Politics – Page 200 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Gaza: more UK aid to stricken civilians

The UK will provide an additional £2 million in emergency assistance for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) Gaza Flash Appeal, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced this morning – bringing the amount released this week to help Gaza to £7 million.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “More than 800 Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks, with thousands injured and many tens of thousands displaced. It is essential that civilians are protected and all sides must allow aid agencies unimpeded access to get to those in desperate need.

“A ceasefire needs to be agreed urgently as the first step towards a sustainable political solution. That is the only hope for peace and stability in the long term.”

The UK Government is clear that all sides must adhere to International Humanitarian Law and that all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid harm to civilians during a military attack.

Overall, the UK is the fourth biggest donor to UNRWA, providing £106.5m from 2011-2015. That funding is already helping UNRWA provide health services and shelter for Gazans affected by the fighting.

The amount committed by Britain to UNWRA’s emergency appeal in the last week is now £4 million. It will fund basic shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, nappies and other vital help for tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes. The UK has also brought forward £3 million of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) support to help it respond to the worsening situation.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday, urging him to show equal determination in the UK Government’s approach to the situation in Gaza as they have shown in regard to the atrocity involving Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.

In particular Mr Salmond has called on the UK Government to make a stronger and more urgent response to the crisis in Gaza and – further to the statement by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, about the failure to distinguish between civilians and combatants – to support an UN investigation.

Mr Salmond said: “The UK rightly called for a UN resolution to guarantee unfettered access to the crash site of flight MH17 and I was pleased to see this gained the support of the Security Council. It is imperative that an international investigation into the cause of the crash proceeds swiftly and effectively, and that the results of that investigation are appropriately acted upon.

“The efforts of the international community, working in concert, reflect the real benefits of a multilateral approach to matters of global security.

“It is with that cooperative spirit in mind that I have urged the UK Government to demonstrate equal determination in cooperating with international partners to resolve the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

“The ground offensive in Gaza is a serious and worrying development. The lives lost in this conflict are individual human tragedies and the killing of innocent civilians, be they Palestinian or Israeli, is to be utterly condemned.

“The UN Security Council has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, emphasising the need to improve the humanitarian situation, and I add my voice to theirs to reiterate that, in the view of the Scottish Government, the rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable and should stop, as should the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

“The situation in Gaza represents a humanitarian crisis of grave proportions. More than 800 people, most of them civilians, have already lost their lives and over 5,000 have been injured. The UN states that more 118,000 Gazans are sheltering in UN schools. The attack on the school in Beit Hanoun on 24 July, condemned by the UN Secretary General, only serves to underline the desperate need for international action to stop the killing of innocent civilians.

“We note calls for an independent investigation into civilian deaths as a result of the conflict. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has commented on the failure to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or to maintain proportionality and precautions in attack. The need for an investigation by the UN is therefore imperative. I urge the UK to give support to these calls.

“Scotland’s offer of medical assistance to help the humanitarian situation still stands and we are currently in dialogue to assess whether Scotland can give specialist medical help to civilians caught up in the conflict should medical evacuation be possible.

“The Scottish Government also believes that the continuation of the blockade in Gaza is exacerbating the suffering experienced by the people there and tantamount to collective punishment. For that reason, I reiterate the Scottish Government’s offer to accept our share of any refugees from the conflict arriving in the UK.

“The Scottish Government stand ready to deliver this support, and any further assistance as deemed necessary and appropriate.”

Gaza: ‘unacceptable, unjustified and illegal’

Lazarowicz calls for ceasefire and an end to Israeli military action

GAZA: Thousands took to the Glasgow streets to protest on Saturday

As the fighting in Gaza has continued with reports of an Israeli attack hitting a Gaza hospital with the loss of four lives, North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has condemned the conduct of military action by Israel in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire in a letter to the Foreign Secretary.

The conflict has so far seen the death toll rise to well over 500, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian civilians including more than one hundred children.

