:00:00. > :00:09.Glasgow for the Radio 1 Big Conversation. Posted by Edith Bowman
:00:10. > :00:15.and Chris Smith. `` posted. This is BBC radio one. The Big Conversation.
:00:16. > :00:26.Scotland Decides. But Edith Bowman and Chris Smith, live from Glasgow.
:00:27. > :00:35.`` with Edith Bowman. This Thursday the future of the UK is decided. It
:00:36. > :00:39.is the biggest vote of our lifetime. Should Scotland be an independent
:00:40. > :00:44.country? If most people vote yes, Scotland will become independent but
:00:45. > :00:51.if they vote no, it remains part of the UK. We will discuss and explain
:00:52. > :00:55.the moment that will go down in history and in broadcasting for
:00:56. > :01:01.Radio 1, we are live on the BBC News Channel. The last of these big
:01:02. > :01:10.debates. With us in this beautiful venue we have 150 16`24 `year`olds,
:01:11. > :01:13.many have made their minds up. Some have only just decided and a few of
:01:14. > :01:19.them still have not made their mind up. We have divided the audience
:01:20. > :01:26.into sections. We have the yes, no and undecided. As we will explore,
:01:27. > :01:31.many of those who don't know or already going one way or the other
:01:32. > :01:36.but it is important to see that the audience is completely balanced
:01:37. > :01:40.between yes and no. My name is Safran and I am 16 and I have been a
:01:41. > :01:44.political activist since I was six years old. I believe in independence
:01:45. > :01:48.because the Scottish people deserve to live in a democratic society with
:01:49. > :02:15.the government they vote for and the only way is through independence!
:02:16. > :02:27.My name is Matthew and I am 19 years old and from London. I do not know
:02:28. > :02:31.which way this will go but I know that whatever the outcome, this will
:02:32. > :02:35.affect young people like myself in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and
:02:36. > :02:43.the rest of the UK. Thank you very much. Quickly back there because you
:02:44. > :02:49.had a problem with your microphone. You can do your piece. I am 22 and a
:02:50. > :02:53.student and I believe that we should vote no to maintain the union and we
:02:54. > :02:58.have ploughed our resources into this for thousands of years.
:02:59. > :03:02.Involving key issues like the currency, job security and EU
:03:03. > :03:10.membership. I am Scottish and British and we are Better Together.
:03:11. > :03:14.34 hours left until the polling opens and we're here for the next
:03:15. > :03:22.hour to answer your questions as well but only if you can let us see
:03:23. > :03:28.them. Please text us. There are two different campaigns to get the vote
:03:29. > :03:31.and yes Scotland supports independence and Better Together,
:03:32. > :03:37.which believes Scotland is better off as part of the UK and we have
:03:38. > :03:40.both sides with us. Danny Alexander represents Better Together, you
:03:41. > :03:46.might know him already. He is a live them politician and the Chief
:03:47. > :03:53.Secretary to the Treasury. And for the yes campaign, a member of the
:03:54. > :04:00.Scottish Parliament, representing the Scottish national party. And
:04:01. > :04:03.with us, someone who has followed every twist and turn of this
:04:04. > :04:12.campaign, our correspondent, Laura Bicker. A round of applause.
:04:13. > :04:17.APPLAUSE. We will hear from those three but
:04:18. > :04:22.more importantly, from the audience because that is what this is about.
:04:23. > :04:23.Better start off with a quick look at the main issues at the heart of
:04:24. > :05:55.this delayed. `` debate. And that has been one of the biggest
:05:56. > :05:58.topics in this. If it becomes independent, will Scotland be able
:05:59. > :06:08.to keep the pound and other economic issues? We will head across to the
:06:09. > :06:12.yes side. I am Escott and 19 years old and basically, in terms of the
:06:13. > :06:17.currency union, we heard from Better Together and George Osborne and I do
:06:18. > :06:21.not think we should listen to one word he says, he is a Westminster
:06:22. > :06:28.politician with an agenda and the only authority with the legitimacy
:06:29. > :06:33.to say whether Scotland can keep the pound will be the Bank of England or
:06:34. > :06:45.an act of Parliament and we have not had that because we live in a
:06:46. > :06:51.democracy and not a dictatorship. My name is Brad and I am from Falkirk
:06:52. > :06:57.and I disagree. First and foremost, we are better at being together, we
:06:58. > :07:02.have strong partnerships and were able to have a currency that you
:07:03. > :07:07.know what is happening, if you are independent is no guarantee you will
:07:08. > :07:16.get the pound or any currency union and that is one of my concerns. If
:07:17. > :07:22.independence goes ahead, I run a production company and do lots of
:07:23. > :07:32.work and stuff and that could ruin my distance. That is one of my main
:07:33. > :07:36.concerns. What we have not heard is any comprehensive argument from
:07:37. > :07:41.Westminster as to why we would not be able to keep the pound? I am not
:07:42. > :07:46.an economist but common sense dictates that at least in the
:07:47. > :07:51.immediate interim it would make sense to at least share the currency
:07:52. > :07:55.and is Alex Salmond says, it is Scotland's currency as much as
:07:56. > :07:58.England, we have built this together and the Bank of England was founded
:07:59. > :08:04.by a Scotsman. It does not make sense. We will come to Danny
:08:05. > :08:09.Alexander in a second. I think the yes campaign made to step away from
:08:10. > :08:13.what they believe because the Bank of England says that a currency
:08:14. > :08:17.union is not compatible with an independent Scotland and we have
:08:18. > :08:21.three options, have our own currency with no value in the global market,
:08:22. > :08:25.we have a currency governed by the Bank of England so they can set the
:08:26. > :08:38.interest rate or we join the euro, what would you prefer? The Bank of
:08:39. > :08:44.England actually has not spoken on this, it is a Chancellor who said we
:08:45. > :08:48.will not get a union with no power. Scotland's largest marketers England
:08:49. > :08:55.and England's second largest in Scotland so it makes no sense and
:08:56. > :09:01.transaction fees and real term money to not have any union, it makes no
:09:02. > :09:06.sense. When it comes to uncertainty, what about the guaranty powers that
:09:07. > :09:11.Mr Alexander's party has pledged? Just like free tuition fees? What
:09:12. > :09:23.credibility can we base the vote on when your party could not even keep
