Review: St Andrews Scottish Independence Debate

On Tuesday, 29th April, a debate concerning Scotland’s future and the upcoming September referendum took place in the Buchanan Lecture Theatre. The debate was a collaborative event, merging the efforts of the Conservative, Labour, The Better Together Campaign and St Andrews Students for Independence. Proceedings began at 7pm, and the debate consisted of six panellists, chaired by the University Proctor, Professor Lorna Milne. The speakers were:

 On the ‘Yes’ side: 

1        Dr Alex Wool, born in East Sussex and currently a member of our very own School of History. He won the Saltire Award in 2008, and has appeared on Radio 4 speaking on the merits of Scottish independence.

2        Michael Gray graduated from Glasgow University and is the head of Business for Scotland

3        Susan Stewart is a member of Women for Independence and is an alumna of St Andrews. She was formerly a diplomat, representing Scotland in international affairs.

On the ‘No’ side:

1        Mark Hogarth is the brand consultant for Harris Tweed, whilst also being a ‘qualified journalist’. He worked as a parliamentary researcher for the Labour Party between 2001 and 2003.

2        Kathy Wiles studied law in Dundee and has worked for The Scottish Office, focusing on urban regeneration and has worked in higher education for 13 years. In 2010, she started her own business in Dundee.

3        Cllr Tim Brett is a Liberal Democrat has been a group leader at Fife Council since 2003. His primary concern resides with health and social care. He has lived in Fife for 28 years.

It was a public debate, allowing members of the wider public to attend. Questions from the floor and subsequent discussion included:

“Would an independent Scotland have more or less influence in the world?”

The overall view was that Scotland has a lot to offer internationally. Discussion arose whether it was a positive or negative thing for Scotland and the UK to ‘punch above its weight’.

“What would happen to university tuition fees and research funding if Scotland were to gain independence?”

This question caught the attention of the students in the audience, but the discussion featured a variety of issues that would affect universities, including whether English students would have to pay tuition fees as a member of the EU and the topic of UK research institutions. There was disagreement concerning the legibility of Scottish universities’ access to potential funds from the UK research institutions. Susan Stewart acknowledged that this would be a difficult issue and told us ‘to watch this space’.

“Could Scotland support itself financially if it were to gain independence?”

The debate at times was feisty but the general consensus was that the debate would not pivot on economic matters. Cllr Brett, despite being of the opinion that Scotland would be Better Together, stated that it would be absurd to argue that an independent Scotland could not support itself financially. Questions concerning the currency of an independent Scotland were not addressed.

For the most part, the impassioned audience seemed to favour the ‘Yes’ vote, although there was fervent debate amongst panellists and audience members themselves, and on several occasions the chair was forced to intervene. There were a few technical flaws with a lack of microphones for the speakers and a constant distracting high-pitched ring. However, a collaborative event bringing pressing issues to St Andrews is always a positive thing.

Bring on September!