In his letter to the Foreign Secretary, Mark Lazarowicz called for an immediate ceasefire to be monitored by the international community and humanitarian relief to be allowed to reach Palestinians in Gaza.

After the conflict saw its worst day yet on Sunday with the death of 100 more Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers, the local MP said: “I have written to the Foreign Secretary to urge the Government to exert pressure on Israel to end military action in Gaza and redouble efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire.

“Like people around the world, I have been shocked by the present conflict and scenes such the bodies on a beach. I completely condemn the violence on all sides, including the rocket attacks on Israel.

“Nevertheless, the scale and conduct of the Israeli military operation is unacceptable, unjustified and illegal: in practice it is the civilian population of Gaza which is suffering its consequences.

“I am calling for an immediate internationally verified ceasefire and humanitarian relief to be allowed into Gaza to be followed by a renewed peace initiative which would see the lifting of the blockade of Gaza.”

According to OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) the number of displaced persons now totals 84,000.

The North and Leith Labour MP went on: “I am concerned that with electricity and water supplies being affected we could face a humanitarian emergency if the fighting continues. Political engagement by the international community is vital to bring about a ceasefire with so many being forced to flee their homes.”

The Scottish Government has confirmed that the country ‘stands ready’ to accept Palestinian refugees.

Speaking on Saturday, External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The start of a ground offensive is a serious and worrying development. The lives lost in this conflict are individual human tragedies and the killing of innocent civilians, be they Palestinian or Israeli, is to be utterly condemned. The rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable and should stop, as should the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which is heavily disproportionate, as demonstrated by the mounting civilian death toll.

“As a Government we continue to call for a complete cessation to all violence and add our voice to those in the international community for an immediate, longer term ceasefire, and that both sides in this conflict put an end to the violence that is causing so many civilian deaths and injuries.

“The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza has been well documented and the UN now estimates that over 18,000 people have been internally displaced. I have today written to the Home Secretary and told her that Scotland would be willing to accept Palestinian refugees and urged the UK to also play a part in easing the refugee crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“It is essential that the UN should be allowed to independently investigate all civilian deaths to determine whether there has been any violation of international law.

“Our offer of medical assistance to help the humanitarian situation still stands and we are currently in dialogue with the appropriate Governments and agencies to assess whether Scotland can give specialist medical help to civilians caught up in the conflict should should this prove possible.

“The Scottish Government also believes that the continuation of the blockade in Gaza is exacerbating the suffering experienced by the people there and tantamount to collective punishment. For that reason I recently wrote to the UK Government to exert further pressure on the Israeli Government to bring that blockade to an end.”

The UK government yesterday announced the UK will provide more than £5 million in emergency support to help tens of thousands of people affected by the violence in Gaza.

This includes £2 million in new funding announced by Prime Minister David Cameron for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) Flash Appeal, which will provide emergency assistance to more than 84,000 people who have been driven out of their homes.

A further £3 million in funding will be brought forward to help the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) respond to the worsening situation and funding will also be reallocated to help rebuild UNRWA schools that are being used as shelters.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “The escalation in violence has had a devastating impact on civilians. More than 500 Palestinians are now reported to have been killed with at least 83 children among the dead and more than 100,000 people have had to flee their homes.

“This new support from the UK will provide lifesaving food, shelter and clean water to those in desperate need as a result of the fighting. We must see an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire to prevent further civilian loss of life, followed by a return to peaceful negotiations.”

The UK Government has said that all sides must adhere to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian supplies must be allowed to reach people in need. The security of both Israelis and Palestinians remains paramount, but restrictions that damage the economy and prospects for ordinary people in Gaza must be eased. A prosperous and stable Gaza is firmly in Israel’s security interests.

Dearest Scotland …

Writing initiative ‘re-imagines the future of Scotland’

Take a pen and a piece of paper and write a letter to the future of Scotland? In this age of high-tech, super-fast digital communications it may seem like a very old-fashioned way to communicate, but a new writing project called Dearest Scotland has sparked a revival in letter writing.

