UK government willing to share BBC with independent Scotland
The UK government is willing to negotiate with an independent Scotland over shared resources such as the BBC and National Lottery, chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has conceded.
Speaking to the guardian Alexander said that such issues were a matter of negotiation, saying: “I'm very sceptical about such proposals but clearly if Scotland votes yes and there are negotiations, these are things that they can put forward. I'm sure that [the Scottish government] would put them forward.”
The future make-up of broadcast television north of the border has become a hot potato in the independence debate after former Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested that Scots would be unable to view popular shows such as Dr Who and EastEnders without paying a hefty fee.
The Department of Culture Media and Sport insists that there are still no guarantees that Scotland would retain access but the SNP have already seized on the remarks as ‘really encouraging’.