Scottish independence: Jon Snow would be "sorry to lose Scotland" VETERAN broadcaster Jon Snow has said he would be "sorry to lose Scotland" if it became independent. Speaking ahead of a public lecture in Glasgow with First Minister Alex Salmond, Mr Snow said he fears he will have to apply for a visa to visit Scottish friends. He said Mr Salmond has evolved over the years from a "not very spectacular politician" to an accomplished leader. "He is an accomplished politician, without question," he said. He used to be a Westminster politician, and not a very spectacular one but he's a different guy now. I think there has been a change. After all he was one of a small number of SNP MPs at Westminster and now he leads a government. He added: "I'm not a nationalist, but I'm open to persuasion one way or another. I would be sorry to lose Scotland. A lot of my friends are Scottish. I come up here and I don't want to have to get a visa. Independence is a fantastically raked over subject in Scotland, but in London it's hardly ever talked about. The Channel 4 newsreader also said he is uncertain what the publicly owned broadcaster's role would be in an independent Scotland. Mr Salmond has said he would like a larger share of the BBC licence fee under independence to create more Scottish content, but the fate of Channel 4 is unknown. Mr Snow said: "Of the many questions one wants to know up here that is one of them, and I have no idea. It would be a bit self interested of me to ask though, there are bigger questions.