THE UK should not have nuclear weapons, student tuition should be free and the House of Lords should abolished, according to the results of an Evening Times survey.

 

Day two of our survey of 650 people across Glasgow and the west of Scotland asked opinion on three of the hot topics in the election campaign across the UK.

Yesterday we reported how more than half of people admitted they didn't know who their MP was and three quarters were unaware of their constituency MSP, while more than eight out of ten did not trust politicians in general.

One of the high profile issues in the election campaign in Scotland, as it was in the referendum last year, is Trident and the UK government plans to spend £100billion on renewing the submarine based missile system.

Today our results show, when asked should Britain have nuclear weapons, 70% said no with 30% in favour of keeping the deterrent.

Of the 612 who answered this question, 429 were opposed to nukes in Britain, with just 183 in favour.

The SNP have said they want rid of nuclear weapons on the Clyde and oppose the renewal of Trident.

Labour leader Jim Murphy and Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson have both said they want a world free of nuclear weapons, but want to negotiate with other world powers to reduce and eliminate the weapons over time, while preventing other states from acquiring them.

Trident, while an issue before the election, could become even more important after if it's a hung parliament and the SNP support is required for a Labour Queen's Speech.

Last month a large demonstration took place in George Square against nuclear weapons

Nicola Sturgeon addressed the rally stating "People ask me, if we are in discussion with Labour is Trident a red line issue?

"The simple answer is you better believe Trident is a red line issue."

With the Tories and Labour both in favour of renewing Trident SNP opposition could be meaningless.

However later in the campaign Ms Sturgeon told the Evening Times that the SNP could encourage those in other parties opposed to Trident to join it in a vote against renewal.

She said: "There are many people on the Labour benches who wouldn't vote for Trident. That's what politics in a minority parliament is all about."

Last year a CND poll of Labour prospective parliamentary candidates found 75% would not vote to renew Trident.

Mr Murphy's view was that in an uncertain world you can't give up the weapons alone. During the campaign he told the Evening Times: "I want a world free of nuclear weapons. The last Labour government cut the number of warheads more than any other country in the world.

"There are two views on this. Either you negotiate them away or you give them up. I would rather negotiate them away

We asked people across the city and in our wider readership area in the west of Scotland a series of questions.

The survey is not intended to be a scientific or representative of the population but the views of people chosen at random.

We also asked should students pay tuition fees. We found overwhelmingly people were opposed to fees being imposed with 88% saying no compared to 12% in favour of people contributing to the cost of their education.

Higher education fees have been free in Scotland since 2008, but in England students are charged up to £9000 a year. The SNP say this is one key issue where they differ from the other parties. Labour states it wants to maintain free education in Scotland and in England wants to reduce to £6000 a year.

Of the 629 who answered our question on fees, 552 said no and just 77, the lowest of our overall survey, said yes, students should pay fees.