Meeting of the Parliament 08 January 2014
No.
We will keep all those things that the white paper says are central to our economic prospects. It is a yes vote that would leave us negotiating to get back all those things that nobody except the independence campaign wanted us to give up in the first place.
As an argument, the Government’s position is pretty surreal, but the threat to our economy is genuine—at least, that is what economists say. Late last year, the Financial Times asked 31 economists what the impact of independence would be on the Scottish economy. Twenty-seven said that it would damage our economy. That is what I saw reported over Christmas but, since then, I have read what they actually said. It is worth reading. I thought that I was dubious about the benefits of independence, but look at what those economic experts say: “inevitable uncertainty”; “huge uncertainty”; “massive uncertainty”; “stagnation”; “damaging”; “disastrous”; “unmitigated disaster”; “a catastrophe”. That is not my assessment; it is the assessment of leading economists with no axe to grind.
What does the white paper propose that an SNP Government would do? What is the big economic decision that it would take to change that? It would present big business with a corporation tax cut and leave the people of Scotland to find another £400 million a year in cuts or increased taxes.
As an argument for economic growth, that is absurd. As an argument for fairness, it is utterly ridiculous. As a reason for failure to take the actions that we need right now on the living wage, skills, job creation, childcare and better procurement, it is only an excuse and a poor one at that.
I move amendment S4M-08714.3, to leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert:
“believes that the Scottish Government must act now to secure what is a fragile economic recovery and ensure a secure, sustainable future in which all can share fairly; notes the importance that the Scottish Government’s Fiscal Commission Working Group and Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland place on retaining key elements of the social and economic union, including sterling and a single central bank, as well as the ‘significant and complex linkages between households, businesses and financial services operating across the UK’, and recognises that the greatest economic potential for Scotland and its people lies with a strong, devolved parliament using every power at its disposal, including new tax and borrowing powers and maximising the opportunity of shared risk and reward in the United Kingdom.”
15:35Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.