Is Scottish independence a 'good or bad' thing?

Where does he say it?

I guess I'm mistaken then. I didn't think universities were allowed quotas on EU students. I thought they had to take them on the exact same terms they have for local students.

He was on BBC television this morning, but the Daily Record also quotes him.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/alex-salmond-nukes-war-banned-1780288

Just watched Andrew Marr show (~23 mins in), that is what he said. However, I don't think he meant it as an independent Scotland under the SNP literally.

Illegal war (referring to Iraq war I'm gussing), 65% of Scots were against it, yet the decision to go was chosen by Westminster.
On about wmds at the Clyde, 80% of Scots are against Trident.
and bedroom tax, wasn't it like 4 or 5 Scottish mps who voted for it?

So an independent Scotland wouldn't have passed those thing surely [when MPs are meant to be working to the best interest of their constituencies]?

So an independent Scotland wouldn't have passed those thing surely?

Maybe, maybe not. What he is really saying is that Scottish governments will never make decisions not supported by the majority of Scottish electors, which is quite obviously preposterous without a constitution like Switzerland's which makes major decisions based on referenda. Nobody is proposing that.

He is a hostage to fortune the minute he makes an unpopular decision, which will happen sooner rather than later. Is he going to commission polls for every single decision he makes? I don't think so. What if the poll shows he should go? The polls show that the majority don't favour independence, yet he is pressing ahead with a referendum on it. So he will do things that don't please most people.

As another instance, it isn't unlikely that an ageing population will not take kindly to paying for his ideas on childcare.

Ipsos-mori ('Reputable source' ???) poll February 2013:

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/offices/scotland/scottishpublicopinionmonitor/keytrends/votingintention.aspx

Satisfaction with party leaders:

Alex Salmond: 50%

Nicola Sturgeon: 50%

Johann Lamont: 39%

Ruth Davidson: 29%

David Cameron: 27%

Willie Rennie: 22%

You must live in London to pay that much for student accommodation!

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Nottingham

How? I'm in Nottingham too!

I only pay around 4600 for 44 weeks Ensuite with my bills all covered and a bus to the uni -with a free gym for good measure!

How are you paying that much?

Nottingham Trent, Byron Residence (new accommodation) 44 weeks

So what are you getting for that much money?

Do you have your own kitchen?
Tbh you should get a free car and driving lessons for that money lool!

If you REALLY believe in the welfare state, you are gravely mistaken in your support for Westminster rule over Scotland.

It is the SNP government in Scotland which is doing its best to protect the welfare state in Scotland.

In the meantime the Tories and their Lib-Dem allies at Westminster are busy destroying the welfare state.

Could you two perhaps pool your 'reputable sources' of information as they couldn't be very reputable since you have drawn completely contradictory conclusions from them.

With Westminster rule you get a government by a party that got 1 MP elected from Scotland. And before you start about their Lib-Dem allies, they betrayed the people who voted for them and therefore have no legitimacy. That was proved by their near wipeout in the last Scottish election.

You will notice that those of the former are rapidly going down whereas those of the latter are rapidly going up.

Is that a bad thing? Immediately the universities would have to reduce the fees for British students in line with the Scottish/EU fees of £1820, so the immediate impact to the purse would be around £30m per annum (going by the 4,150 English and Welsh students accepted to Scottish universities in 2012, pro-rated to 16,500 students over a 4 year period, which is actually more than the current number of non-Scot UK students in higher education in Scotland).

UK applications would certainly increase, but places are finite, so either the universities would be forced to grow (positive), or only the best non-Scottish students will be accepted (also positive). We're unlikely to see the number of Scottish students failing to get into university increase more than already, as there is no longer the financial incentive from UK students for universities to accept them.

£30m per annum is not a particularly tough fee on the tax-payer, and if it attracts the brightest minds from the UK to study in Scotland, it will have a positive effect, particularly as many English students who study in Scotland then stay after they graduate.

Just watched Andrew Marr show (~23 mins in), that is what he said. However, I don't think he meant it as an independent Scotland under the SNP literally.

Illegal war (referring to Iraq war I'm gussing), 65% of Scots were against it, yet the decision to go was chosen by Westminster.
On about wmds at the Clyde, 80% of Scots are against Trident.
and bedroom tax, wasn't it like 4 or 5 Scottish mps who voted for it?

So an independent Scotland wouldn't have passed those thing surely [when MPs are meant to be working to the best interest of their constituencies]?

How? I'm in Nottingham too!

I only pay around 4600 for 44 weeks Ensuite with my bills all covered and a bus to the uni -with a free gym for good measure!

How are you paying that much?

At St Andrews I pay £5,600 for barely 30 weeks, catered but not en suite. It's total theft.

At St Andrews I pay £5,600 for barely 30 weeks, catered but not en suite. It's total theft.

Only seen this. My answer not intellectual or any good for an essay but although I am Scottish I think Scotland only would be too insular. Also, I don't find it the least bit interesting. Westminster politics are fascinating but I couldn't care less about Holyrood. All I seem to hear on the Scottish news is stuff about fish! I think the mix of different personalities thrown up by UK is good. Scotland alone...boring, boring, boring.