The wall of opinion from economists, businesses and journalists is not some orchestrated dose of fear from Westminster or the Establishment, nor is it bullying, scaremongering or an attempt to tell the Scottish people what to think. It is rational people looking at plain facts and concluding that the case has not been made for independence. Its about looking at two potential courses for Scotland over the next 5, 10 and 30+ years and realising that a world of higher interest rates, higher prices, smaller global stature, and an addiction to a volatile fossil fuel is not better than the continuation of one of the greatest political unions in world history. Yes Alex Salmond and his successors would have more power than they currently do, and the prospect of a Tory government would be off the agenda for the next few years (although given how enthusiastically Scotland voted for the Conservative party for a large part of the 20th century they will doubtless make a return at some point). But in contrast to the rosy picture painted by the separatist campaign, independence is not a magic wand that will make Scotlands problems disappear. In contrast, it will very likely usher in an era of economic volatility on a par with the darkest days of the post-2008 financial crisis that we are only just recovering from, only this time it will be entirely self-inflicted. I just hope those that are planning to vote Yes are ready for that struggle and believe so passionately that Scotland must go it alone to justify it. There are reasons to vote Yes, but the majority of them rest on either optimistic assumptions, a very short-term view of the political landscape, or a naive perspective on global affairs and the challenges of living in a volatile world. In contrast, the reasons to vote No are numerous, much more quantifiable, and potentially hugely damaging to the wealth of our nation. Nationalism is rarely the answer to anyones problems, and has rather been a source of enormous turmoil and conflict throughout modern history. Just because someone lives to the north of Hadrians Wall shouldnt mean their plight matters more to you than someone living south of it. Union is about being consensual and sharing our burdens as well as our successes. This is not the time to turn inwards and turn our backs on our neighbours, but a time to embrace the system we have and seek to change it in a way that benefits everyone, whether Scottish, English, Welsh or Northern Irish. The day after tomorrow is the most important day in Scotland for several generations, and will be for generations to come. If you have vote, I urge you to join me in voting No.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:24:58 +0000
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