Well said - v sensible.

Firstly let me apologise for posting on a topic which should actually be on the link relating to "The Queen of England".....but seeing as I can get in first and its Mr Salmond himself's letter....well I'm taking the advantage.......

Please Alex do not even think about retaining the monarchy in Scotland.....are you kidding....on the one hand the SNP claim to be a forward looking party who want to leave the past behind.....but then they want to retain the biggest democratic anachronism of the failed United Kingdom...the monarchy........... We should start afresh....if we want a tittular head why don't we have a president similar to the Republic of Ireland.....at least then we will all have a chance to vote and not have these parasites forced upon us............

For the record most people in the SNP would probably think of themselves as republicans...

If the SNP should be in coalition with the Lib Dems, then there are sure to be members of that coalition executive who are arguing for delay, and there might be members of the SNP prepared to go along with them for the sake of getting into and staying in government. Alex Salmond says that the SNP's intention would be to hold a referendum on independence "within the four-year term of government". But even that allows for the possibility of delay. Please note that Independence First, the single-issue, non-party-political, campaign for a referendum on independence for Scotland (www.independence1st.com) , is demanding a referendum on independence as our democratic right of self-determination, never before exercised at any time in history, and long overdue NOW. This demand has been put to the present executive and will be pressed by our campaign with increasing vigour on WHOEVER should be in government in Scotland after May.

Is this the same Salmond who had one of the highest MP's expenses claims? The one who when he had it pointed out said that he would get somebody to look into it? We are still waiting for the result of thst looking into. Seems like Salmond can't run his own office, never mind the country. However, that was what caused the downfall of McLeish wasn't it?

Karen 3. Maybe you are right about SNP members. Their supporters may be entirely different.
In Lanarkshire, the areas that elect SNP councillors are also those who, bizarrely, consummate their love of the constitutional status quo, by decking their streets with unionist bunting on the days of strange parades of Irish origin in July and August.

Referendum for Independence now.