Live webchat with Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond, Tues 15 Feb, 1-2pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond is our guest for a live webchat on Tues 15 Feb.

Mr Salmond, who is MSP for Gordon, was first elected as MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987, and went on to become leader of the SNP in 2004 and an MSP in May 2007. He stood down as a Westminster MP in the last General Election to concentrate on his role as first minister.

His minority government has just got its final budget before the Scottish elections through the Scottish parliament, after striking a deal with the Lib Dems to boost student funding.

When he's not working, Mr Salmond enjoys horse racing, football, golf and reading.

We're very pleased to welcome him to Mumsnet. Please come and put your questions or, if you can't join him on Tues lunchtime at 1pm, post your question on this thread, as per usual.

Thanks
MNHQ

@Rhadegunde

Have you thought further about moving Scotland out of council tax and into personal income tax which is a much fairer tax altogether.

Council tax disproportionately affects people on lower incomes whilst allowing higher earners what is effectively a tax rebate [especially if they own more than one property]

I also understand your political motivations for freezing council tax for the last few years but your political decision has had negative consequences for local authorities. Many of your decisions seemed to be based on political considerations rather than realistic, practical understandings of their consequences. Tuition fees being a case in point.

Rhadegunde, yes that was our proposal, to have a local income tax, to replace the council tax. It would be much fairer as it's based on the ability to pay.

Council tax is very regressive, particularly for elderly folk on fixed incomes. We have frozen the council tax for the last four years, which has saved an average family some £350. I think particularly now, when the price of just about everything is rising quickly, we must do everything we can to protect budgets. It is a part of our social contract, where the government does its best with things like the council tax freeze - which we pay for, not local authorities - and removing prescription charges.

In turn, we have to ask public sector workers over £21000 to accept a freeze in their salaries to help protect services and employment, but it is important there are two sides to that social contract.

let's not forget Mr Salmond's comedy turn as the Rev IM Jolly for Comic Relief a few years back I thought my lungs were going to burst

hehehe why did my post get deleted? surely not because i called him Eck? (actually SURELY not because i asked about more explan of the contributions and made the entirely fair point that whenever we discuss independence on MN we get lots of english people saying how they pay for everything and hooting how we wouldn't last five minutes?)

anyway, yes, more detail, there was a Harvard Prof (or similar) on RScotland recently saying that when you take into account road tax etc we are contributing more than they are to us.

thank you Mr Salmond, i knew you'd like a caramel log

:o Highlander, forgot about that :o

actually no, eck and engerland still there... what on EARTH did i say that was worthy of instant deletion? and [genuinely cannot remember]

Look, a straight answer to a straight question! Thank you! I'll check out the website - i knew the figures must be around somewhere!
Have to go out shortly, but keep up the good work :)

Aitch think it was you saying you thought other thread was about statutory maternity pay?

@mamadiva

Welcome Mr Salmond,

I would also like ask about the area classifications of the Highlands.

I moved to Morayshire from nearby Glasgow in 2006 and have found that even though the area itself is not secluded in anyway that many businesses seem to exclude this from Mainland UK so therefore do not deliver or charge rediculous prices for slow delivery, Can you explain why this is?

Also as a first time voter last year I did cast my vote for the SNP as I think our local candidate was, and is, really down to earth and seems surprisingly genuine for an MP (no offence ). I am glad to say that in our area he won.

Anyway my question would be could you explain to someone who knows nothing about politics (I.E me..) what exactly the Scottish government takes control of rather than the 'British' government as I have always been slightly unclear about this?

Oh and any news about RAF Lossiemouth?

Yes yes I know 3 questions... what can I say, I'm inquisitive :o

This is also to HaveringBlether. I'm very concerned that charges for delivery of parcels to Highlands and islands are higher that elsewhere. It seems to me to go against the whole concept of universal delivery and equal cost which is one of the key features of a national post office, which we all must fight hard to retain at the present moment.
In terms of division of powers, the Scottish government runs health, education, social work, local government, industrial development, renewable energy, our contribution against climate change, and a range of other services. The UK government runs social security, foreign affairs and defence as well as most budgetary matters. On the subject of RAF Lossie and RAF Leuchars I met with the prime minister yesterday in London and was able to gain an assurance that the impression given by the junior defence minister that Scotland had to choose between losing one or other of these bases - having already lost RAF Kinloss - was incorrect. That will be welcomed by the campaigners at both Leuchars and Lossie who will continue their battle.