The apolitical initiative has caught imaginations in the year of the Referendum by inviting letters and illustrations from people of all ages across the world with a connection to, or an interest in, Scotland.

Dearest Scotland is the brainchild of Glasgow-based social design agency SNOOK, who some readers may recall worked with Total Craigroyston and North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum on the ‘What’s the Matter?’ project in 2012.

Focused on crowd-sourcing from a widest possible demographic with the aim of giving a platform to citizens’ voices, Dearest Scotland’s co-founder, Sarah Drummond, recently spoke of the aspiration to receive handwritten letters that capture insights to what a future Scotland may look like.

Sarah said: “Our team at Snook work in grassroots communities and we hear great ideas everyday from ordinary people. Sadly there is no platform for these voices to be heard in the mainstream media, by governments or local authorities. Dearest Scotland aims to address that.”

The idea originated before the independence referendum was announced, and since it’s March launch Dearest Scotland has received a cross-section of letters keen to articulate visions that reach beyond the political debate of the 18 September vote.

And while the project proves that the art of letter writing isn’t dead, the choice to write and illustrate letters digitally via the Dearest Scotland website is also available!

Sarah also spoke of plans to publish received letters in a collated book format. She said: “Everyone who writes to Dearest Scotland has the chance to see their letter published. This allows for the opportunity to read what people of all ages from every part of the country have to say about their hopes and fears for a future Scotland both in connection to and outside of politics and the referendum.”

While new letters are catalogued daily, Sarah’s aim is to publish the visions in an open source digital catalogue – in addition to the book format – after the 13 September deadline for submissions, and all proceeds will be donated to new and existing Scottish literary projects.

The Dearest Scotland team is currently touring venues and events across the country, spreading the word in towns and rural areas.

The initiative has also caught the attention of politicians. Glasgow Anniesland MSP Bill Kidd lodged a parliamentary motion in support of the project in June, and a Holyrood debate has been scheduled for 13 August – the motion has received cross-party support from a further 25 members of the Scottish parliament. There are also plans to exhibit a display of letters by the Scottish Rural Parliament in November and within Holyrood in early 2015.

Sarah’s business partner and project co-founder, Lauren Currie, added: “We all have a box of letters stashed away somewhere that fill our hearts with joy every time we dig them out and re-read them. Dearest Scotland is our nation’s box of letters. These letters are so much more than communication, they are re-imagining the future of Scotland.”

To find out more information about Dearest Scotland’s project, summer tour, or to submit a future vision of Scotland, visit…

www.dearestscotland.com

twitter @dearestscotand

facebook /dearestscotland

Employment up in Scotland

In a rare outbreak of agreement, both Westminster and Holyrood governments welcomed the latest employment figures published today. However Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said the figures show the Westminster government is making the right choices for Scotland, while Finance Secretary John Swinney countered that Scotland would perform even better with the full powers of independence.

Employment in Scotland has increased by 12,000 over the three months from March to May, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today. The number in employment in Scotland now stands at 2,587,000.

Unemployment in Scotland increased by 13,000, to 192,000 in the period March to May 2014. The Scottish unemployment rate is 6.9 per cent, which is above the 6.5 per cent for whole of the UK.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said: “We have seen positive developments over the year as a whole with 76,000 more Scots in employment and 13,000 fewer in unemployment. In June alone, the number of people claiming JSA fell by 4,000 and is now 35,500 lower compared to one year ago. Claimant count is now below 100,000 and at its lowest level since December 2008.

“Today’s news reminds us we need to continue creating the right conditions to get people into jobs. While it is disappointing to see unemployment rise at any time, the news comes against a backdrop of record overall employment, female employment and record private sector employment. The number of economically active people in Scotland is rising and the number of Scots claiming unemployment has now fallen for 16 consecutive months.

“This Government is making the right choices for a stable, growing economy and the jobs that come with it – those are the best choices for Scotland and the people who live here.”