:09:24. > :09:27.that? That makes no sense that you will not make the decision in the,
:09:28. > :09:38.who do you think the Bank of England will be influenced by? The
:09:39. > :09:42.Chancellor or you? I have a question, if we don't get the
:09:43. > :09:47.currency and we have our own currency, what will the MPEG Dionne
:09:48. > :09:57.people like myself who want to buy houses and raise families? `` the
:09:58. > :10:01.impact be on people like myself. I am common sense of the few don't
:10:02. > :10:05.believe me, don't believe Danny, just look at the common`sense, and
:10:06. > :10:12.that dictates that it would make sense to have it currency, it makes
:10:13. > :10:16.sense for transactions and travel but let us say that the UK
:10:17. > :10:23.government cuts off its nose to spite its face and despite all of
:10:24. > :10:28.that, all of that, we will not have any currency union. There are other
:10:29. > :10:33.options, including using the pound without any currency union, we would
:10:34. > :10:39.have zero debt, which is not a bad thing. No currency has ever become
:10:40. > :10:44.independent starting with zero debt and the UK has ?1.3 trillion. We
:10:45. > :10:52.could create our own currency and the point is this, their use 100
:10:53. > :10:56.mile P3 countries in the UN and in Glasgow we just had the Commonwealth
:10:57. > :11:02.Games, countries that seceded from the British and they all find an
:11:03. > :11:06.option that have suited them, why is that Scotland, inventors of the
:11:07. > :11:11.modern world, intelligent people, can be too much of a basket case not
:11:12. > :11:15.to have their own currency? If you ask Danny Alexander, I know he does
:11:16. > :11:20.not believe in independence and that is fine but if Scotland chooses
:11:21. > :11:24.independence, you have had 2.5 years to think about this, what currency
:11:25. > :11:30.would you like for an independent Scotland? Nobody from the no camp as
:11:31. > :11:35.ever and so bad. Common sense would dictate that Scotland will have a
:11:36. > :11:46.currency and a currency union. How would that impact on things like
:11:47. > :11:50.buying houses and taxes? Yes... So, we promised many things in terms of
:11:51. > :11:55.taxes and the point of independence is to have all of the tax and
:11:56. > :12:00.economic levers so it does not matter if we have a currency union
:12:01. > :12:05.with the UK, that means we can do things like creating 27,000 jobs for
:12:06. > :12:10.young people and writing the constitution to protect the NHS,
:12:11. > :12:13.saying we want to increase the minimum wage by inflation and giving
:12:14. > :12:22.a living wage and protecting free education. Those are the powers I
:12:23. > :12:26.want for your generation. Danny Alexander, you can maybe answer
:12:27. > :12:29.that? I want to keep the pound for Scotland and the only way to do that
:12:30. > :12:36.is to keep the UK together, that is the simple point I want to make. And
:12:37. > :12:41.there are good reasons for that. Scotland would be a new state with
:12:42. > :12:45.our own economic Holocene and would go in a different election with
:12:46. > :12:49.serious financial problems and one of the things you need as a new
:12:50. > :12:51.state is all other leaders to control that economy and in any
:12:52. > :12:56.currency union you don't have the power to set interest rates and
:12:57. > :13:03.exchange registered conditions, you would bind your hands on raising tax
:13:04. > :13:08.and spending and I don't think that counts as independents, and for the
:13:09. > :13:12.rest of the UK, I speak as a Scot with my own vote in this and I want
:13:13. > :13:16.Scotland to do the best that can but for the rest of the UK, you must
:13:17. > :13:20.think, a currency union means they would have to take risks in Scotland
:13:21. > :13:24.that would have no control over policies. Like the Eurozone,
:13:25. > :13:29.countries who have seen risks spreading from one to the other so
:13:30. > :13:32.the best thing for Scotland is to keep the pound but the only way to
:13:33. > :13:44.make sure that happens is to keep the UK together as well. I want to
:13:45. > :13:49.bring in Laura Bicker. My job has been done for me because this
:13:50. > :13:52.audience is well`informed and you have heard some of the options that
:13:53. > :13:57.an independent Scotland might be able to take and obviously the SNP
:13:58. > :14:02.in the White Paper would like a currency union, it is the first
:14:03. > :14:06.option, plan a but many people over this campaign have shouted for plan
:14:07. > :14:10.be. The SNP is not the only party looking for independence, there are
:14:11. > :14:15.others in the yes campaign, the Green party would really like
:14:16. > :14:18.Scotland to have its own currency and that is another option that
:14:19. > :14:23.certainly others would like to look at, including Jim Sellers, the
:14:24. > :14:31.former deputy leader of the SNP. And they do have the option of using the
:14:32. > :14:35.pound, with this currency union, but as Danny Alexander pointed out, that
:14:36. > :14:40.would, without control over what the Bank of England had to say about
:14:41. > :14:49.controlling what the pound does and that includes interest rates and
:14:50. > :14:53.mortgage. Over to the yes side. I am Nicole and 17 and from Glasgow.
:14:54. > :14:59.Regarding the currency, using the Scottish pound, at this moment we
:15:00. > :15:04.see the Scottish bind as a separate currency and it was not separate,
:15:05. > :15:09.the people in England should be able to accept that from us but they
:15:10. > :15:17.don't. Why can't we use this as a separate currency?
:15:18. > :15:24.My question contradicts the yes and no parties. If Scotland were to join
:15:25. > :15:29.the EU, which I think in the White Paper they intend to do within 18
:15:30. > :15:35.months, would they join the euro or would they not? Two questions, Danny
:15:36. > :15:42.would you like to answer the young lady's question first? People in
:15:43. > :15:46.England should accept Scottish banknotes and if they don't, well,
:15:47. > :15:51.they should accept them and they have the same value in the UK as
:15:52. > :15:56.Bank of England notes. My point is that in my hand I have the new ?1
:15:57. > :16:01.coin that comes out in 2017. I do not want to be the only Scot ever to
:16:02. > :16:06.hold this currency as the legal tender in my country. I want the
:16:07. > :16:10.pound for Scotland because it it's a strong currency, it has been built
:16:11. > :16:16.up over hundreds of years, it is stable and respected over the world.
