54% of Scottish voters. 

 Much less will vote for independence,hence Salmond is scared to ask a simple yes/no question.

Alex Salmond`s 2014 Scottish referendum question:

Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?

Yes or No. 

Well he's changed his tune,no surprise.

Fine tuning, essential on such an important question and welcomed, surely? 

Great politician.

Just ask Paxman  

Sorry for the man that hears the pipes that wasnae born in Scotland 

can you tell I watched The Red Beret this afternoon? 

He put his gas at a peep...no bother 

Well if he wasn't up Murdochs arse same as the rest of them(when it suits Murdoch) I might have had a smidgeon of respect,but he gives Murdoch a glowing testimonial in todays new Sun (Yea I picked it up and read the edit page).put it back though. politicians they are all the bloody same.No wonder so many folk don't vote.

Is there a link to this "glowing testimonial" ? I can`t find it...

Found this...

Scottish Independence Referendum Date Claimed By Sun On Sunday As October 18th 2014

Earlier this week the newspaper's owner Rupert Murdoch appeared to hint at support for Scottish independence on the social network service Twitter.

The tycoon, head of News Corporation, tweeted: "Let Scotland go and compete. Everyone would win."

It follows a tweet last Saturday in which he said: "Alex Salmond clearly most brilliant politician in U.K. Gave Cameron back of his hand this week. Loved by Scots."

News Corporation is parent company of News International, which runs The Sun and The Times newspapers.

The Sun newspaper, owned by News International, switched from outright opposition to the SNP before the 2007 election to support for the party at the election last May.

First Minister Alex Salmond spoke with Mr Murdoch this week.

A spokesman for the First Minister said Mr Salmond called Mr Murdoch to discuss his new newspaper, The Sun on Sunday, and said they also talked about the tweet.

Mr Salmond said: "It was an interesting eight words: a textbook example of how to deploy a tweet and cause a great stir.

"We are in a debate in Scotland and internationally about Scotland's future, and I welcome all contributions to the debate, including Mr Murdoch's."

Salmond's been sucking up to Murdoch for years.

http://www.scotsman.com/scotla..._courtship_1_2139337

"Last year, the publication of a series of letters exposed the lengths to which Salmond was prepared to go to curry the favour of a man widely regarded as a kingmaker. Not only did he offer him tickets to see Black Watch in New York and tickets for the Ryder Cup, he asked him to be guest of honour at The Gathering, the cultural centrepiece of the Year of Homecoming, offering Sky the rights to film the spectacle (although Murdoch only once replied to his letters and never accepted the hospitality)."

Thank you Eugene.The irony is his "English" version of the Sun is full of anti Scottish vitriol by his leading columnists,maybe he thinks  up here we don't access the English version.

Right enough politics from me now.

It was the same thing when The Sun "supported" the SNP in the 1992 election: while the Scottish edition was full of SNP stories, the English edition stayed pro-Tory/anti-Labour. It was pretty obvious that Murdoch knew the Tories were dead in Scotland, and was looking to the SNP to reduce the number of Labour seats. The mask finally dropped on election day when the Scottish edition also carried the notorious Kinnock-lightbulb cover...

Indeed Eugene...."Tartan Tories"  legs it...

Indeed Eugene...."Tartan Tories"  legs it...

Swapped the politics for comedy there katty!  

"Sucking up" as you put it Eugene, could also be regarded as playing it clever..watching your back...better the devil you know...

Alex Salmond is nobody`s fool. He knows exactly what he`s doing. And what he does is ALL for the people of Scotland. 

he's still a spud heid!

Did he only have the interests of the Scottish people in mind when he accepted £75,000 from Murdoch to write a column in the News of the World over a 5-year period?

You only had to listen to his Desert Island choice of music.

I don`t believe he`s the only politician to earn a few bob outside of their day job. Unless it`s illegal, I don`t see the problem. 

Yea scotty but come on murdoch! spits...

Of course there isn't a problem - but please: let's not portray him as some selfless servant for the cause. He's a career politician with a personal agenda like all the others. He pretty-much abandoned the Party in Scotland during that period when he was on the NotW.

Let's also not forget that when Murdoch describes Salmond as "the most brilliant politician in the UK", he's talking about an ex-employee...

I totally agree. I'm such an old fashioned cynic though. My view is that only lightweights such as Clegg, Salmond, and Griffin go for the small parties. Scotland has produced some fantastic MPs over the years, Kier Hardie (west Ham), Major Eric Joyce, GG, Robin Cook, and Alistair Darling. If we lose them, then those of us south of the border, with a left of centre bent are knackered. 

joe the brilliant labour leader ...alas he was cut short in life...the Tories were scared of him,a brilliant man! sadly missed..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_%28Labour_Party_leader%29

I'm a Socialist always will be no matter what.

Joe, Scottish education used to be the best,alas it's going downhill now..

I didn't know that katty. What a shame. They wouldn't accept my marks from Germany (although Germany was way ahead of England at least), so I did some Highers after I moved to Scotland, great teachers, brought the best out of me anyway.

Me too katty - so I have issues about voting Labour since Blair realigned the party .

Cologne it was great I  got my highers ,well in English and Art! Anyhoo,in the seventies,God knows what it's like now.

I know....itches...

I credit you with the fact that everyone in my house now refers to him as Mr Potato Head. (or in my case, Tattie Heid)

Me, too.  I'm very much 'Old' Labour and miss the likes of Tony Benn, Michael Foot etc

Still good quality .. and no tuition fees !

Joe, do you mean that England and Wales would be stuck with the Tories if Scots voted for independence?