King Alex is on the rise!

[max_tranmere]

The SNP have done very well north of the border in this election. Alex Salmond, the man who not only launched the term 'the Scottish Government' for the assembly but managed to get eveyone else saying it too, was talking today about a referendum. This is not the first time he's mentioned it but you can see that today he really feels he could have a chance of pulling it off.

This is a big risk for him politically, if it fails he will end up looking a bit like Nick Clegg looks today, if it suceeds he will be remembered as the man who finally broke up the Union and gave the Scots what (some of them) wanted.

What do people think his chances are of actually getting a 'yes' vote for independance, and what will it mean for things like the 'West Lothian Question' (Scots currently getting more per head than the English from Westminster), and also things like the fact the Westminster government owns 84% of the Royal Bank of Scotland?

[Essex Lad]

The West Lothian question (coined by Tam Dalyell) has nothing to do with Scotland's income. That's the Barnett Formula.

The West Lothian question asks - is it right that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that solely affect the English while English MPs cannot vote on Scottish matters?

[Arginald Valleywater]

Sorry I thought you were on about Man U!!

[RoddersUK]

My Scottish friends think that Salmond is one of the biggest stupidest arseholes ever to be born in Scotland. Their words, not mine, though I do agree with them.

[Dick Moby]

Hate to tell you Rodders, but I've met the man and I've found him to be a straight up guy. He sorted things out for my father which many people would have found trivial. I have total respect for him.

[David Johnson]

You wouldnt bet against his chances of getting a Yes vote for independence.

All the polls so far have suggested that only about 30% of the Scots are in favour. However, at the start of the election campaign for the Scottish Assembly, Labour were leading the polls and ended up getting hammered.

Salmond is obviously a competent politician and party operator. The view seems to have been that he did a good job as First Minister and so people wanted him to continue. The Labour campaign was pitiful.

Mind I suppose given that Scotland doesnt have complete tax raising powers, it makes it easier for Salmond to be in the position where he spends the money but doesn't do much in terms of inflicting the pain to raise it.

I note the SNP MPs including Salmond have stopped praising Iceland and Ireland which they did for years as the economic model an independent Scotland would follow. They now talk about Norway instead, surprise, surprise. It would have been interesting to see how an independent Scotland would have dealt with RBS going bust.

One side-effect of an independent Scotland which is rarely mentioned is the fact that Scotland was the power base of many Labour MPs. One result of an independent Scotland is likely to be permanent Tory one party government in what remains of the UK.

Cheers
D

[Meatus]

I voted SNP and voted for Salmond. And i, like many others think he is an exceptional Politician. Certainly the best Scotland has to offer. He is head & shoulders above every other Politician up here. And one of the best in the entire UK. I don't here too many people having problem's with him. The people who don't support him mainly don't support independence!

I think the SNP ran a smooth & smart campaign & focused on what the country needs to do to move forward & to get the economy & employment back on track again. Also focusing on the NHS & Crime and in all truth remaining rather cool on the prospect of Independence & holding a referendum on it. Since he now has an overall majority in the Parliament & the SNP are the First Party to do as such since Devolution i would expect them to hold a 'Referendum' on Independence at some point since they have no one to oppose it now! In all honesty though, i really don't see it ever been given a Yes vote. Too many people are against it. And as quite rightly mentioned all the other parties will bring up the horror stories of Iceland & Ireland!

[max_tranmere]

Interesting comments there. I too recall Salmond mentioning Ireland a lot over the years, something now absent in his comments as Ireland has effectively imploded. I've always been of the view that most Scots don't want independance and I wonder what, financially, will be gained for the Scots if they get it. People always talk about the vast revenues from North Sea oil, but that is a finite resourse. What happens when that runs out?

Also will all the Scots in England technically become foreigners? I heard it said some time ago there are 300,000 Scots in London. Will there be a Scottish Army, Air Force and Navy? Salmond also, a few years ago, used to use quite hard language about all this: I remember when he first became a prominent politician and he used to refer to "the Scottish ex-patriots who live in England". He has softened his terminology in recent years.

[David Johnson]

Hi

Canny politician as he is, I expect Salmond will carry on chipping away with requests for more and more powers being transferred from Westminster to Scotland until the referendum, possibly in 3 or 4 years time will seem more like a rubber stamp/confirmation of the existing situation rather than a massive step.

Cheers
D