:16:17. > :16:19.You can be sure that if we have independence, voting yes on
:16:20. > :16:24.Thursday, we will not be able to have the pound as our own currency.
:16:25. > :16:29.The point has been made that other countries like Panama, Ecuador and
:16:30. > :16:32.so on, have other country's currencies circulating within them
:16:33. > :16:36.but that comes at a huge economic price. Setting up our own currency
:16:37. > :16:42.in Scotland is another option, we could have a new currency, but
:16:43. > :16:45.again, that comes at a real price in terms of exchange rate volatility,
:16:46. > :16:50.higher interest rates, and costs for businesses like the young man at the
:16:51. > :16:53.back was referring to. None of these options are better than the current
:16:54. > :17:01.state of affairs which is why we should keep things as they are as
:17:02. > :17:05.far as currency goes. To the young man who asked the question about
:17:06. > :17:10.continuing membership of the EU, yes, we would like to do that but we
:17:11. > :17:16.would not want to be forced to join the euro. Sweden has been in the EU
:17:17. > :17:19.for many years, they have not voluntarily join something called
:17:20. > :17:23.the exchange rate mechanism which you have two be in for two years to
:17:24. > :17:28.even qualify for the euro. Scotland would be the same in that respect. I
:17:29. > :17:33.want us to continue our membership of the EU. At the moment you have a
:17:34. > :17:38.UK Government that Danny is part of that has promised a 2017 euros
:17:39. > :17:42.referendum. We see Ukip gaining in the polls in Westminster and
:17:43. > :17:47.England. I do not want Scotland to be isolated outside Europe, I want
:17:48. > :17:52.us to engage in Europe. You will keep hearing from Danny in the next
:17:53. > :17:57.45 minutes are more scare stories about pounds and euros and what you
:17:58. > :18:01.can and can't have. I would say to be brave and realise that Scotland
:18:02. > :18:02.can and should be successful as a prosperous and independent country
:18:03. > :18:14.on its own. Was your question answered? Have you
:18:15. > :18:20.heard the answer to your question? I would like to respond to that. There
:18:21. > :18:24.are 35 chapters that Scotland would have two discuss with other EU
:18:25. > :18:31.member states. That includes agriculture, tax, the euro. If
:18:32. > :18:38.anyone country decides no, where does that leave Scotland? The 35
:18:39. > :18:41.chapters you talk about, the difference is that Scotland has been
:18:42. > :18:46.a member of the TEU for more than 45 years. We already comply with that
:18:47. > :18:51.because we are members of the European Union. My point is that I
:18:52. > :18:55.want Scotland to be an engaging member, not like the UK which is
:18:56. > :18:59.distancing and isolating itself and potentially in two years timing
:19:00. > :19:06.extracting itself from the European Union. Not a single country has said
:19:07. > :19:12.it will veto Scotland's membership. We have EU citizens living here, we
:19:13. > :19:16.have the largest oil reserves in the European Union and the largest
:19:17. > :19:23.coastal water for fisheries as well. It makes common sense for Scotland.
:19:24. > :19:27.Let's have our own voice at the top table instead of the UK voice
:19:28. > :19:35.speaking for Scotland. Danny, very quickly. The UK does not have a
:19:36. > :19:40.policy of the UK having a referendum in 2017. That is a policy of the
:19:41. > :19:45.Conservative Party. I believe passionately in Scotland staying in
:19:46. > :19:49.the UK and the UK stained in Europe. I do not want to create barriers for
:19:50. > :19:56.people working and for any young person in this audience. It is a
:19:57. > :20:00.myth to say that the terms of membership would be as good as they
:20:01. > :20:04.are now. A lot of good things have been secured by the UK over the
:20:05. > :20:07.years, like the rebate, but other things as well that would be
:20:08. > :20:11.difficult for Scotland to get. I think we would end up in the
:20:12. > :20:16.European Union, but the Spanish have said tonight they would object to
:20:17. > :20:21.that so there would be hurdles. The idea that we would go back into the
:20:22. > :20:25.European Union, instead of having a rebate as we have at the moment,
:20:26. > :20:28.Scotland pays in for a rebate that they have with England and that is
:20:29. > :20:34.not a smart position. Chris Smith is getting some really great responses.
:20:35. > :20:46.Lots of chat online and in the studio. If you want to get in touch,
:20:47. > :20:51.please do. It will come straight to this screen and you can also get in
:20:52. > :20:55.touch through Facebook. We have a word cloud of what people are
:20:56. > :20:59.tweeting with our hashtag. The bigger words are the words that
:21:00. > :21:05.people are tweeting more. As you would expect, both sides
:21:06. > :21:14.represented, yes Scotland and better together. This is a trend map of
:21:15. > :21:15.where people are tweeting. We can see some of those we have had so
:21:16. > :21:41.far. Who is going to start a Mexican wave
:21:42. > :21:45.at this hashtag? That would be a first. Would it be better for the
:21:46. > :21:56.people of Scotland to try the TiVo max offer 45`10 years, it getting
:21:57. > :22:00.more powers to Holyrood. Is that what is being offered in the event
:22:01. > :22:05.of a no vote? There is a clear promise from my party and others to
:22:06. > :22:09.say there would be eight stronger Scottish parliament within the UK if
:22:10. > :22:12.there is a no vote on Thursday. Everybody wants change in Scotland
:22:13. > :22:21.for the fastest and safest way to do that is to vote no. Why all or
:22:22. > :22:26.nothing? You do not have that option on the ballot paper. What you had
:22:27. > :22:30.two day in this pledge that has been made is like when you forget your
:22:31. > :22:34.wife's birthday and you are dashing to the petrol station to get the
:22:35. > :22:38.flowers and chocolates. It is tacky and cheap and does not amount to
:22:39. > :22:45.much. It is a bit of an after thought. Only now are we getting the
:22:46. > :22:51.promise of more powers and that is an insult, not a pledge.
