What if Scotland votes No?

In the referendum debate, we often hear statistics comparing Scotland, especially its economy, with that of the UK. It is now accepted that Scotland, with or without oil revenues, is a wealthy country. Even when the two campaigns present contradictory evidence, the difference between the two campaigns is usually just a few percentage points of the total economy.

If we vote No, we are not endorsing the status quo, we have been told this by all three UK parties. Many of the financial and policy arrangements currently in place in the UK will change in future. Those of us in the Yes camp regularly point out the dangers of voting No and leaving control of Scotland's economy in Westminster's hands.

The one thing that will definitely change if we vote No is that Scotland will be giving up, for a few years at least, the threat that we can withdraw our consent from the UK and opt for an independent Scotland. What a No vote is saying to Westminster is we're happy to be treated as a region of the UK.

Fortunately, if we have any concerns about what this means, we don't need to look to the future. All we need do is look at how Westminster serves the other parts of the UK at present, the ones that haven't had the negotiating power Scotland preserved for itself in 1707, but which is threatened by a No vote.

Now 'Inequality Briefing 43'  provides evidence of what that the absence of a constitutional counter-weight to London means for regions of the UK. Not surprisingly, Inner London is revealed to be the richest region in the EU, with GDP per head at three times the European average. More worrying is the evidence of just how much more geographically unequal the UK is compared to other leading European countries.

Data produced by Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union, shows that GDP per head in the poorest UK regions is lower than any region of France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Finland or Denmark.

If you are thinking of voting No, we trust this glimpse of what could be Scotland's future gives you pause for thought!

Eurostat measured GDP per head in regions across the EU, taking into account the different prices in different regions. The full data is available from here.

A letter to England

East Kilbride is now home to people from many parts of Scotland, other parts of the UK, and abroad. They have helped build the community we have today, and are welcome.

Opponents of Scottish independence have tried to portray the referendum debate as one based on 'identity politics'. It is not.

We are pleased to reproduce this letter, prepared by English Scots for Yes, which was set up by English Scots to support other English and English Scot voters who wish to vote Yes, or are undecided and want more information.

It gives four very powerful reasons for voting Yes, whatever your country of origin.

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Dear England

During the course of this referendum campaign, you have been told many distortions of the truth and fabrications about Scotland and why people in Scotland are voting Yes.

You have been told by the likes of Andrew Marr and Jeremy Paxman that there is a strong anti-English feeling in Scotland driving support for independence, or that people in Scotland are voting yes because they want to break away from English people. You have been told by the likes of Taxpayer’s Alliance and UKIP that Scotland is a ‘subsidy-junkie’ leaching off the English taxpayer to pay for universal public services.

You have been told by the likes of the Daily Telegraph and Kelvin McKenzie that Scotland is a resourceless nation, an economic desert, which has little to offer this island or the world. And finally, you have been told by your own politicians – David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband – that independence will hurt you in England as much as it will hurt us in Scotland.

We write to you, as English people living and working in Scotland, to tell you that this is false. The movement for a yes vote has proven again and again what its real intentions are, and if the media in the UK will not listen we feel it is our duty to set the record straight.

First, as English people involved in the independence movement, we feel we are confident in saying that sentiment against English people has been virtually non-existent in our movement. What people in Scotland want to escape is the Westminster regime, not the English people. The yes movement is about a multi-cultural Scotland, a Scotland based on diversity, and is vociferously opposed to the racist, anti-immigrant sentiment of the likes of UKIP. An independent Scotland would attempt to learn from people in England, welcome people from England, and extend our hand of friendship as equal nations.

Second, it is untrue that Scotland is a ‘subsidy-junkie’. Scotland pays more in taxation to the Treasury than it gets back in funding. We have universal public services in Scotland like free prescriptions and free tuition fees because Holyrood has been responsive enough to the wishes of the Scottish people. It would be entirely possible to have the same in England if your politicians got their priorities correct. We hope, as an independent country, Scotland can prove that world-class universal public services is affordable, and that people in England who believe the same can use our example when deciding who to vote for.

Third, Scotland and her people have great potential, just like England and her people do, and we want to be an independent nation so that we can make the most of that potential. We are currently held back, just like the North of England is held back, by a UK economy and political system which supports international finance against all other industry sectors. In the UK we have the greatest regional inequality in Europe. That is a problem for Scotland and for the rest of the UK. We want independence to start addressing that problem.

Lastly, the politicians of the UK’s main parties are simply wrong. Independence will be good for Scotland, and it will be good for England. Yes voters in Scotland have no bitterness or resentment towards people in England; in fact we believe the relationship north and south of the border will grow stronger, as we both treat one another as serious partners and friends economically, socially and politically.

Yours faithfully
English Scots for Yes