David Cameron turns down Scottish First Minister’s TV debate offer

British Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister’s call for a live television debate as Scotland prepares for a referendum on independence next year.

In a response to repeated calls by the Scottish First Minister for the debate, David Cameron said the issue was a matter for “Scots living in Scotland”.

The Prime Minister is the most senior politician who opposes Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. In a bid to endorse the “No” camp, Cameron proposed that the former Labour Chancellor, Alistair Darling, lead the campaign against growing number of Scots who are joining the “Yes” camp.

“I understand why you might wish to pursue a diversionary tactic. It is a convenient means of deflecting attention away from the real issues,” Cameron said in a letter to Salmond.

This comes as a report by an influential committee of MPs warned earlier this week that the UK’s security will be undermined if Scots vote for independence next year.

The Defence Select Committee said in the report that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is failing to prepare the ground for an independent Scotland.

It warned the UK government against the implications a “yes” vote in the referendum might create and demanded that the government provide more information to voters about such possible implications.

Among other issues, the committee’s report highlighted the danger a “yes” vote poses to the UK’s nuclear arsenal, including submarine-based nuke missile system, which is based in Scotland.

“The possibility of Scottish independence represents a serious threat to the future operational viability of the UK’s nuclear deterrent,” the report warned of the impact of independence.

“The UK government must now give urgent consideration to contingency options in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote,” it said.

Britain as one of only five officially recognised nuke-armed countries, has 4 submarines capable of carrying nuke missiles. These include the Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance, whose bases are in deep-water lochs along the west coast of Scotland.