Scottish Referendum debate: Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond, Wednesday September 10th, 1.45-2.45pm

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,

We're delighted to announce that Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling will both be joining us on Mumsnet this Wednesday at 1.45pm, to take part in a live debate in the lead-up to the Scottish Referendum on September 18th.

The decision with which Scottish voters are faced this month constitutes a significant moment in the history - and future - of Scotland and the UK. And with polls currently predicting a result that's too close to call, this final showdown between the two leaders could potentially prove decisive.

The debate will be conducted along typical Mumsnet webchat lines, but with each guest free to question and respond to the answers of the other. We know the referendum has been a topic of serious discussion on the site (we're currently on IndyRef thread number seven - and counting ...) so in order to ensure that the leaders answer your questions, we're restricting the ability to post to Mumsnetters who'd been members of the site for more than 24 hours before the launch of this thread. Otherwise, the usual guidelines apply.

Please join us on Wednesday at 1.45pm - and if you can't make it then, as ever, do post up any comments or questions in advance.

Gobling and Frankie
I've lived in England for over 20 years and have born the brunt of much anti scotish 'humour' and was told to 'go home' just a couple of weeks ago. It cuts all ways...

I can't believe I misspelled Scottish. Oh the shame.

Alistair Darling- what are the new powers?

Goblin I guess you havent read the Daily Mail threads and the deluge of anti-Scottish venom and bitterness then eh!

My one question is to Alistair Darling then:

Why do you think Westminster did not offer Devo Max at an earlier opportunity or as a choice on the ballot paper? I believe it would not have got as far as independence if so. And why are more powers not being offered?

My other post with 2 questions in it can be deleted!

Markets are already seeing the jitters (with the £ falling and share prices starting to drop) - so I think it's obvious that Scotland will have very tumultuous and difficult period to start with. At best, there will be a period of no growth, but it looks fairly certain that a recession is likely.

My question to Salmond, and indeed Darling, is what they believe the chances are - in percentage terms - of Scotland going into recession if they become independent? If it did go into recession, what is the contingency plans be?

For Mr Salmond, can you tell us what will happen for families in the event of a yes vote? I am a disabled mum and my husband is my carer, will be better off under our own government? Also will disabled people have to change to pip? Am very worried about having to go through all those undignified tests. Can i ask a question from my 10 year old daughter Emily? She would like to ask for better school lunches as they are always running out! Can schools get a better budget for dinners? Many thanks for your time, go independance!!!.

Question on childcare to Mr Salmond, please.

I am concerned about your eventual plans to roll out what will effectively be full time childcare to all babies/children from 1 year until school. While I understand your motivations to encourage women back to work (and that many families do not have the financial choice of a "stay at home" parent), it seems like a huge amount of time for such a small child to be away from a primary care giver (mum or dad, or even a grandparent).

Please can you explain what research you conducted/advice you sought into the effects such childcare arrangements could have on the development of very young babies/children, and what the findings were.

I would hate to think that Scotland was trading off the early development of it's young for the sake of it's economy.

My question to Mr Salmond is this:

How do you feel about the fact that your dream of becoming head of state "folly" has so comprehensively split the nation? Union vs Scotland, Yes vs No.

This is a sad moment in our history, whatever the outcome.

(For those of you south of the border who have said you want us to stay, I thank you. I WANT to stay. I will probably seek asylum in Northumberland )

AS: there is speculation that ISIS have deliberately kidnapped a Scot to help precipitate a Yes vote as a destabilised Uk/Scotland will be seen as an easier target for terrorists. I agree that the whole UK will be destabilised for a considerable time if there is a yes vote, and think this has some significant implications for national security with scotland particularly compromised given it will have no security service or defence forces. How will you ensure that scotland is at no greater risk than that to which it was exposed as part of the UK?

Mr Salmond -

Would you be in favour of raising the tax on alcohol in an independent Scotland?

To both AS and AD -

Whatever the result of the vote is, a great many Scots are going to be bitterly disappointed and probably angry.

There has been venom and bile from both sides directed at the other, and even on MN some pretty vitriolic views expressed.

How do each of you propose healing the rift that this referendum has created?

Question for Mr Salmond

Please tell me how Scotland's universities will be funded after independence.

For example, we will lose the opportunity to bid for Research Council funding, Wellcome Trust, Leverhulme funding, as well as presumably EU funding. How will the Scottish government sustain Scottish universities, some of which are among the best in the world?

Mr Salmond.
You currently lead a divided nation. If the polls are correct, whatever the result approximately 50% of the population will be disappointed, disengaged and bloody furious. How will you reunite this fragmented country and repair the damage which has been done? How will you, as a leader of a politically instable nation with half of the population against the referendum result and a general election to come, persuade inward investors that Scotland is a good place to put their money and business?

