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.

Alex do you not feel that the money market and share market response to the YouGov poll tells you the global response to a YES vote will cripple Scotland?

@Mythreeknights

For AS: I just don't understand how you can feel confident leading this country if there is no guarantee that we can keep the pound, if you plan to default on national debt, and the majority of financial institutions insist there will be massive economic troubles ahead. How can you be confident against such critical certainty from a number of economic experts? How can you reassure me that Scotland will not enter a long period of austerity and recession?

I think one of the crucial points of this campaign was the exchange on this matter during the BBC televised debate of two weeks ago when I explained not just the policy options available to Scotland but why our arguments of a common sense agreement on a common currency, sharing both assets and liabilities is best both Scotland and the rest of the UK.

There are plenty of economic experts, including the economic Nobel laureates James Mirrlees and Joseph Stiglitz, who have backed that position but more importantly all the evidence is that a majority of the people of Scotland support that common sense view. Alistair Darling's admission during the debate that "of course we could keep the pound" merely stated the obvious that you cannot be stopped by anyone from using an internationally tradeable currency but the agreement on a common currency would be best for everyone.

For Alex Salmond - all the 'Better Together' signs near me in Stirlingshire have been kicked in / sabotaged / spray painted (a particular favourite appears to be 'SNOW Thanks' - whereas ALL the Yes signs are intact and untouched. You live in cloud cuckoo land.

'no more governments we didn't elect'

I'm never voting SNP, but I could still get an SNP government, like I have now!

So the promises you've made are more like, er, suggestions for whichever party might get elected following independence?

@SomeSunnySunday

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).

Hello, the vote could well be tight. Every one of us still to vote could tip the result either way. And as you say, whatever the result there will a lot of very disappointed people. But on 19 September we will all have to work together, accept the result and do what is best for You're right too that if we do vote to separate there is no going. This is forever.

This is an amended post so my apologies if it's late in the day.

To AS

Much of your stance is based upon 'We'll sort it out in negotiations'. If there is a close Yes vote on the 18th, how are you going to negotiate effectively with half of your own country in disagreement with you. Will that not mean you going into negotiations with one hand tied behind your back?

So Alex Salmond completely denies the intimidation, reported by so many. Expected better of him. Leaves me with grave fears as to what a post-independent Scotland will be like.

Alex Salmond [quote]we can reinvest the revenues from increased numbers of women in work into increasing childcare[/quote]

But you must be aware of the financial analysis done on this policy showing that there aren't enough economically inactive mums in Scotland to make the policy self financing, and that's putting aside the fact that many families wish to have a parent at home with their child.

Why should the SNP be a shoo-in as the first Government of an Independent Scotland? I wouldn't trust them to go to the corner shop for a bottle of milk.

Mr Salmond -what are your thoughts on the many hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have been advised that their roles will move South in the event of a Yes vote. (I am included in this and do not work in Financial Services, there are other industries affected)

Mr Darling- the three parties being New Labour, The Tories (with their 1 Scottish MP) and UKIP.

Mr Tunnock came out for 'No'

its not whether you can use the pound, its the implications to both sides

With the greatest of respect Mr Darling, you did not answer my question.(below) You neither listed the specific new powers to be devolved, nor did you explain the claim that they were guaranteed.

"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."

Raven they put an updated statement on their website today. It is written in what appear to be neutral terms, but if you regularly read announcements by FS companies you will know that they write them that way - they mean it, they are ready to start moving functions. They aren't saying how much - but they will do it.

standard Life did not come out and say they would move South following a Yes vote. They said provisions would have to be made south of the border to suit customer requirements. Something they've said all along would be needed as a result of differing legislation.

Statement here www.standardlife.com/utility/customer_statement-2.html

Where is my vote then?

Born in Scotland, educated in Scotland, family in Scotland, own a property in Scotland - live in England because of work. Why is my ability to vote less than a schoolchild who has never voted, paid tax, probably had a job, paid for childcare, etc etc etc?

But Mr Salmond, you can share something with someone who doesn't want to share with you. You keep talking about the will of the Scottish people as if that trumps everything, the will of the rest of the UK, the will of the EU. It does not.

Mythreelady - a Yes campaigner was punched to the ground in Buchanan Street by a No Campaigner. A Yes shop was covered with swasticas. These are rightly condemned by both sides. Vanadalism and abuse is wrong. Full stop.

FOr AS - Joining the EU required the existing members to consent. Spain is unlikely to look kindly on breakaway states given their issues with Catalan, as they have no intention of allowing Catalan to get any ideas. How, given this, do you rate Scotland's chances of being able to join within the next 5 years?

AS: "There are plenty of economic experts, including the economic Nobel laureates James Mirrlees and Joseph Stiglitz, who have backed that position..."

Mr Salmond, you always refer to Mirrlees and Stiglitz but never mention that they were hand-picked by you to sit on the Fiscal Commission whose chair (and main author of the report) is an SNP donor.

To both
I'd like to know why as a Scot living in London I don't get a vote but EU nationals living in Scotland do? I would dearly love to move back to Scotland but my husband is a Londoner so I'm stuck down here. I'm no less Scottish and care no less about indpendence just because I unfortunately live in England. I'm a yes voter by the way...

Mr Darling, Luckily I did my research before coming on this thread, and I read properly the statement from Standard Life with regards to their contingency planning - which is exactly what any sensible organisation would be expected to do. Unless there is another more recent statement which is no yet in the public domain.

I'm a 'no thanks' voter, but very to see that kind of incorrect response.

@SkateLife

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.

Hello SkateLife. I'm sorry about the struggle you've been facing. A separate Scotland will mean there will be different tax rates and a Scottish equivalent of HMRC. Red tape which never goes away will be different in England and Scotland which would add to costs. While the nationalists propose to cut Corporation Tax for the big companies, they've made no such plans for smaller ones. On top of that, if oil revenued were to drop again, as they did last year, a Scottish government might need to come looking for more taxes to cover the black hole. The reason I believe we're better as a partner in the UK is because being part of something bigger means you can deal with a drop in such as oil revenues and spread the cost and the risks across a population of 63 million, not just 5 million