:22:52. > :23:03.Devo max would give Scotland more powers except over defence. The age
:23:04. > :23:08.group we have here, six teen`24, we can now talk about tuition fees. I'm
:23:09. > :23:13.17 and I'm from Glasgow and it has come clear to me that Scotland have
:23:14. > :23:17.student's best interests at heart by having free tuition fees in
:23:18. > :23:21.education at universities and England do not. I would like to
:23:22. > :23:27.clarify today by asking my own camp, would tuition fees definitely
:23:28. > :23:32.be free after independence? A great question. I guarantee that if the
:23:33. > :23:35.SNP and Scottish government are re`elected as an independent
:23:36. > :23:39.Scottish government, education would be free. I would go further than
:23:40. > :23:42.that and say that with the full powers of independence, we would
:23:43. > :23:46.have a written constitution, and I would say it would be one of the
:23:47. > :23:51.things that could be discussed for a written constitution. It doesn't
:23:52. > :23:55.matter if I and the SNP get in, the Liberal Democrats, labour, let's
:23:56. > :24:01.promise in black`and`white that if Scotland becomes independence there
:24:02. > :24:09.should be free education. Richard be a right and not a privilege. `` it
:24:10. > :24:14.should be. Does that extend to students coming in from outside the
:24:15. > :24:20.UK into Scotland to study as well? Students could come in from England,
:24:21. > :24:24.because Danny Alexander, and it is interesting... I have the last
:24:25. > :24:27.pledge that Danny Alexander signed was promising not to raise tuition
:24:28. > :24:35.fees and we know how that pledge ended up working out. When you have
:24:36. > :24:43.a pledge, I'd would not accept it's necessarily. But you have a system
:24:44. > :24:49.that charges students ?9,000 per year. We could not have people
:24:50. > :24:53.flooding up to Scotland to take the place, but I will give a guarantee
:24:54. > :24:56.and a promise to every English person listening and watching, if
:24:57. > :25:00.your government does the right thing, does the honourable thing and
:25:01. > :25:05.takes away your tuition fees, then you would not have to pay a single
:25:06. > :25:13.tuition fee here in Scotland either. Danny, do you have a response? The
:25:14. > :25:17.question on the ballot paper is, do you want to be independent or not?
:25:18. > :25:23.What does independence mean in this issue? At the moment Scottish
:25:24. > :25:26.universities, within the United Kingdom, the Scottish Parliament
:25:27. > :25:31.decided many years ago, before the SNP were in power, to make tuition
:25:32. > :25:34.free. That was made under a Labour`Liberal Democrat coalition.
:25:35. > :25:38.They can continue to do that as long as they want, but if Scotland
:25:39. > :25:41.becomes independent they will not be in to do what they do at the
:25:42. > :25:49.moment, Scottish universities charge tuition fees to students from
:25:50. > :25:53.England and if you saw a 10% increase of students coming to
:25:54. > :25:59.Scottish universities, that would take up places used by Scottish
:26:00. > :26:04.students. Is that sustainable for Scottish universities? The SNP have
:26:05. > :26:09.maintained free tuition for university students, but they have
:26:10. > :26:15.also cut 140,000 places in Scottish universities, places that would be
:26:16. > :26:19.occupied by young people... And a bit more clarity about education
:26:20. > :26:23.policy would be very welcome, not least because an independent
:26:24. > :26:27.Scotland would face huge financial problems from day one meaning none
:26:28. > :26:38.of the pledges made can be trusted. LAUGHTER
:26:39. > :26:44.What a cheek! The lady there. I am from the Isle of Skye and I'm 16. I
:26:45. > :26:48.was going to ask, there is still uncertainty if we stay in the United
:26:49. > :26:56.Kingdom. There is no certainty we would keep free tuition fees. It is
:26:57. > :26:58.uncertain both ways so why not vote yes and have the uncertainty in an
:26:59. > :27:08.independent Scotland? We already have a Scottish
:27:09. > :27:12.parliament that controls all of Scotland's domestic affairs,
:27:13. > :27:17.decisions about the health service, education, universities and local
:27:18. > :27:21.government, already made by elected MSPs. What Scotland would have next
:27:22. > :27:27.year under legislation already passed would`be new powers to raise
:27:28. > :27:30.so everybody in work would pay more tax to help fund the work of the
:27:31. > :27:35.Scottish parliament. The Scottish parliament would have the power to
:27:36. > :27:39.raise taxes to pay for anything, within the United Kingdom. The
:27:40. > :27:43.powers already exist. If you care about this issue, it is not a reason
:27:44. > :27:53.to vote yes. Under a no vote we would continue with that policy we
:27:54. > :27:59.have at the moment. I'm Elizabeth, 23, from Edinburgh. I had two quick
:28:00. > :28:02.points. My first point is that university in Scotland is still a
:28:03. > :28:06.rich man's game, regardless of whether you accept that. I am
:28:07. > :28:10.thousands and thousands of pounds in debt but friends of mine who come
:28:11. > :28:13.from a richer background are not. It is folly to believe that just
:28:14. > :28:19.because you don't have tuition fees it is free. If you believe that you
:28:20. > :28:23.are massively mistaken. Point two, if Scotland becomes a member of the
:28:24. > :28:29.European Union, you cannot possibly think you can continue to charge
:28:30. > :28:34.English and Welsh students. That is ridiculous, insulting and
:28:35. > :28:35.discriminating. I'm insulted my own Scottish government would continue
:28:36. > :28:49.to consider such a policy. On the first point, I don't
:28:50. > :28:53.necessarily disagree with you, that although we have removed tuition
:28:54. > :28:56.fees, yes, there is more to do in getting more people from the most
:28:57. > :29:00.deprived backgrounds going to university. In March of this years
:29:01. > :29:05.the Scottish funding Council more people from deprived backgrounds are
:29:06. > :29:09.going to university. But we can do more and we can do that by raising
:29:10. > :29:16.our own revenue instead of getting pocket money from Westminster. There
:29:17. > :29:20.will be more cuts in year to come. In the EU you have objective
:29:21. > :29:24.justification, meaning that if you share a land border like we do with
:29:25. > :29:29.the rest of the UK, and they charge a fee, and we need to protect
:29:30. > :29:31.Scottish students. My premise is simple, Danny Alexander should do
:29:32. > :29:36.the right thing and removed tuition fees from students in England, and
:29:37. > :29:40.that way you would not have to pay fees in Scotland. If I had the
:29:41. > :29:45.choice I would do it tomorrow, to remove education fees and charges.
:29:46. > :29:49.But we need to protect it in Scotland to make sure education is a
:29:50. > :29:53.right and not a privilege. I find it an insult to be lectured by a
:29:54. > :29:59.Liberal Democrat about breaking promises.