Headline Statistics for the March to May 2014 quarter:

Employment in Scotland increased by 12,000 over the quarter, and increased by 76,000 over the year, to stand at 2,587,000
The Scottish employment rate remained unchanged over the quarter to 73.3 per cent. The rate is just above the UK average of 73.1 per cent
Unemployment in Scotland increased by 13,000 over the quarter and fell by 13,000 over the year. The level now stands at 192,000
At 6.9 per cent, the Scots unemployment rate is above the 6.5 per cent for the UK as a whole
Economic Activity increased by 25,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,779,000. Also, the Economic Activity rate increased over the quarter to stand at 78.8 per cent
In June 2014, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was 96,000

Responding to the latest labour market and GDP figures Finance Secretary John Swinney said: ““Today’s figures mark an important stage in our recovery.

“These positive output figures show that Scotland’s economy continues to go from strength to strength with growth of 1.0 per cent over the quarter and 2.6 per cent over the year – the fastest annual growth in over three years.

“Nearly six years on from the start of the financial crisis, our economy is now larger than before the downturn. Output in Scotland is at record levels and we have exceeded our pre-recession peak at least one quarter ahead of the UK.

“Over the last quarter the improvement in our economy has been broad-based with welcome signs of growth in manufacturing which was up 3.4 per cent and services which account for over 70 per cent of our economy up 0.9 per cent.

“Today’s output figures are supported by new labour market data which show employment has reached a new record in Scotland with our economic activity rate also hitting a record high.

“As the economy recovers more people are moving from inactivity into the labour market to look for employment. With this boost to economic activity it is not surprising that both employment and unemployment have risen over the quarter – albeit unemployment is still down over the year.

“These figures support the emerging body of evidence which all point to the recovery in Scotland continuing to gather momentum.

“Monday’s Bank of Scotland’s PMI survey indicated that private sector activity in Scotland expanded for the 21st consecutive month in June whilst the Fraser of Allander, ITEM Club and PWC have all revised up their forecasts for growth this year.

“There can be no doubt that Scotland has the economic potential to be an independent country. With the full powers of independence we could do more to get people into work, ensure everyone in Scotland is able to benefit from our national wealth and give employers access to the skills they need to grow their business strengthening our economy and creating jobs.”

Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment Angela Constance added: “While today’s figures show growth in Scotland’s economy, our ambition is to do better than to simply return to pre-recession levels of economic performance.

“It is encouraging that female employment continues to increase markedly with a higher employment rate than the rest of the UK.

“Although we continue to do better than the UK in terms of employment rates amongst young people and 90 per cent of school leavers are in positive destinations, our youth unemployment rate remains too high.

“This is why we support the principle outlined in the report last month by the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, that links between schools, colleges and employers can be strengthened, to be more aligned to student and business needs.”

Tackling the scourge of modern slavery

The Modern Slavery Bill was introduced in the House of Commons this week, but local MP Mark Lazarowicz believes the legislation doesn’t go far enough.

The bill would provide law enforcement with stronger tools to stamp out modern slavery, ensure slave drivers can receive suitably severe punishments and enhance protection of and support for victims.

The bill includes provisions to:

ensure that perpetrators can receive suitably severe punishments for these appalling crimes – including life sentences
introduce new orders to enhance the court’s ability to place restrictions on individuals where this is necessary to protect people from the harm caused by modern slavery offences
create an Anti-Slavery Commissioner to improve and better coordinate the response to modern slavery
introduce a defence for victims of slavery and trafficking compelled to commit an offence
create an enabling power for child trafficking advocates
introduce a new reparation order to encourage the courts to compensate victims where assets are confiscated from perpetrators
close gaps in the law to enable the police and Border Force to stop boats where slaves are suspected of being held or trafficked

Edinburgh North & Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz‘ says the Bill is a major step forward but should be tougher. Speaking in Tuesday’s debate on the Modern Slavery Bill at Westminster, he praised the Bill as a major step forward but highlighted two areas where it needs to be strengthened significantly at UK level:

· Extension of the powers and funding of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority created by the last Labour Government, and

· Increased transparency and accountability of companies for their supply chains.

