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.

Hello Alex and Alistair,

Can both of you please answer my question?

As a small business owner, I'd like to hear how independence would change my business. VAT and rates? The recession has almost wiped us out, Westminster plans more cuts and consumer spending is still down. How do you plan to help small businesses cope and move forward in an independent Scotland.

@Roseformeplease

What will happen to my mortgage and the value of my property in the event of independence? These vital issues affecting ordinary voters have not really been addressed. And I am not a wealthy person, but an ordinary school teacher in a Scottish state school who has had enough to worry about this year with the massive pressure of Curriculum for Excellence.

I keep being asked this question, it’s obviously a big worry for families. The short answer is that it all depends on the currency we use. And we still don’t know, with eight days to go. Mr Salmond’s floated the daft idea of a Scottish pound. Scotland could use yen, roubles or – as Panama does – the dollar. But a separate Scottish pound would stand alone. The Governor the Bank of England told us that a currency union with indy Scotland is ‘incompatible with sovereignty. In other words you wouldn’t be independent if you did it. So it will mean higher interest rates. Scotland would effectively be starting from scratch with no credit record. Currency also affects how much money we have for public services – like your school. We’d face massive cuts and huge uncertainly. We don’t have to take these risks. We can keep the pound – by staying a partner in the UK, with all the strength and stability that comes with it.

I'm not saying its not great but it certainly doesn't get international notice.

Why do they/we need international notice?

Alistair Darling - It is so obvious that the Westminster Government are panicking about the prospect of a yes vote. Why have you all been so blase about this possibility until now?

@noeggspleasewerebritish

Question for AS - in the event of a Yes vote, what do you think will be the three biggest challenges facing Scotland? And how do you plan to respond to them?

I think the biggest economic challenge facing all European countries is the balance between working age and elderly population. We intend to tackle that by creating the environment where many of the 30,000 young people who leave Scotland each and every year can have the potential for employment to fit their qualifications in their own country. We also wish to welcome skilled workers and students from other countries who want to experience Scottish education and work with their talents for a time in Scotland.

I think the biggest challenge facing the world is to square up to the environmental certainty that we cannot go on abusing this planet without grave consequences of disruption and occasional tragedy in the developed world and sustained climatic disaster in the less developed world. Thus, our proposal and policy of a climate justice fund is one which I hope will be followed by many other developed countries.

Challenge number three is the social challenge of creating not just a prosperous economy but a more just society. There is a real yearning for a policy programme which provides that crucial balance in holding communities together.

@SneezySnuffaroo

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.

Thanks for your question. There is a great deal of academic research into the benefits of high quality childcare, not least the Growing up in Scotland study here in Scotland (see: growingupinscotland.org.uk/pre-school-education-in-scotland-and-child-outcomes/).

That said, the childcare is not compulsory and each family must decide what works best for them. Our plan for the equivalent of 30 hours a week – matching the time children spend in primary school – gives families the choice of childcare that too many simply can’t afford right now.

Alistair Darling - Since the latest poll showed the Yes vote had taken the lead off No, can you tell me why all of a sudden David Cameron et al are panicking and scrambling around, flying up to Scotland in a last minute bid to keep us.
To me it seems like they are clinging on to use for dear life and you (I) have to wonder why.
Seems to me for the last 2 years they have sat back and laughed at even though thought Scotland would want Independence and now it's becoming a reality they aren't laughing any more!!

Really worried about this. Me Salmond, your response? Please don't keep saying the same thing, given that you have been told there will be no currency union. You must have thought through the consequences for those who are as concerned as I am.

@DrMalcolmTuckerWhosMistress

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.

Thanks for your question. I agree that fighting child poverty and more free childcare is vital. That’s why we are making school meals free to all P1 to P3 pupils and have expended by almost half the number of nursery hours children get.

But we want to do much more and that need control of the tax and benefit system. That’s one of the great opportunities of Independence. For example, by having control of both sides of the balance sheet, we can reinvest the revenues from increased numbers of women in work into increasing childcare. Right now that money goes to Westminster.

femin great question. The Better Together campaign seems to have relied on the Cameron 'hug-a-scottie' sentiment, when it should have invested millions in ensuring victory and chosen positive messages as to why we should not become independent, rather than banging on about what we would lose if we do.

@JimMurphysHump

Alistair Darling: What do we have already that we wouldn't have in an independent Scotland? Not just idle threats like xyz is 'at risk' which is just scaremongering. What actual thing can it be categorically stated would go if Scotland votes Yes?

My sister received a BT leaflet the other day suggesting there would be fewer law jobs (??) and that Glastonbury would no longer be accessible to Scots. Adding this to the "we cant use the pound" and Tesco supermarket prices fiascos it's difficult to believe anything Better Together tell us. So, can you provide us with an answer to what we would actually, definitely lose if we vote Yes?

Q for Alistair - if an independent Scotland can't enter into a currency union with rUK and has to 'start from scratch'. Do you believe it is still equitable for an independent Scotland to keep its share of the national debt? If we can't have any of the assets why should we take the liabilities?

@bananaboat

Mr Salmond in the second debate you talked about a Tory-led plan to privatise the NHS in Scotland which has apparently chimed with voters and boost the Yes campaign's popularity.

But the NHS is wholly devolved in Scotland and the Tories have no influence in the Scottish Government. Can you explain?

The difficulty is, while the administration of the NHS is fully devolved, the finance is dependent on decisions made at Westminster. For example, the UK government recently decided to ignore the independent pay review and give nurses and other workers and increase in pay. In Scotland, we made the decision to honour that obligation. That cost around £30 million. Because there was no finance from Westminster to pay for the increase, we had to find it out of other budgets, which was very difficult. That provides an example of why anything under the current system, which impacts on NHS public finance in England has an immediate knock-on effect in Scotland. Thus, privatisation and charging in the NHS south of the border will put great pressure on our public health service in Scotland unless we control both sides of the balance sheet and the finance as well as the administration of our public National Health Service.

