Nairn IndyRef Debate

Text of my speech at the Gurn's debate in Nairn last night. On a panel with John Finnie MSP, Mary Scanlon MSP and Jean Urquhart MSP.   Not exactly as delivered as we all had to adapt to a different format on the night.  Very good debate and discussion.  Most of us agree about what we want to achieve for Scotland, we just differ about how....


There are just over 3 months to the most important decision we will ever make in this country.

So it’s good to have this debate tonight

Let me start by saying I agree with most of the things John & Jean want to achieve

I just don’t agree that independence is the best way to achieve it

Of course Scotland can “make it” as an independent country.

But what kind of country?

A land of milk and honey, a northern Celtic Tiger………

Or a small country, dependant on volatile oil revenues and the whims of a predatory financial system …..

… ask the Irish and the Icelanders how that feels …..

 I don’t want that to happen to my country

 So let me make the case for why I think we are Better Together.

 Of course it difficult to make a positive case for a negative word

 But put simply, I believe we can achieve more for Scotland as part of the UK.

 Together is better for the economy

Together is better for business and jobs

Together is better for Pensions

 Staying together means more powers for the Scottish Parliament

 Best of both worlds with least risk

 The Yes campaign keeps insisting that Better Together needs to make its case for staying as part of the UK.

As if that’s the option that needs justified…...

As if everything the YES campaign says should just be accepted at face value

The Yes campaign needs to stop making promises it knows it can’t keep.

It needs to be more honest about the risks.

The risks to our economy and the risk to jobs and livelihoods.

 It needs to put some costs on its promises.

 It’s all very well saying the UK Treasury numbers about the cost of setting up an independent government are wrong.

 But the SNP haven’t given us their numbers.


Why won’t they? And if they don’t have them what sort of preparation for independence is that?


John Swinney must know.... That’s why he wouldn’t answer on that radio interview last week. 


Alex Salmond of course doesn’t suffer from such caution.


He just made a number up…...


It’s up to the Yes campaign to deal with these issues and not just label those raising them as members of Project Fear.


Being part of the UK is good for Scotland’s small businesses. Two thirds of our trade is with rest of the UK.

Our single market means businesses can buy and sell throughout the whole of the UK without any restrictions.


Our engineering, oil, aerospace and financial services sectors all rely on supply chains integrated across the UK.


I run a small business with customers right across the UK.


Business in hard enough in a competitive world without having to trade across a border, however informal it might be.


Where is the sense in putting up barriers between Scottish businesses and their customers and suppliers elsewhere in the UK?


Today our small businesses, which are the bedrock of the Scottish economy, benefit from the strength, security and stability of the UK Pound. Only independence would put this at risk

It’s up to the Yes campaign to deal with these issues and not just label those raising them as members of Project Fear.

 I get the democratic argument.

I don’t want another Tory/Coalition government.

I get the case for devolving power to where it can make a difference.

I’d like to see local authorities given back some of the powers the SNP have taken away.

 I get the no nuclear weapons on our soil argument.

 We need nuclear weapons out of the whole country, not just moved down the coast to Barrow.

I’ll always campaign for those changes at Holyrood and across the UK.


What I don’t get is policies which play fast and loose with economic certainty.

 Promises on pensions and childcare which don’t stand up if the oil revenues fall.

 Promises on corporation tax which can’t work in a currency union

Assertions on EU membership which are in truth a leap into the unknown and are scaring the life out of business.

Wishful thinking on the pound, with no plan B

 An approach that will cost Scotland dearly when the financial markets put up interest rates.

 An approach that’s already causing business to pause on investment (B&Q) and put in place their own Plan Bs (Standard Life)

 That’s not scaremongering – that’s economic reality!

I have a better vision for Scotland

A Scotland with a with more powers over tax and benefits

 A Scotland with No Bedroom Tax

A Scotland that insists on people in work earning a Living Wage

A Scotland that is determined young people should always be able to find work.

 A Scotland that gets the benefits of being together when it comes to the pound and business but can decide for itself how it spends its national income. 

A Scotland where we can all grow, prosper and succeed.

Together, I believe we can build a better Scotland and a better UK.

Together we can.