Commenting after the debate, the local MP said: “Modern slavery can see people desperately seeking a better life trapped and exploited in ways as varied as sex trafficking, domestic servitude or agricultural workers whose meagre wages are docked to pay for sub-standard food and accommodation leaving them with debts they can never pay off.

“Vulnerable people, often with very few language skills, may simply not know where to seek help even if they get the chance and be fearful that they may be deported if they do escape.

“The last Labour Government first set out to tackle this modern evil by creating the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to root out abuse in agriculture and related industries: it’s been widely praised and its funding and remit should be increased.

“Companies should also be accountable for how their goods are produced in supply chains with annual reports setting out steps they took to verify and audit suppliers.

“Whilst enabling the prosecution of traffickers and slave-masters, the Bill must also advance the protection of victims: too often companies and consumers do not know and in the worst case may not even care how workers are exploited in producing the food we eat, the clothes we wear.”

Fracking hell: new report ignites energy debate

‘No place for fracking in Scotland’s energy future’ – Patrick Harvie

$frack$ Scotland is sitting on enough shale oil and gas to meet our energy needs for the next half-century, according to a new report by the British Geological Survey – but environmentalists are warning that ‘fracking’ to get at shale gas deposits would have serious consequences for local communities.

The British Geological Survey’s report of the resources in the Midland Valley, Scotland, suggests a ‘modest’ amount of gas and oil in place. The central estimate of shale gas in place is 80 trillion cubic feet, the central estimate for shale oil in place is 6 billion barrels of oil.

However ‘modest’, the Department of Energy and Climate Change believes ‘ the complex geology of the area and historic mine workings means that exploratory drilling and testing is even more important to determine how much can be recovered.’

Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: “Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is crucial to keep job and business opportunities, widen tax revenues and reduce our reliance on foreign imports.

“We know that shale gas alone won’t be able to supply all of our energy needs, but the environmentally responsible exploration of shale gas could contribute to our energy mix.

“Only the broad shoulders of the United Kingdom can attract investment in new energy sources and maintain the UK’s position as one of the world’s great energy hubs – generating energy and generating jobs.

“The UK’s energy security is among the best in the world, backed by a large consumer and tax base that can afford to support our world-leading energy industries and make us such an attractive place to invest.”

Professor Mike Stephenson, Director of Science and Technology at the British Geological Survey said: “The central estimate of shale gas in place is 80 trillion cubic feet and the central estimate for shale oil in place is 6 billion barrels of oil but reserves cannot be calculated at this stage before drilling and testing take place. The Midland Valley of Scotland has complex geology and a relative lack of data compared to the previous DECC-BGS Bowland-Hodder and Weald Basin studies”

However Green MSP Patrick Harvie says the study by the British Geological Survey shows that ‘potentially modest’ reserves of shale oil and gas prove that fracking shouldn’t figure in Scotland’s energy future.

He pointed out that the estimated 80 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in central Scotland is just six per cent of the reserves thought to be present in northern England and said a huge swathe of Scotland – from Argyll to Aberdeenshire and from Ayrshire to East Lothian – has been earmarked as ‘ripe for fracking’ by the UK Government.

Mr Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and Co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said: “This study puts paid to all the hype we’ve been fed about a shale bonanza. Not only would fracking divert attention from our undoubted renewables potential but any economically viable extraction would be modest and short-term. Greens want a long-term energy plan for Scotland, and we have abundant clean sources to do this.

“As communities across Scotland realise the risk to their local environments from the prospect of fracking, and as climate science tells us we must start to leave unburnt fossil fuels in the ground, it’s clear that any such developments will face strong opposition.

“It all serves as a reminder that Westminster controls energy policy in Scotland. The chance to pursue clean, long-lasting power rather than polluting, finite fuels is a compelling reason to vote Yes in September.”

Lararowicz: new homes must be energy efficient

Mark Lazarowicz MP has criticised the Westminster government’s failure to make the energy efficiency of new homes a central plank of its Help to Buy scheme in order to boost jobs, cut energy bills and carbon emissions.

