This referendum is the biggest choice in Scotland’s history. Do we stay in the United Kingdom, and take advantage of the security and opportunity that offers us, or do we leave and become a separate, independent state?
There are many who, for honest reasons, are tempted to give independence a try. But this is not a general election where we can change our mind in four years. If we decide to leave the UK, it would be forever and there would be no going back.
We can have the best of both words for Scotland. It is what the majority of Scots want – more powers for Scotland without taking on all of the risks of independence.
The people of Scotland deserve honest answers to basic questions. There is no question more basic than currency. Every eight year old can name the capital, the flag, and the currency of a country.
I presume, should we leave the United Kingdom, our capital would still be Edinburgh and our flag the Saltire, but Alex Salmond cannot tell us what our currency would be. His assertion that a separate Scotland would create a Eurozone style currency union with the rest of the United Kingdom would not happen.
"Alex Salmond cannot tell us what our currency would be. His assertion that a separate Scotland would create a Eurozone style currency union with the rest of the United Kingdom would not happen"
It has been ruled out by everyone who would be involved in the decision on sound economic grounds. It would not work for Scotland, and it would not work for the rest of the United Kingdom.
The nationalists need a Plan B on currency I have asked repeatedly for it. The people of Scotland have asked for it. But no answer has been forthcoming. Plan A on currency is a dishonest shambles. Plan B simply does not exist.
The money we would use if we vote for independence isn’t an academic matter, it is critical to everyone in Scotland. It determines the value of our pensions and savings, the value of our wages, mortgages and rents.
It will determine how expensive our shopping and energy bills would be. It could not be more important for Scotland. On this simple, but absolutely fundamental, question about setting up a separate state, Alex Salmond has no credible answers.
As polling day approaches, the nationalists are running out of answers and running out of time. Their desperation surfaced in the worst of scare stories. Their claim that our NHS in Scotland would be privatised in the event of a 'no' vote is simply not true. This scare story is beneath contempt. In Scotland the NHS is fully devolved to the Scottish parliament, but the funding for it is protected by pooling and sharing our resource across the UK population of 63 million rather than just five million.
The clear and present danger to the NHS in Scotland is Alex Salmond and Alex Salmond alone. Only he can privatise it, and his plans for separation would put it in danger.
Independence would bring austerity plus to our public services in Scotland. The experts at the institute of fiscal studies have calculated that a separate Scotland would face €7.6bn in either public spending cuts or tax rises.
This amount is half of our NHS budget in Scotland. I will not risk it on the assertions of a man who cannot give straight answers to basic questions. That is a huge risk to our public services, with no compelling case from the nationalists to persuade us to take the risk of breaking up the UK.
Of course, Scotland within the United Kingdom is not perfect, but then few things in life are.
As part of the United Kingdom, we have progressed together. We have worked together. We have defended rights and liberties together in times of peace and war. All while retaining our own distinctive Scottish identity.
We do not need to divide our small island into separate states in order to assert our Scottish identity. We should not be building borders and barriers between ourselves and our family and friends in the United Kingdom just as the world gets smaller. It is to that deeply negative proposal that I believe we should say politely, respectfully, but firmly; 'no thanks'.
"We can have the best of both worlds for Scotland. A strong Scottish parliament with more powers guaranteed backed up by the strength, security and stability of the United Kingdom"
We can have the best of both worlds for Scotland. A strong Scottish parliament with more powers guaranteed backed up by the strength, security and stability of the United Kingdom.