There's an excellent article from Professor Alison Pollock, which was in the Sunday Herald a week past Sunday, which is well worth a look.

I am almost certainly a Yes voter, but have concerns relating to how narrow a margin whichever side wins is likely to win by. We're probably looking at something like a 49/51% of voters split (which obviously when taking into account turnout will probably equate to less than half of the actual electorate voting for the "winning" campaign).

In comparable situations there has almost always been overwhelming public support for independence. How do you plan to address around half of the electorate feeling disenfranchised? To my mind, this will be more of an issue if there is a Yes vote (as there is then no going back) than if there is a No vote (as we could always re-run the referendum in years to come), and it does deter me from voting Yes (as I'd really like a Yes win with an overwhelming majority).

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Mr Darling. It has been stated that in the event of a No vote many new powers are guaranteed to be devolved to Scots. As devo-max would have been the preferred option for most can you state:

Exactly what these new powers are.
Exactly how they can be guaranteed when there is no new legislation being passed through parliament regarding this, and even if there was, no guarantee it would be passed.

Hello ItsAllGoingToBeFine

All three of the parties that may form a government after the next general election have guaranteed a timetable for the new raft of powers. These include further power over income tax and welfare, which covers housing benefit so we can get rid of the iniquitous bedroom tax. We already have a Scottish parliament with powers over education and health. So instead of years of wrangling over separation, we can have legislation underway from day one after the referendum.

Our plan for the equivalent of 30 hours a week matching the time children spend in primary school gives families the choice of childcare that too many simply cant afford right now

The other point is, if I can pick up on this, is that 30 hours of paid childcare actually gives people the opportunity to work less - if that makes sense. As a single parent of two children, over 40% of my salary goes on childcare. That means I work two days a week just to pay for childcare. I can't quickly do the sums, but if my childcare bill was less, I could surely work at least one day a week less - to the benefit of my children (and my mental health...).

That said, because I moved my son in the middle of the year, I missed the deadline for registering for the existing early years provision (equivalent to 133 a month in his setting), so we didn't get that...therefore I take promises on childcare with a bit of a pinch of salt.

Don't forget the Sunday Herald as referenced by Mr Salmond has come out as pro-independent

@JimMurphysHump

Alistair Darling: What do we have already that we wouldn't have in an independent Scotland? Not just idle threats like xyz is 'at risk' which is just scaremongering. What actual thing can it be categorically stated would go if Scotland votes Yes?

My sister received a BT leaflet the other day suggesting there would be fewer law jobs (??) and that Glastonbury would no longer be accessible to Scots. Adding this to the "we cant use the pound" and Tesco supermarket prices fiascos it's difficult to believe anything Better Together tell us. So, can you provide us with an answer to what we would actually, definitely lose if we vote Yes?

Hi there,
I'm sorry to say I can give you one loss announced just today. Standard Life, the Edinburgh pensions company, have said that if there is a Yes vote they are making plans right now to move business down south. Another example - we spend £1200 more for every Scot on health, schools and other vital public services. If we leave the UK, we lose that. It's not just me saying that - but independent experts. If I saw you step out in front of a bus and I shouted a warning, would that be scaremongering, would it?

MNHQ - Mr Darling's answer to JimMurphysHump isn't showing, or is it just me?

oh spoke too soon

@daisyfraser

Mr Darling & Mr Salmond What is to be done about Yes campaigners patrolling the streets of Scotland bullying and intimidating No campaigners since it looks as if this activity may actually be frightening people into voting Yes and is highly divisive whatever the outcome?

This happened to an advocate (barrister) friend of mine who was followed by Nationalists in a very intimidating way including swearing. Looks like Mr Salmond has an agenda of 'independence at any cost')

To those on the Yes side saying 'I don't see any intimidation' I rest my case.

Thank you

Hi, Daisy. The polls at the weekend, which caused so much consternation in the no campaign also asked people if they thought the campaign was being conducted in a way which did Scotland credit and good. By a majority almost five-to-one on both sides of the campaign people thought this was a great thing for Scotland.

That has been my experience as I've gone round the country and spoken to communities, energised and empowered by this referendum process. Obviously, any bad behaviour on either side should be deprecated and I always do and whether it be online or offline, but it would be entirely wrong to suggest whatever some newspapers have claimed that this is any way typical of the 99% of campaigners who are having a enlightening and joyous political campaign.

Mr Darling you cherry picked a part- quote from Mark Carney there. He clearly stated that that his comment was in the context of Westminster parties' refusal to agree to a currency union.

So glad you got proper biscuits in!

@Franmat

For AS. Many promises have been made re. free childcare provision, education etc. If there is a yes vote, will we not then have to vote in a new Government? How, then, can you make promises which your successor may not be happy to honour? It is like the Tories trying to commit the Labour party to a Conservative manifesto.

Hi Franmat. You are absolutely right that with Independence the people of Scotland will elect the governments of Scotland. I think that's one of the great opportunities of Independence - no more governments we didn't elect.

I also think there is now a broad consensus that there should be a significant expansion of childcare and, for my part, the SNP has set out what we will do with the powers of Independence - matching the number of hours children spend in primary school - to transform childcare if we are trusted to be the first Government of an Independent Scotland.

Just today Mr Darling? This was reportedly their announcement weeks ago and has been taken as more scaremongering in an attempt to force people into a No vote! I am sure your campaign advisers would have known about this before today. Please stick to the facts and stop with the scaremongering!