THE North & Leith MP was speaking at Treasury Questions in the House of Commons, and said afterwards: “Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes can help cut fuel bills, create new skilled jobs and meet our targets for reducing carbon emissions.

“For instance, surely the Government could have seen that a scheme aimed at first-time buyers should have prioritised energy efficiency so helping young couples with mortgages save money on fuel bills.

“Building all new homes to a high level of energy efficiency helps avoid the need for retrofits later on and Help to Buy could have been used to provide a strong lead by setting a benchmark for the industry.

“It’s an example of where regulation can create new skilled jobs and apprenticeships and boost small businesses but once again the Government has just sat on its hands and failed to act.”

Royston ready for referendum debate with a difference

North Edinburgh’s Womens International Group (WIG) are holding a Referendum Debate with a difference in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Thursday evening – the party politicians won’t be doing the talking!

The WIG group hopes that by inviting ‘ordinary’ people to put the respective cases for independence and the Union the level of debate and discussion will be improved – more ‘light’ than ‘hot air’, if you like!

Pat Smith will advance the argument for a ‘YES’ vote, Heather Levy will put the case for Better Together and Craigroyston High School S4 pupil Nicky Saunders will provide a young person’s perspective on the referendum. James Foley and Bill Scott will be on hand to provide guidance and technical advice during the Question Time session and the event will be chaired by Harry Woodward. And participants will also have an opportunity to vote!

The Referendum Debate takes place at Royston Warduieburn Community Centre in Pilton Drive North tomorrow (Thursday 26 June) from 6.30 – 8.30pm.

Free creche and refreshments.

All welcome – and that includes politicians!

Referendum Debate leaflet wig thursday

What a state – rivals clash over start-up costs

An independent Scotland would face immediate start-up costs of between £150 – £200m, according to a new report produced for the Sunday Post by an independent academic think tank. The Scottish government says the report – Transitioning to a New Scottish State – ‘blows Treasury figures (of £270m) out of the water’, but UK Treasury sources insist the Scottish government ‘can’t be trusted’ on the cost of independence.

Report author Professor Dunleavy, from the London School of Economics, said an independent Scotland could have to spend between £150m to £200m on new administrative structures to replace existing UK bodies. He explained that although an independent Scotland could share UK bodies during the transition to independence, it would have to build its own systems by 2021 – costing of hundreds of millions of pounds.

Prof Dunleavy also warned that a hostile approach from the UK government in post-Yes negotiations could “greatly add” to the cost.

The key points from the paper include:

Immediate set up costs of up to £200m to create new versions of existing UK bodies
The total would increase if UK ministers take a “hostile stance” in post-Yes negotiations
The costs could be offset due to Scotland having a “smaller government machine”, spending less on areas such as defence
The initial expenditure should be seen as an investment which will save on future running costs
The long-run viability of an independent Scotland is “generally high”

Welcoming the report (see link below), Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I welcome Prof Dunleavy’s report as it totally vindicates the Scottish Government’s position on how we can complete the governmental transition to a fully independent Scotland. It makes clear how the initial start-up costs would be much less than the UK Government have sought to claim.

“The report points out that much of the UK structure of government quangos and agencies is highly elaborate and long-lived and that the Scottish Government would not need all these bodies, while there is also good evidence that government IT systems in small states around the size of Scotland are generally cheaper and more effective than with the scale of the UK state.

“And while the report judges the realism of the Scottish Government’s planning for independence to be generally high, it suggests that some of the demands for cost data made upon us at this stage would require “the prophetic powers of the Delphi oracle”.

“The report also makes clear that the main cause of uncertainty around Scotland’s transition to independence lies with a lack of UK Government planning so I urge UK Ministers, in line with the Edinburgh Agreement, to engage with us in sensible pre-referendum discussions. As we move closer to this exciting referendum on our country’s future, the people of Scotland deserve nothing less.”

