Scottish independence: Students give their views

By Greg Dawson
Newsbeat reporter A Rangers fan showing off his union flag tattoo

The campaign calling for Scotland to be made independent from the rest of the UK is being launched today (25 May).

The Scottish Nationalist Party is planning to hold a national vote on the matter in autumn 2014.

As well as nationalists, the campaign is also being backed by The Green Party in Scotland.

Scotland already has its own parliament which makes decisions on issues like health and education.

However, the government in Westminster still decides on things like defence and most taxes.

They key thing for most voters in this debate is whether Scotland can afford to completely go it alone and cut off the supply of taxpayers' money from the rest of the UK.

Nationalists argue the economy would do better and would claim the right to most of the oil from the North Sea and much of its gas too.

Newsbeat spoke to young voters at Anniesland College in Glasgow.

Stephen Dow

"If we broke away I don't think we'd be able to support ourselves. We've got the North Sea oil and we export whisky but that isn't going to be enough to keep us going.

"The funding we do get from down south goes into the millions every year. I think if we broke away from that there would be a lot of financial downfall.

"With economies struggling around the world, it's too big a risk for Scotland to take to try and break away on its own. The idea of Britain as a whole is a more solid thing to have."

Martin Graham

"I think it's a great idea. I don't think being part of Britain does any good for Scotland.

"With the oil we could supply ourselves, we'd make more money and there would be more jobs.

"At the minute it feels like people in England have got a better deal with jobs.

"I'm Scottish through and through and through and I just don't want to be part of Britain. I don't feel British."

Craig Gallagher

"Things have worked well the way they are so I just think we should all stay together as part of the UK.

"It's a big risk for Scotland and I don't think we're strong enough to survive on our own.

"Plus all the major English companies that have set up business in Scotland could pull out and that would harm our economy."

Thomas Finnegan

"I feel it would give us more freedom being separate from the United Kingdom.

"It would just be better if all of our issues get decided in a Scottish Parliament, with nothing decided in London.

"When decisions are made in Westminster I feel like we don't get told much, we don't really know what's happening."