What does the independence debate mean to you?
Post categories: Up All Night
|15:38 UK time, Tuesday, 8 May 2012
By Up All Night producer Chris Wands
As a proud Scot living and working in England I've spent a lot of time wondering what independence might mean.
Border controls and a need for Euros when I go back to see the family? A hike in the price of shortbread and porridge? A marked drop in the standard of the team GB football team?
On the plus side it could mean a newly self-sufficient nation keeping the money from North Sea oil, losing the chip on its shoulder and educating its children to eat things other than chips.
The thing is it's just not easy to understand whether it'd be a good thing for Scotland, or indeed for the rest of the UK.
Does Scotland get a handout from London, or does North Sea oil money help fund the UK?
What happens to how the UK defends itself? Where else could the UK's nuclear subs go other than Faslane?
Then there's what happens next if Scotland do go, Wales? Northern Ireland?
So that's why I'm planning a special phone-in on 5 live's Up All Night programme discussing whether independence will be a good thing. Dotun Adebayo will host with two guests: Dr Peter Lynch, senior lecturer at the School of History and Politics at the University of Stirling, and Alan Trench, who runs the Devolution Matters website and blog. We also want your take.
Are you English and living in Scotland, but would leave if Scotland becomes independent? Are you Welsh and itching for Scotland to go because you think Wales could follow suit? We want your take and input on what may happen in the autumn of 2014 and beyond.
We'll let the dust settle a little from the local and mayoral elections and then take a look at the "State of the Union" from 0230 until 0400 on Fri 11th of May.
Chris Wands is a broadcast journalist and producer for 5 live's Up All Night. You can follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Comment number 1.
At 16:25 8th May 2012, Fedster wrote:Thank God a new Blog!!!! Will, i was beggining to get withdrawal symptoms, what with you posting Blogs that are dead links https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2012/04/film-club.shtml, or closing Blogs as quickly as you opened them, what on Earth is happening Will?
By the way, really intresting Blog, will give you my thoughts once i get a sec.
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Comment number 2.
At 16:53 8th May 2012, zelda wrote:Will you be going back to live in your homeland should it gain independence? Personally, I couldn't care less.
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Comment number 3.
At 17:06 8th May 2012, Will wrote:Fedster: as you can probably guess the Film Club blog published in the wrong place (it's now here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2012/04/film_club.html%29 due to a technical error, and Matt's blog had to be removed temporarily due to reporting restrictions on voting day.
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Comment number 4.
At 17:18 8th May 2012, Fedster wrote:Will that link doesnt work.
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Comment number 5.
At 19:09 8th May 2012, what wrote:Chaotic, ill thought-out - the station writ large
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Comment number 6.
At 11:04 10th May 2012, carrie wrote:If it is so great in Scotland Wales I do not understand why so many people from those countries want to live in England. I resent the national grants given to these countries which mean that living in England we are the poor neighbours in terms of education and health. I resent MPs from those countries deciding things which effect me. I cannot wait for them to be independent and as it will wake them up eventually when the separation grants eventually stop. I will be dead by then but you get my meaning.
As this will all probably never happen as they know what side their bread is buttered, it is an irrelevant question to ask.
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