5live tackles five big questions about Scottish independence
Post categories: 5 live blog, Chris Mason, Drive, politics, social media
|20:42 UK time, Thursday, 19 January 2012
In three years time Scotland could be independent. In the last few weeks, the rhetoric and campaigning on both sides of the debate over Scotland's future has stepped up, with it looking likely there will be a referendum in Scotland in the autumn of 2014.
With the rhetoric come the questions. A lorry load of questions. So, on 5live Drive, the 5live blog, the BBC News website and on Radio 4's PM, we will be trying to find some answers next week.
First stop, on Monday, will be Guernsey. Do Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man provide a template for what's clunkily called 'devo max?' This is the idea that could, broadly speaking, mean Scots kept the pound and kept the British armed forces but ran pretty much everything else from Edinburgh.
Next stop, on Tuesday, will be Corby in Northamptonshire. It's been dubbed 'Little Scotland' because of the number of Scots living there. Should they get a vote? And what would Scottish independence mean for England, Wales and Northern Ireland?
On Wednesday we will be in the Borders, exploring what Scottish independence would mean there, as Scots prepare for Burns Night that evening.
And no discussion about independence can be complete without talking about oil-so we'll do that in Aberdeen on Thursday-and defence and nuclear weapons, which we'll look at from Faslane on Friday.
Chip in with your thoughts and give us a shout if you're close to our route and want to get involved.
As ever, we will do our best to respond to whatever you have to say below, and will be blogging as we travel.
Chris Mason is 5live's Political Reporter. You can follow Chris on Twitter here - @ChrisMasonBBC. Chris will be travelling with 5live Producer Chris Brindley throughout the week.
Comment number 1.
At 22:16 19th Jan 2012, Nick Vinehill wrote:In a world crying out for international political and economic cooperation, one of the last thing's that should be on the agenda are small countries like Scotland seeking independence from the rest of the UK. It makes no economic sense and its advocates like Salmond who have no other real political agenda are just exploiting economic and political apathy amongst Scottish people!
Moreover we shouldn't be fooled there's any real rift between Cameron and Salmond on the issue. They're just playing on petty nationalism to suit their own short term political interests!
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Comment number 2.
At 13:59 20th Jan 2012, GingerTompkins wrote:Apparrently Alex Salmond is another one who is very friendly with a certain Rupert Murdoch.
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Comment number 3.
At 17:23 20th Jan 2012, carrie wrote:Good luck with the trip, Chris.
My own view is let the Scots get on with it. Sort out what the rest of the UK owes them (if anything) on the oil issue, then the rest of the UK can work out what they owe in terms of everything else. I have never heard such vitriole from people as I did when I lived in Scotland, about the English mostly. Having lived in Wales and in Ireland I did not hear such views there about English people. I do believe many English fan the flame by disliking the Scots in return, but in modern times I just don't get it.
Anyway, I say allow the referendum and what will be will be.
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Comment number 4.
At 17:46 20th Jan 2012, zelda wrote:I couldn't care less if they Scots stay or go. I wish they would just get on with it.
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Comment number 5.
At 15:28 21st Jan 2012, Nick Vinehill wrote:Just 'getting on with it' from a 'Little Englander' perspective is hardly the same as the practical reality of doing it!
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Comment number 6.
At 16:45 21st Jan 2012, zelda wrote:Oi! Englander I may be but little????
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