the SNP to act on indy That's certainly what our columnist and SNP MP Kenny MacAskill believes in our [opinion section]( today. Mr MacAskill believes "the wheels are coming off the unionist wagon. EU membership gone, the prestige of Great Britain crashing and now the strength of the Union, with its supposed pooling and sharing, disappearing over the horizon." He adds: "The UK’s falling apart, and the SNP must act. But complaining isn’t enough, nor being outraged. Scots want something done." [Do you agree with him? Or perhaps you think he's way off the mark? Join the debate in the comment section of today's article and have your say.]( Scotland-England cross-border journeys monitored The Scottish Government [is monitoring cross-border traffic flows to and from England]( after a Covid-19 travel ban was announced in an effort to suppress the virus. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish and UK governments were working together to drive down cross-border journeys, reports our political editor [Scott MacNab](. [Read more here.]( 'Do not forget Donald Trump has won the vote of millions of Americans' In today's [Scotsman]( leader column (which is an opinion, to be clear), our [comment editor]( analyses the US election so far. "The results of the US presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden should be profoundly shocking to anyone with an ounce of moral sense." In a very strongly worded article, we look at Mr Trump's effect on western democracies. "On democracy, he has called for rival politicians to be prosecuted and jailed for entirely spurious reasons, threatened to ignore the results, and claimed without evidence, in 2016 and now, that he is a victim of voting fraud. "Trump is no true Republican. Instead, he is a racist, sexist, serial liar who poses a clear and present danger to democracy itself." [Read the full piece here.]( And finally... Do you need a break from the endless US Election coverage? Make a tea, put your feet up and try out our i[nteractive puzzle pages]( here. Available to all digital subscribers. Thanks for reading. As ever, if you have any feedback please email me. Sam Shedden, sam.shedden@jpimedia.co.uk [Scotsman campaign: Shop local in Scotland this Christmas]( Business groups have told shoppers to “use or lose” local retailers as they joined forces to call for shoppers to support local companies in the Christmas trading period. [{$escapedtitle}]( [Article Image]( [Trump and Biden compete for swing states as Democrats edge closer to victory: follower here for LIVE updates]( In a race that is far tighter than pollsters predicted, all eyes are on the key “Rust Belt” states in the American Midwest. [Article Image]( [Why data skills are crucial to remain relevant in management]( In a world driven by data, managers and leaders are increasingly aware of the need to develop their skills in this area. Promoted by GetSmarter [Article Image]( [Pubs could close for longer to keep schools open]( Decisions about lockdowns will be made with the priority of keeping schools open, Nicola Sturgeon has said. [Article Image]( [Growing crisis for Scotland’s museums amid warnings well-known venues 'may never reopen']( Dozens of museums and heritage attractions across Scotland are at risk of closure within months due to the prolonged impact of the coronavirus pandemic. [Article Image]( [Why the time is right for the SNP to act decisively and win independence – Kenny MacAskill]( The wheels are coming off the unionist wagon. EU membership gone, the prestige of Great Britain crashing and now the strength of the Union, with its supposed pooling and sharing, disappearing over the horizon. [Article Image]( [Why the US election was profoundly shocking and an absolute disgrace to America – Scotsman comment]( The results of the US presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden should be profoundly shocking to anyone with an ounce of moral sense. [Dave Lewis]( [Rangers' Scott Arfield follows Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies in landing national award]( Scott Arfield has been named Canada Soccer’s player of the month for October. [Dave Lewis]( [How did Alfredo Morelos and Ally McCoist score their Rangers record in Europe? Image gallery of each forward's goals]( Alfredo Morelos matched Ally McCoist’s Rangers European goal record last week – and this week he could BEAT it and rob the Ibrox icon one of his many scoring accomplishments. [Dave Lewis]( [12 nostalgic photos showing Bonfire Night in Edinburgh down the years]( Held annually on November 5, Bonfire Night has been a key date in the Scottish calendar for generations – but not this year. [Dave Lewis]( [New 44 Scotland Street Chapter 64: In deepest Morningside]( Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna had been shopping in George Street and had bought herself a new pair of sunglasses. She had dropped her last pair into the Water of Leith when on a walk with her friend and flatmate, Antonia Collie. Antonia had valiantly tried to retrieve them, but had failed, and had to be dissuaded from wading further into the water on her mission of recovery. [Dave Lewis]( [A 'van load' of artefacts taken from Pictish-era site on Shetland]( A large number of Pictish-era finds have been made in Shetland. [View more news]( You have received this email as you are opted in to newsletters from The Scotsman, published by JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. To manage your individual newsletter preferences with us, please [click here]( and log in to your account. Alternatively you can [update]( your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive from JPIMedia Publishing Ltd, or [unsubscribe]( from all future emails. JPIMedia Publishing Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with registered number 11499982, having its registered address at 1, King Street, London, England, EC2V 8AU, United Kingdom. We will process your personal data in accordance with our [privacy policy](.