:30:00. > :30:05.I find it extraordinary that the SNP suggests that the only foreign
:30:06. > :30:08.country in the European Union against which they would
:30:09. > :30:15.discriminate in terms of Jewish and fees is the rest of the UK. National
:30:16. > :30:19.group tuition fees. Other countries have different systems for
:30:20. > :30:27.contributions to the cost of university education. I want to see
:30:28. > :30:30.more kids from disadvantaged backgrounds getting to university
:30:31. > :30:34.and in England we have seen the number of kids from disadvantaged
:30:35. > :30:39.backgrounds going to university increasing dramatically with more
:30:40. > :30:44.investment in disadvantaged kids at earlier ages and that is what we
:30:45. > :30:49.should be investing in. We're not hearing that under the SNP
:30:50. > :30:55.government. We have to think about all aspects of education. How do you
:30:56. > :31:01.feel? It is not Danny Alexander lecturing you, it is me and I have
:31:02. > :31:05.gone to university and I will do my postgraduate in England and he did
:31:06. > :31:17.not answer my question. Why am I still thousands of pounds in debt?
:31:18. > :31:24.OK, let us head over... My name is Daniel, I am 20 and my problem is
:31:25. > :31:29.with the NHS. The Better Together campaign say that the NHS will be
:31:30. > :31:33.secure that way. But it has been leaked that it has started to be
:31:34. > :31:45.privatised and weathered a secure with no? `` will it still be secure.
:31:46. > :31:50.Would you like to go first? The answer is no, the NHS must continue
:31:51. > :31:56.to be a service provided free to anyone who uses it at the point of
:31:57. > :32:02.use, fully funded right taxpayer money and in the last 4.5 years we
:32:03. > :32:06.have increased NHS spending by 4%, by 1% in Scotland so it is a shame
:32:07. > :32:11.that money has not been passed on here but today in the newspapers we
:32:12. > :32:16.learned about plans from the SNP government the day after the
:32:17. > :32:21.referendum to announce another ?450 million of cuts in the NHS in
:32:22. > :32:25.Scotland and it is pretty striking that we have heard a lot of scare
:32:26. > :32:29.stories from the yes campaign about the NHS but what they are planning
:32:30. > :32:34.in secret is to do exactly what they don't want. That is hypocrisy. We
:32:35. > :32:42.should love and cherish the NHS and supported. You know, in Black and
:32:43. > :32:48.Whites, there is a bill brought forward by the government that Danny
:32:49. > :32:55.Alexander is a part of that 49% of the NHS, 49%, almost half of that,
:32:56. > :33:02.and they leave that 1% away from that, but 49% of the NHS could be
:33:03. > :33:08.privatised. I do not want this, if you don't believe me, take his
:33:09. > :33:14.colleague, Andy Burnham, who says that privatisation is happening at a
:33:15. > :33:17.pace in England and the NHS, like England, must always be free at the
:33:18. > :33:22.point of use and must remain in public hands and the way to do that
:33:23. > :33:30.is have a written constitution, in black and white, to say whatever the
:33:31. > :33:35.government, the NHS will always remain free and public at the point
:33:36. > :33:38.of use and the Westminster government gives a budget to the
:33:39. > :33:43.Scottish Parliament to spend and the budget on the NHS is directly a
:33:44. > :33:49.reflection of how much they spend in England. We know from Danny
:33:50. > :33:54.Alexander's collie, Andy Burnham, who says there have been cuts in two
:33:55. > :34:11.out of the last four years in England so let us not rely on the UK
:34:12. > :34:16.government to protect the NHS. I am from Glasgow, I'm 17 and my point is
:34:17. > :34:22.about defence. The reason is, I don't understand why my dad and
:34:23. > :34:26.grandfather and other members of my family have fought and died under
:34:27. > :34:30.the Union Jack to fight for this country to keep it maintained as the
:34:31. > :34:42.union, so wide that up when they have risk their lives? `` why make
:34:43. > :34:46.that up. Nobody should ever take away from the achievements of your
:34:47. > :34:51.family, my great`grandfather also fought in World War I but that is
:34:52. > :34:55.not what we are trying to do, we're not making ourselves off to drift
:34:56. > :35:00.off into the North Sea, we will be the best of our lies with the rest
:35:01. > :35:08.of the UK. I want our own defence force because I don't want to be
:35:09. > :35:11.part of illegal wars in Iraq that we have nothing to do with, I don't
:35:12. > :35:15.want to be part of illegal invasions when this country disagrees with it,
:35:16. > :35:22.yet our sons and daughters have to give up their life for a war based
:35:23. > :35:25.on the premise of a lie. For this country, we will maintain peace
:35:26. > :35:31.across the world and I want to break up... I look at this as empowerment
:35:32. > :35:35.for a Scottish people so where it makes sense to work with the UK on
:35:36. > :35:38.the international stage, we will do that but when it comes to making our
:35:39. > :35:42.own path and being known for peace and humanity, that is a great
:35:43. > :35:46.contribution that Scotland can make. If you want to fight in the army in
:35:47. > :36:00.the future, the Scottish defence force would love to have you. Well,
:36:01. > :36:04.if we got the yes vote on Friday, it would affect my plans for the
:36:05. > :36:09.future, as I was intending to join the RAF when I left school. I was
:36:10. > :36:15.wondering, what would happen with the Scottish army, the RAF and Navy?
:36:16. > :36:20.What are your plans? It is a great question and that is in the White
:36:21. > :36:26.Paper. It is a very long document. There are not any answers on it.