You were a little uncomplimentary about the MSP in question.
Whose views I can't even bring myself to comment on without being in danger of instant deletion myself.

oh YEAH, that the MSP who reckons that the raped woman on Renfrew Lane was askin' furrit was a dick. but he is... i mean... he is... plus he's a tory so i hardly think Eck will mind me saying that.

@Singinginmychains

Mr Salmond,

Please can you tell us how you intend to prevent the private sector from taking over our hospitals, schools, universities and forests - as it is doing in England? In other words, how are you going to protect us from David Cameron's Big Society, which will lead to the privatisation or closure of local services and less democratic accountability?

We have so many things to be proud of in Scotland, especially free care for the elderly and no university tuition fees. We need to protect them at all costs. Scotland should lead by example, and show the Westminster Government how things can be managed better - in spite of the financial crisis.

Do you agree?

Singinginmychains, I agree totally that it's important that we in Scotland protect the things you mentioned. But in order to do that most effectively Scotland needs the normal financial powers of a normal parliament, raising the money we spend rather than relying on dwindling Westminster handouts. We say give us the tools to do the job, with full financial responsibility for Holyrood, and we can grow the economy and be better placed to protect the key services and policies you mention.

I always find the "you wouldn't last 5 minutes" comments very

If we are that much of a drain, then why carry on "subbing us"?

The UK can't afford to let us go - we've been subbing them for years. Without North Sea oil, Labour's profligacy over the last gew years would have meant that the UK would have been bankrupt. What makes me so [nagry] is that there is an asset that we have not invested in, unlike Norway with its Oil Fund, which it is able to use to for genuine counter-cyclical measures. We, on the other hand, are having to usffer the major cuts becasue Westminster wasted the resource and didn't build up reserves in the Good years, according to proper Keynesianism principles. :(

@Saltire

Time for meplease - good question. it's not jsut the Borders (well it is ) but what I mean is that my family come from Dumfriesshire and it's bad in parts of that area too!
It's sad driving p the roads through places like Hawick and Gala and seeing all the mill shut

Timeformeplease and Saltire, I agree that it can be disheartening to see traditional industries disappear from our towns and villages. However, it is also important to remember that Scotland is the only nation in the UK where employment has been rising and unemployment falling in the last quarter, and that reflects the action we've taken in our Economic Recovery Plan to protect recovery and support jobs, stimulating investment by bringing forward capital projects. Our budget for next year - approved last week by Parliament - will now support 25,000 modern apprenticeships, the highest ever number in Scotland, giving young people new skills to enter the workforce. And the need to support small local businesses the length and breadth of Scotland - the lifeblood of the Scottish economy - was why we introduced the small business bonus, which has slashed or totally scrapped business rates for thousands of smaller and medium sized firms.

What prettybird said.

What's your tip for the 3.30 at Folkestone?

@FannyFifer

I absolutely LOVE visiting the Scottish Parliament, the views from the upper floors are fab, it's just a great building. The staff are all fantastic as well.

What's your favourite area or room in the Parliament and do you ever contemplate in your pod???

FannyFifer, I've gotta confess that I was a big opponent of the parliament building - not the parliament itself, but the building. I wanted it up on Calton Hill in Edinburgh. However, I have to say that particularly since I've become First Minister, the building is growing on me and i like the chamber in particular, which looks good on telly but more importantly, is a fine debating arena.
As First Minister, I don't get a pod, which doesn't mean I don't do any thinking, maybe I should ask for one

Hello Mr Salmond. Can you tell us why you've so far given Labour such an easy ride for abandoning the electorate to a Tory government when you offered them an alternative? A lot of people seem to be falling for the idea of Labour as a defence against the Tories, when in fact they're just a bunch of cowards hiding in opposition.

Will the SNP manifesto commit to equal marriage, or has Brian Souter got his money's worth again?

Tommy's pod is vacant.

@hismajesty

What's your tip for the 3.30 at Folkestone?

I'm doing a Gordon Brown answer and dodging the question.
i gave up my racing column in the Scotsman when I became first minister, on the basis that you can survive just about anything in politics, but not if your race tips go down. So, HisMajesty will just have to ask Her Majesty for the answer to the question.

Next time I'm in Edinburgh (currently live in Yorkshire and hoping that we get posted back to Scotland ) (will there be an RAF bse left)

can I come and visit you in the parliament building?

Good news on RAF Leuchars / Lossie!

and most impressed at your rate of question answering - either you type very fast, or you've done your homework!

Thank you again for coming!

Since you wont give me a tip for the 3.30 at Folkestone could you tell me which Englishwoman you most admire and why?