Westminster, however, insists that the Scottish government can’t be trusted to give Scots the facts on the costs of setting up a new Scottish state. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander wrote:

“This week it was revealed that Alex Salmond has asked his officials to cobble together a report on the costs of setting up a new Scottish state.

“It comes after almost three weeks of confusion and misinformation from the Scottish government. At one point the First Minister seemed to pull out a number out of thin air, claiming that the cost of setting up a new state was around £200 million.

“Another time we had to listen to Salmond’s finance minister John Swinney fail to answer a direct question on set up costs 13 times during a live radio interview.

“That is when they really descended into farce, making up a hotchpotch of excuses: saying that their analysis on this issue was “ongoing”, that they were not doing any more work on it, or that the costs would not be known until after the referendum.

“It is totally implausible that the Scottish government have done no work on the cost of setting up a new state – particularly after John Swinney told his cabinet colleagues, in his secret memo two years ago, that the work was “currently underway in Finance and OCEA to build a comprehensive overview of the institutions, costs and staff numbers which I will draw together”.

“I suspect any rushed last-minute exercise is mainly an attempt to distract journalistic attention from seeking the paperwork the Scottish government are desperate to keep secret until after polling day.

“Alex Salmond has belatedly recognised his responsibility to provide some real facts in this important debate. This is just what we in the UK government have been doing for the past 18 months, to help inform voters in Scotland ahead of the referendum.

“While they are finally doing the work they promised would be done two years ago, it is disappointing that they’re only doing it because they’ve been found out to be completely clueless on the matter. I believe there are two reasons why we should take any of their work on this issue with a big pinch of salt.

“First, because we all know that previous Scottish government analysis has often been short in real facts, and rather muddied the waters rather than helped make the situation clearer, we will need to scrutinise any new findings. In particular:

will it reflect the cost of setting up a new tax administration system? Independent experts at ICAS have pointed out that less complex changes than this are costing £750 million in New Zealand
will it include the cost of setting up a new welfare and benefits delivery department? According to research from the Department of Work and Pensions a new welfare and pensions IT system alone would cost between £300 million and £400 million
will it put a cost on a new diplomatic network? The European and External Relations Committee last week called for the Scottish government to give the set up costs of this
will it include the cost of producing a new currency?
what about the cost of setting up a new defence capability?
what about the 180 public bodies that the Scottish government themselves say (in page 363 of their white paper) will need to transfer their functions to new or existing bodies in Scotland?

“These are some of the questions that will need answering. It seems to me that if reorganising Scottish local government in the mid-1990s cost £281 million, and building the new Queensferry Crossing cost £1.4 billion, then setting up a whole new state for less than that doesn’t really sound credible.

“The second test we need to apply is about the Scottish government’s general approach to key questions regarding the referendum. If it took all this pressure to get them to admit that they were looking at set-up costs then, what else are they hiding?

“Time and time again they keep rushing their analysis through, producing flimsy research with little independent backing. When it suits them they assume the most unrealistic and optimistic assumptions. As Professor Piachaud of the London School of Economics explained in an open letter last month: “I am however certain that the evidence put forward to support the claim that Scotland, as a smaller but independent nation, could expect to grow faster simply does not stand up to scrutiny.”

“This is why I am still left with a feeling that you cannot really trust them – they will say anything to try and stack up their numbers. Compare that to our approach – project fact – providing thorough and detailed analysis of the relationship between the UK and Scotland.”

Transitioning-to-a-new-Scottish-state-PD-ebook

Making a drama out of a referendum at Craigroyston!

Yes, no, still don’t know? Then maybe some live theatre can help you make up your mind with The Great Yes No Don’t Know Five Minute Theatre Show!

Craigroyston Community High School will be streaming a series of live five minute theatre plays made by everyone for an audience of everyone on Monday (23 June) from 5 – 7pm.

There’s tea, coffee, juice, bacon rolls – and if your not on the Electoral Register yet there’s an opportunity to register too!

Everyone welcome!

The Great Debate