:36:27. > :36:41.Yes, you can slack it off if you want! The point is this, whatever we
:36:42. > :36:46.do with the Armed Forces, you will have a Naval base and an Air Force
:36:47. > :36:51.and barracks with 15,000 regular soldiers. When Ireland became
:36:52. > :36:56.independent, they could fight for the Irish or British army and we
:36:57. > :36:58.intend to give people the same choice, fight for the British or the
:36:59. > :37:04.Scottish defence force. You will have a choice. The difference is, I
:37:05. > :37:08.don't want Scottish soldiers to go into wars that are based on the
:37:09. > :37:14.premise of a lie, I want foreign policy based on good runcible is,
:37:15. > :37:17.humane principles, I want us to be peacekeepers and if you have any
:37:18. > :37:29.role to play with that, I hope we can play that in Scotland. `` good
:37:30. > :37:33.principles. I don't want my country to be drawn into illegal wars either
:37:34. > :37:37.and I am proud of the role that the Lib Dems played in standing up
:37:38. > :37:44.against the war in Iraq under the leadership of Charles Kennedy,
:37:45. > :37:47.another Scottish MP. But I also want Scotland to be part of a country
:37:48. > :37:50.that has a bigger voice in the world, that is a part of the UN
:37:51. > :37:54.Security Council, one of the big layers. One of the things I am
:37:55. > :37:59.proudest of is that we have increased the aid budget is of the
:38:00. > :38:02.UK is the second largest provider of international aid in the entire
:38:03. > :38:07.world and that is something that the Scots have influenced. We are one of
:38:08. > :38:13.the soft power superpowers and that is something we will step away from,
:38:14. > :38:17.we have achieved so much as the UK stepping up and speaking up for
:38:18. > :38:25.values and beliefs and we should not run away from that at. When it comes
:38:26. > :38:31.to the Scottish defence force, a number of people have raised
:38:32. > :38:34.questions about this. Eloise in the corner, she had a chance in the
:38:35. > :38:40.Scottish Parliament to ask both sides because she once a career in
:38:41. > :38:47.the Armed Forces. Certainly, she had a chance to as both sides and they
:38:48. > :38:52.answer those questions. You have heard the different views on how the
:38:53. > :38:54.armed forces would look in an independent Scotland and different
:38:55. > :38:59.experts have come out with different views. Going back to tuition fees, I
:39:00. > :39:04.certainly have looked into this over the last few months and I know this
:39:05. > :39:09.is a big issue for everybody here. There are several issues being
:39:10. > :39:15.brought up. This issue of charging English and Welsh students to come
:39:16. > :39:21.over the border is quite crucial. Actually, they would have to go to
:39:22. > :39:24.the EU and argue a special case for Scotland to allow that to continue
:39:25. > :39:32.but universities need that money, that revenue, to make sure that the
:39:33. > :39:36.best universities `` they can be the best universities they can be.
:39:37. > :39:42.Tuition fees for the rest of the UK students in Scotland are lower for
:39:43. > :39:44.the rest of the UK and the Scottish government has always made a pledge
:39:45. > :39:54.that tuition fees in Scotland would be free. Chris Smith? Things are
:39:55. > :40:05.heating up online also. Please keep getting in touch. On Twitter or
:40:06. > :40:08.Facebook. This is what is happening. People are starting to chat about
:40:09. > :40:15.this online, Dimbleby, no idea about that, Barry says we're not voting no
:40:16. > :40:20.to remain a Minoru too, were voting yes to become a nation. Paul was to
:40:21. > :40:26.say he cannot help but think there was trouble ahead as both sides are
:40:27. > :40:31.so passionate. Daryl wants to make a point about SNP education, why do we
:40:32. > :40:41.still have 33 children in a class, years ago they promised class sizes
:40:42. > :40:48.of 18. No faith they can deliver. Did the SNP break its promise? The
:40:49. > :40:50.point is, we want to invest in education and the difference of the
:40:51. > :40:56.other side at Westminster is they are making people and you only have
:40:57. > :41:01.to travel two miles to see tens of thousands queueing up at food banks.
:41:02. > :41:05.We want to use that money not our nuclear bombs or illegal wars, we
:41:06. > :41:10.want that for education and the NHS and the public services. Is he wrong
:41:11. > :41:15.about 33 kids? Ears in terms of the promise. Nonetheless, the point is,
:41:16. > :41:22.yes, do we want to do more? Absolutely. Let us spend the money
:41:23. > :41:31.on the people here instead of pocket money from Westminster that is
:41:32. > :41:34.cutting the budget. Phil says of Jewish and, where do the overheads
:41:35. > :41:41.for University, from? Who pays taxes? This is a graph of people
:41:42. > :41:50.using this... Lots of people getting involved. Let us hear from you. Only
:41:51. > :41:53.people in Scotland get the vote but there are reasons why people in
:41:54. > :41:56.England, Wales and Northern Ireland should care. What with the UK be
:41:57. > :42:04.called, what about the flag? I would not affect the UK's standing around
:42:05. > :42:09.the rest of the world. `` Highwood it perfect. `` Harlow would it
:42:10. > :43:09.perfect. We're lucky to have representatives
:43:10. > :43:17.from different parts of the UK with questions. Better start in the
:43:18. > :43:23.undecided camp. I am Matthew from the UK, of course! I am from London.
:43:24. > :43:27.I have travelled up to spend time with my fellow countrymen. Today is
:43:28. > :43:32.proof that young people are engaged in politics and this is a slap on
:43:33. > :43:40.the hand for anybody who says that we should not have the right to vote
:43:41. > :43:44.across the UK. The other issue about this is, opinion polls are something
:43:45. > :43:49.to believe in this debate, and if so, if the no camp does win, there
:43:50. > :43:54.is a serious issue that Westminster politicians need to consider, how
:43:55. > :43:59.can 49% of my fellow countrymen be so disillusioned from politicians
:44:00. > :44:04.that they do and want to be part of the union? If Scotland does vote no
:44:05. > :44:09.on Thursday, this should not be seen as a huge factory. This is an issue
:44:10. > :44:13.that is bigger than Scotland, it is for the north`east of England, where
:44:14. > :44:15.I have lived, added issue that Westminster politicians need to get
:44:16. > :44:25.in touch with people across the country. `` and it is an issue. I am
:44:26. > :44:28.from here in Northern Ireland and one of the things I think about this
:44:29. > :44:33.debate which we have been grateful for is that it shows that in
:44:34. > :44:36.Northern Ireland, the new model how we look at these questions and in
:44:37. > :44:40.Scotland we have a very mature debate about the economic 's and
:44:41. > :44:45.things like that and we have moved away from tribalism, which we have
:44:46. > :44:52.an issue with. The reason I with the yes camp is looking at the Republic
:44:53. > :44:57.of Ireland, when they left, the media in Britain said that the
:44:58. > :45:02.economy would go and the currency would go, but that has not happened.
