No Clear Winner as Scots Debate Independence
By STEPHEN CASTLE

LONDON — Despite fierce, sometimes angry, exchanges, a televised debate on Scottish independence from the rest of Britain failed to produce a decisive victor late Tuesday, a little more than six weeks before Scots vote.

Opinion polls indicate that Scots will reject independence on Sept. 18, making the two-hour confrontation particularly important for the leader of the campaign for independence, Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, who has a reputation as a talented debater. Most commentators suggested, however, that he had not produced a knockout punch during the exchange with the leader of the campaign to keep the union, Alistair Darling. A Scottish newspaper, The Scotsman, declared online that a “fiery debate” had produced “no clear winner.” Each side proclaimed itself happy with the outcome.

Little new information emerged, with both speakers sticking to entrenched positions, but Mr. Darling performed better than many had expected, perhaps benefiting from being the underdog. Mr. Darling, a Scot, was chancellor of the Exchequer in the last Labour government in Britain.

In several exchanges, Mr. Salmond argued that Scotland was being run by political parties in London that Scots did not support. Mr. Darling focused on the uncertainty surrounding independence, including the issue of which currency it would use. Mr. Salmond says Scots will continue to use the pound, but the three main British political parties have said that they do not want a currency union.

Mr. Salmond argued that it was Scotland’s pound “as well as England’s pound,” while Mr. Darling suggested that keeping the pound after independence would be “a bit like getting a divorce and keeping the same joint bank account.”

Mr. Darling said that any 8-year old could name a country’s flag, its capital and its currency but that Mr. Salmond could not give clear answers about what money an independent Scotland would use.

The reaction of the 350-strong studio audience seemed to judge Mr. Darling the winner of that exchange. Mr. Salmond, however, appeared to get the better of another, in which he repeatedly asked Mr. Darling whether he agreed with a comment made by the British prime minister, David Cameron, who opposes independence, in which he nevertheless suggested that Scotland would be able to manage as a successful independent country if that were the path it chose. Mr. Darling did not give a direct response.

There were also impassioned exchanges over the issue of Scotland’s representation within Britain, with Mr. Salmond arguing that “for more than half of my life, Scotland has been governed by parties that we didn’t elect at Westminster,” referring to the government in London.

Mr. Darling responded that this was the outcome of democracy and that he had never voted for Mr. Salmond, who is the head of Scotland’s government. Mr. Salmond countered that he had won a majority in Scotland.

The debate was telecast in Scotland by STV, an independent channel. Although available online in the rest of Britain, technical problems prevented many from watching, provoking angry comments online. The BBC plans to televise a second debate at the end of the month.

Only those living in Scotland may vote in the referendum in September, and Mr. Cameron has cited that reason for refusing to debate Mr. Salmond, leaving the task to Mr. Darling.

蘇格蘭統獨辯論 首登大銀幕

蘇格蘭公投將在六周後舉行，統、獨雙方代表的首場電視辯論會後，媒體民調顯示主張獨立的蘇格蘭政府首長薩蒙德敗給反對獨立的英國前財長達林超過十個百分點，其中，薩蒙德無法明確提出蘇格蘭獨立後的貨幣問題被認為是一大關鍵。

蘇格蘭預計九月十八日舉行獨立公投，五日在蘇格蘭的格拉斯哥舉行首場電視辯論會，兩小時的辯論，雙方激烈交鋒。

薩蒙德以最近在格拉斯哥舉行的國際運動會為例，參賽的七十一個國家中，有四十九個國家面積跟蘇格蘭差不多或更小，此外，歐盟廿八國中，至少十二個國家跟蘇格蘭差不多大或更小，強調蘇格蘭絕對有獨立的條件。

薩蒙德還重砲抨擊說，蘇格蘭目前有數千個兒童及他們的家庭依賴慈善食物庫救助，英國政府花在維護核子武器上的金錢數量令人髮指；他堅持，沒有任何人比生活、工作在蘇格蘭的人更能管理蘇格蘭。

達林除表示不願任孩子的未來陷入一場賭局，為了愛家、愛國，一定要對蘇格蘭獨立說不。他並多次追問一旦蘇格蘭獨立，未來要使用何種貨幣？

達林說，任何一個八歲的孩子都可以說出自己國家的國旗、首都和使用的貨幣，蘇格蘭若獨立，國旗、首都幾乎不會有爭議，但是否繼續使用英鎊、還是有其他方案？達林在辯論會上多次追問，但薩蒙德都未提出明確答案。

今天出爐的媒體民調多顯示薩蒙德表現不如達林，英國衛報委託的民調機構對超過五百名蘇格蘭民眾所進行的調查顯示，百分之五十六的人認為達林贏得辯論，只有百分之四十四認為薩蒙德表現好。

蘇格蘭電視台 (STV)的民調仍有五成四的民意反對獨立，只有四成支持獨立。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/world/europe/no-clear-winner-as-scots-debate-independence.html

Video：On Sept. 18, Scotland is scheduled to vote on seceding from Britain. We take a look at the issues at stake for the Scottish people..
http://nyti.ms/1ospG0J

2014-08-07．聯合報．布魯塞爾記者蕭白雪