My position on the Scottish independence is absolutely clear: I want to keep our United Kingdom together and have supported the Better Together campaign in todays Scotland only referendum. In the event of a vote for independence, Scotland would become a “successor state” requiring it to create a new set of domestic and international arrangements. Negotiations would need to take place with the UK Government on any requests to retain UK-wide arrangements on matters such as a currency union, financial regulation and national security. An independent Scottish state would also need to negotiate with the European Union and other international organisations to agree new terms and conditions of any membership. And despite the Scottish Nationalists’ claims, there is no firm basis for the assertion that a separate Scotland would inherit automatic membership of the EU on present terms. Were Scotland to go independent, we simply could not allow Scotland to share the British pound in what would be a eurozone-style currency union. A currency union without political union would not work and would not be in either Scotland’s interests or the UK’s. Indeed, all three of the UK’s main political parties have ruled out Scotland sharing the pound. Thus, the only way for Scotland to keep the UK pound is to keep the UK. Shockingly, Alex Salmond and those advocating a yes vote still have no idea as to what their currency plan is. Such uncertainty - upheaval even - is wholly unnecessary. Our United Kingdom is one of the most successful monetary, fiscal and political unions in history, and the current arrangements bring significant benefits to Scotland. Scotland’s integration within the UK’s domestic market brings benefits to all. Its economy is growing because it is part of the UK, selling more goods and services to other parts of the UK than the rest of the world combined. Introducing an international border of whatever form would create a barrier to the free flow of goods, capital and labour. This would be to the detriment of firms, workers and consumers in both states and risks making it more challenging to attract overseas investors. Experience from Europe shows a single market between two separate states is not the same as a fully integrated domestic market. An independent Scottish state would also lose the benefits of one of the largest defence budgets in the world, and of an integrated approach to defence that protects all parts of the UK and contributes to conflict resolution and humanitarian operations overseas. The start-up costs and complexity of establishing separate defence capabilities for an independent Scottish state would be very significant, and would need to be factored into the Scottish Government’s budget estimates. The UK faces complex and changing risks to its national security. An independent Scotland would have to establish its own security infrastructure, and in the meantime there would be a risk of diminished security to both Scotland and the continuing UK. We are better protected through enhanced justice and policing capabilities, and long-established UK laws facilitate the cross-border pursuit of justice despite differing legal systems and police jurisdictions. That is why I campaigned against independence, because I firmly believe that the UK is stronger together, more prosperous together, and more influential together. In short, we are Better Together.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:05:51 +0000
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