:45:03. > :45:06.We had bad times but the economy of the Republic has grown and
:45:07. > :45:13.flourished and that has developed its own culture. As was said, the
:45:14. > :45:16.Republic got to write its own constitution based on its own values
:45:17. > :45:27.and principles and put them at the heart of the world stage, which is
:45:28. > :45:31.important for any country. I am from Manchester.
:45:32. > :45:40.In this referendum debate there have been cultural and political factors.
:45:41. > :45:45.First of all, culturally, there has been a sectarian message in Scotland
:45:46. > :45:50.that Scotland and the rest of the UK are different. We had 300 years of
:45:51. > :45:55.achievements together. We have political identity, there has been a
:45:56. > :46:00.message from people that Scotland rules by a government they did not
:46:01. > :46:07.elect. Manchester did not vote for conservative. Inner cities vote
:46:08. > :46:11.Labour. We did not vote for the Tories either. Should we be
:46:12. > :46:18.independent as well because we did not vote for this government? Would
:46:19. > :46:23.you like to pick up on that? I think that brings into question and entire
:46:24. > :46:28.new debate, that of regional authority. So much power has been
:46:29. > :46:33.given to Westminster in how I unitary system of government, but at
:46:34. > :46:37.the same time people across the UK should have the powers to decide
:46:38. > :46:45.what is best for the local regions and governments. I think that is a
:46:46. > :46:53.very valid point. A federal UK would have Scotland, Wales, north`east,
:46:54. > :46:56.Wales, London, wherever else. But you need the United Kingdom, the
:46:57. > :47:03.broad shoulders, to deal with the more difficult economic issues, a
:47:04. > :47:06.powerful economy that can solve things, because each of those
:47:07. > :47:14.regions cannot solve everything on its own. It is a very important
:47:15. > :47:18.point to make and the Republic and Ireland as a whole has had a long
:47:19. > :47:23.history with the United Kingdom. The thing is, you are not rewriting
:47:24. > :47:27.history, you are creating a new future. The history and links are
:47:28. > :47:34.still there and it is about stepping forward on your own. History is not
:47:35. > :47:44.everything. Picking up on Matthew's point from earlier, come Friday you
:47:45. > :47:49.potentially have a country that does not feel part of it. How do you
:47:50. > :47:54.unite that half, those people who were in the opposing camp, make them
:47:55. > :48:01.feel part of this country whatever the result? I agree with a lot of
:48:02. > :48:04.what Matthew said. Having 16 and 17`year`olds having the vote is
:48:05. > :48:10.something we should do in every election, not just this referendum.
:48:11. > :48:15.Some of the best debates I have been involved with have been with young
:48:16. > :48:18.people debating this referendum. Whatever the result of the
:48:19. > :48:22.referendum it is important that both sides respect the result, respect
:48:23. > :48:26.those who made the decision to vote the opposite way and get on to make
:48:27. > :48:31.the best of the country. From my point of view, I hope there is a no
:48:32. > :48:34.vote and if there is, the first thing to do will be to deliver more
:48:35. > :48:43.powers, extra devolution for Scotland will stop the change being
:48:44. > :48:48.offered now should be maintained. Keeping that on track to make sure
:48:49. > :48:51.we have a stronger Scottish parliament and within the federal
:48:52. > :48:56.United Kingdom, if we can deliver that, I think we will satisfy most
:48:57. > :48:59.people. I think most people in Scotland want more powers for
:49:00. > :49:04.Scotland but within the safety and security we get from being part of
:49:05. > :49:10.one United Kingdom. What about that question of unity? Unity and
:49:11. > :49:14.identity are two important points. I don't like the use of the word
:49:15. > :49:20.sectarian on the identity issue, I think it has been removed from the
:49:21. > :49:23.debate. In my example, my father from Pakistan, my mother from
:49:24. > :49:30.Kenya, one grandfather from India and another from somewhere else. My
:49:31. > :49:39.grandchildren, it don't knows what that will be. Identity is fluid. If
:49:40. > :49:43.the result is the way I wanted to go, the first thing we have to do is
:49:44. > :49:47.reach out to those on the nose side the first thing Alex Salmond has
:49:48. > :49:52.said is that he wants all additions from the no side to be part of team
:49:53. > :49:56.Scotland, negotiating on their behalf if we are independent. We
:49:57. > :50:02.have to make sure of the outcome that debate. If the result is not
:50:03. > :50:06.the way I wanted to do, first of all I will cry, but then I expect there
:50:07. > :50:10.will be a reaching out from the nose side to the yes side. Politics in
:50:11. > :50:14.Scotland will never be the same again. We had an engagement that has
:50:15. > :50:19.lit the fuse the like of which we will never see again. In terms of
:50:20. > :50:25.facing the problem is that the North of England has, that region has been
:50:26. > :50:31.completely neglected by London and Westminster. Scotland is not only
:50:32. > :50:36.has a chance to do something about it, but if Scotland games
:50:37. > :50:40.independence, the North of England will have a chance of no longer
:50:41. > :50:44.being ignored. They will say that if Scotland is managing to have free
:50:45. > :50:48.education, protecting the NHS, running their repairs to the best
:50:49. > :50:54.outcome of the ordinary people, then why in the hell is Westminster not
:50:55. > :51:03.doing the same for people of Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds
:51:04. > :51:07.Bradford and so on. I'm Kirsty, 19 and a student from Glasgow. I really
:51:08. > :51:12.dislike how much aggression this whole referendum has caused between
:51:13. > :51:16.both sides. It means I don't speak to my friends about this because I
:51:17. > :51:22.know we will fall out. I really hate how divided the whole country has
:51:23. > :51:27.become. Would it be fair that on Thursday, should we vote yes with a
:51:28. > :51:31.small majority, would that be fair for the small majority of yes to
:51:32. > :51:37.cause complete change to Scotland, whereas if the same result was for a
:51:38. > :51:40.no vote it would result in devo max which would give change is accepted
:51:41. > :51:44.by both sides and everyone would appreciate it and would like it.
