Alternative Plan for Scotland
The answer to Alex Salmond's reckless gamble.
In an interview Sir Menzes Campbell lays out a 7 point plan, if the Scottish people vote No to the referendum in September.
These leads on from his report on the substantial transfer of fiscal and constitutional powers to Holyrood.
• The 2015 Queen's Speech should include provisions to strengthen Scotland's powers.
• Political parties should commit to this in their UK election manifestoes.
• The UK government should look at all options to make the plans a reality.
• The Scottish government should make available its referendum research to inform the Campbell II proposals.
• The Scottish Parliament should ensure Scotland's new fiscal body can cope with further devolved financial powers after a referendum "No" vote.
• The Secretary of State for Scotland should convene a meeting within 30 days of a "No" vote to secure consensus for the devolution of more powers.
• Further devolution of tax powers should be made through a further Scotland Act
The Democrat Home Rule Commission, chaired by Sir Menzies, previously backed a substantial transfer of financial and constitutional power to Holyrood in a report in October 2012.
Watch the BBC video for George Brown, followed by Sir Menzies Campbell interview.
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Scottish Independence Pros and cons.
Alex Salmonde has a grand plan to turn Scotland into an independent nation, but unfortunately for the Scots and Scottish businesses, his grand plan isn’t a grand plan, just an idea built on his dream, with no clear indication how it will work.
Alex Salmonde wants to make Scotland Independent and, still use the British Pound, and then he wants to join the EU.
It is these two fundamental principles that he wants to build a new Scottish nation. It is these two fundamental pillars that will support a new Scotland, but both these fundamental pillars will be denied to him.
Lets take the First Pillar, using the British Pound as part of a Stirling area.
Mark Carney of the Bank of England said, “Opting to be independent within a successful currency union would represent a very constrained form of independence. A Scottish government would have far less ability to tax and spend as it chose, than if it had its own currency.”
It would appear that it is possible to use the British Pound, but not desirable. It would mean that the UK would have to bail out Scotland in the event of a crises. The British Government have decided this would not be the best course for the rest of the UK, and have told Alex Salmond that he can’t use the British Pound.
The second pillar, joining the EU.
Alex Salmond is under the impression that this would be a forgone conclusion, as he says, Scotland is a rich nation, and he assumes that all 38 states would want him in. Unfortunately working on assumptions that all 38 countries would welcome Scotland because they are rich isn’t a sound foundation on which to build a new nation.
There is every expectation that Spain will block Scotland’s application to join the EU.
If Scotland does find itself outside the EU on the day independence is declared, there has long been a fear that Spain, opposed to separatist movements in Catalonia and the Basque Country, will be unsympathetic and could veto Scotland’s EU membership bid.
And sources have told Channel 4 News’s Political Editor Gary Gibbon that Mr Barroso thinks it’s not just Spain who might block entry for Scotland: Germany and Belgium have misgivings too.
Alex Salmonds problems don’t stop here.
There is an EU directive that banks Head Offices should be in the country they do most business in. [That’s putting it very simply]
Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Bank of Scotland would all have to relocate their Head Office in the UK.
Gerry Grimstone, Chairman of Standard Life says Scotland has been a great base for the company but that, "if anything were to threaten this, we will take whatever action we consider necessary - including transferring parts of our operations from Scotland - in order to ensure continuity and to protect the interests of our stakeholders"."This is a precautionary measure to ensure continuity of our businesses' competitive position and to protect the interests of our stakeholders."
Shell and BP are also considering their position, while the airlines are all for a yes vote, because they suspect the Scottish government will abolish air passenger duty.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the gaps in Alex Salmonds plans, it is making business large and small nervous and apprehensive. The Scottish public are the ones to decide the fate of Scotland, one wonders if they will be given all the facts, or just told about possible tax cuts. We will have to wait and see.
With big business considering re-location into the UK, Alex Salmond will have to recalculate the amount of lost income and jobs from theses companies, in order that the Scots can re-evaluate the impact on services, tax etc,etc.
If it all goes wrong, at least the Scots know they will be welcome in the UK.
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