Paul Krugman, Nobel winner and expert in currency and economic crises, wrote in the NYTimes that Scots should be very afraid of going it alone, saying political independence with a shared currency, is a recipe for disaster. He finds it 'mind-boggling' that Scotland is considering this.

Mr Krugman has absolutely no agenda. The members of the Fiscal Commission, who recommended a currency union, were handpicked by Mr Salmond and the chair is an SNP donor, which is not widely known.

My question to Mr Salmond - is Mr Krugman scaremongering?

MNHQ, do Mr Salmond and Mr Darling get to choose themselves which questions they will answer? Surely not.

Mr Darling. What do you think would stop Scotland (after perhaps a period of difficulty following a Yes vote) becoming a successful small country like Denmark or Norway?

Question for AS:
how on earth do you square the rhetoric of the Yes campaign that you want to build a better, fairer, more equitable society for the people of Scotland and their children knowing full well that if Scotland leaves the Union it would take with it a very significant chunk of left wing voters and thus support for the welfare state?

I used to live in Glasgow but now live in south Wales. We need Scotland to bring balance to UK politics and I dread to think what will happen to areas such as the one I now live in if Scotland becomes independent.

Personally I find it hard to believe in the claims that you want a fairer society when it is accompanied by a massive two fingered salute to the rest of the UK, including those parts that will undoubtedly suffer as a result of Scotland's independence.

I live in the islands, where the work situation is getting worse, not better. Which of you should I vote for to improve my chances of getting a better job?

Thank you for coming onto Mumsnet.

AS: why don't you seem to believe rUK and EU politicians when they tell you their positions on iScotland and the pound/the euro?

Question for AD

Contrary to what the No campaign seems to think, for voters in Scotland this is actually an issue of representation not nationalism.

I have my own very clear thoughts on the poor representation and accountability of governance at Westminster in relation to Scottish voters but I would like to know why the West Lothian question (where non-English MPs get wheeled out in Westminster to vote on devolved issues that only affect England and for which they have absolutely no mandate [and for which SNP MPs impose a self-denying ordinance and do not vote]) is definitely not being tackled as part of the constitutional upheaval that the proposed package of increased devolved powers is going to cause.

In the event of a No vote, isn't leaving this anomaly going to cause additional tensions within the Union, coming on top of the pressures of negotiating these new powers for Scotland at a worryingly fast speed and dealing with the inevitable demands from Wales and Northern Ireland for something similar?

I have another question, in the unlikely event there is time. I prefer my first question, but like it, it is to both parties:

"Changing a company's constitution requires a special majority of 75% in favour. Why should changing a country and removing its citizens' rights require only a 50% majority and won't that destabilise democracy in any emergent state?"

Dear Mr Salmond,

I have been wracking my brains trying to think of one question that I would like you to answer. I have so many that I can't choose the most important, so I am going to take a different tactic altogether.

My DH and I are so proud to be Scottish. We have travelled all over the world together and we always tell people that we are Scottish. And we always get a genuinely warm response. People have sang 'Donald where's your trousers' in Scandinavian accents, we've heard an American say 'shite,' an Australian has recited Rabbie Burns. I could go on. When my husband travels through work, he brings shortbread and whisky wrapped in tartan paper. He tells me that his hosts have always been delighted.

Believe you me, we are so proud to be Scottish.

Your party's policies will force us to move to England. London, precisely, that 'dark star' you seem to blame for every ill found in Scotland. And it's nothing to do with bullying or threats. It's EU law, end of.

Our daughter is eighteen months old. We are expecting twins in December. We want them to be born and brought up in Scotland. We want them to be proud of their heritage.

You and your party are breaking our hearts. You are driving us out of the country that we are so proud to belong to.

Have you got anything to say to me, Mr Salmond?

To AS

How do you feel about being a prime mover in producing the biggest constitutional crisis in the UK for over 300 years?

To Mr Salmond

If the no campaign wins the vote there will be more powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, which are intended to address some of the concerns of the yes voters.

If the yes campaign wins the vote, what concessions will you make to no voters, who are likely to be nearly half the Scottish population, and after independence will be living in a country they did not choose and will be disenfranchised as they will not, I assume, be able to vote in Westminster elections, even if they retain their British citizenship?

For Alex Salmond.

You're keen to fight child poverty, and introduce free childcare.

Why then did you introduce free prescriptions to all instead of putting the money back into both of these things? Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford to pay for prescriptions. Same goes for pensioners and bus passes. Small drop in the ocean to some, but it appears that you're already willing and happy to waste money on things that the Westminster government are despite protesting how different the SNP are.