:51:45. > :51:55.Would that be fair to totally change on such a small majority of votes? I
:51:56. > :51:59.agree that the aggression that has come from both sides in some areas
:52:00. > :52:05.has been terrible, but it is important to remember that does not
:52:06. > :52:09.reflect on the better together campaign or the yes Scotland
:52:10. > :52:13.campaign. I have had things thrown at me, I have been dragged by large
:52:14. > :52:19.men. I've had a terrible time. I'm sure other people have as well. My
:52:20. > :52:24.best friend is a Lib Dem supporter and she is very much for no thanks.
:52:25. > :52:29.I clearly don't have very good taste! But it has been divisive in
:52:30. > :52:34.some areas. You talk about having such a small majority of votes. In
:52:35. > :52:42.an independent Scotland we always get the government we vote for so
:52:43. > :52:46.every single person's voice is heard. Even people who voted no
:52:47. > :52:51.would get their policies and wishes reflected. This is not a vote for a
:52:52. > :52:58.separated country and people. It is a vote for democracy. Can you say we
:52:59. > :53:09.get the government we vote for when only half of Scotland voted for the
:53:10. > :53:15.SNP? Just now in the Westminster government we have... We use first
:53:16. > :53:23.past the post in the general elections... Will you let me
:53:24. > :53:31.answer... In the Scottish parliament we use a different system for local
:53:32. > :53:40.and Scottish elections. We have a mixture between first past the post
:53:41. > :53:44.and the alternative vote. It is proportional representation. That is
:53:45. > :53:48.how we vote, we have a more democratic system in Scotland
:53:49. > :53:56.through electoral systems. That is fact. The Scottish people, less than
:53:57. > :54:01.50% might have voted... More than 50% might have voted for the SNP, it
:54:02. > :54:05.might not have been a majority, but the small minority that voted for
:54:06. > :54:10.Tory in Scotland is a complete and utter... It is a disgrace we are
:54:11. > :54:14.ruled by a government we did not vote for. We have one Tory MP in
:54:15. > :54:21.Scotland. We are not reflective of their policies. We do not want their
:54:22. > :54:25.taxes, further welfare reform, the denationalisation of the Royal mail.
:54:26. > :54:29.Scotland voted against these policies in high numbers, but our
:54:30. > :54:34.wishes as a country were not reflected. This should be a
:54:35. > :54:37.democratic system. The only way we are allowed a democratic system is
:54:38. > :54:40.if the Scottish people make the choices for Scottish politics and
:54:41. > :54:44.they are the best people because they are the people who have to live
:54:45. > :54:54.in this country and they should be making the decisions. Such passion,
:54:55. > :55:01.Chris Smith. Plenty of passion online as well. The debate we are
:55:02. > :55:05.having here being mirrored online. This is a word cloud of what people
:55:06. > :55:09.are saying. You can see the same things we are talking about here in
:55:10. > :55:12.the studio are mirrored online. We have a trend map showing people all
:55:13. > :55:39.over the UK using that hashtag. Sam wants to know what will happen
:55:40. > :55:47.to the monarchy if Scotland gets independence. Wide as pro`Scotland
:55:48. > :55:57.have to descend into anti`England? I hope the attitude improves. `` why
:55:58. > :56:01.does. One of the important issues coming out of the debate is identity
:56:02. > :56:06.which we have touched on briefly. From next week, how would being
:56:07. > :56:12.Scottish feel different? From being here tonight and what we have talked
:56:13. > :56:14.about so far, as anybody's mind changed, Suede, questioned? Raise
:56:15. > :56:35.your hand if it has stopped, I am now more no. I have definitely
:56:36. > :56:43.gone more towards the yes campaign. Was there anything specific? I think
:56:44. > :56:48.what they are proposing sounds like a great Scotland to live in but my
:56:49. > :56:52.only issue is, would you raise taxes to live in it? If you said yes, I
:56:53. > :56:55.would personally pay more if it meant more education for those in
:56:56. > :57:01.disadvantaged areas, but you have not said how you will do it? Would
:57:02. > :57:14.she have to pay more tax? Yes or no will stop. Spend ?500 million less
:57:15. > :57:20.on defence, we would not be paying for a portion of the nuclear Trident
:57:21. > :57:25.missiles, ?100 billion. We would not be sending Danny Alexander to
:57:26. > :57:33.Westminster any more. We would make savings and cuts, but not in places
:57:34. > :57:37.like education. Danny Alexander. I'm afraid the numbers don't add up and
:57:38. > :57:41.it is pie in the sky from the Nationalists. We know from the
:57:42. > :57:44.independent analyses being done that with oil revenues going down and
:57:45. > :57:48.costs going up, the one thing you can be certain of in an independent
:57:49. > :57:55.Scotland is bigger cuts, quickly, taxes going up for everybody just to
:57:56. > :58:00.maintain services at a lower level. If what you want to do is protect
:58:01. > :58:04.public services and invest in the NHS, if you want to have
:58:05. > :58:07.opportunities for young people, you have to keep the UK together because
:58:08. > :58:15.that is the only way we will have those resources. We do not have
:58:16. > :58:20.long, can you keep it brief. I came in here with a really open mind
:58:21. > :58:24.today and I would like to have been swayed by either side. But the yes
:58:25. > :58:29.vote has taken it for me. More power to the people. A lady with a
:58:30. > :58:39.microphone over there. What did you want to say? Stand up. I am not
:58:40. > :58:44.changing my vote at all but what I have changed my mind on, when I came
:58:45. > :58:48.tonight I believe that under 18 's should be allowed to vote but going
:58:49. > :58:56.by a lot of what I have heard from under 18 's tonight, it appears that
:58:57. > :59:00.not a lot have many clear understandings of paying taxes and
:59:01. > :59:04.having jobs. I think if some of the under 18`year`olds would be
:59:05. > :59:06.threatened with losing their jobs, they would have a much higher worry
:59:07. > :59:20.of being independent. I think it is fair to say that there
:59:21. > :59:24.are still people undecided, people swaying each way. It is amazing to
:59:25. > :59:28.hear such a vocal crowd of people at such a young age. It has been
:59:29. > :59:39.brilliant. Please keep chatting online. Thank you so much for
:59:40. > :59:46.listening and watching. Thank you to all you guys for making this an
:59:47. > :59:48.incredible debate. Thank you to our guests and all of you. Good luck on
:59:49. > :00:06.Thursday. On the eve of the final day
:00:07. > :00:09.of campaigning,