MP's Diary: The longest ever 'Letter to Santa'
Peggy Lee used to sing a song "Is that all there is?" That's my reaction to the SNP White Paper on Independence, 'Scotland's Future'.
After months of talking up the Independence White Paper as the answer to all our questions it still leaves huge holes and suffers from a credibility deficit. The absence of detailed costings means that this isn’t a blueprint; it’s a wish-list. I'm surprised the first two words aren't "Dear Santa".
This is an entire document that is based on the assertion that Scotland will keep the pound as part of a newly created Sterling-zone with the UK treasury remaining as the lender of last resort. The fact there is no Plan B on the currency brings the entire document’s credibility into question.
Nicola Sturgeon repeated the threat that Scotland would default on its debt if a Sterling-zone and the use of the pound could not be agreed. That would have significant implications for Scotland’s credit rating and could have serious consequences on people’s savings and mortgages.
The White Paper promises huge tax cuts – a 3% cut in corporation tax and the scrapping of Air Passenger Duty – while promising huge increases in public spending. It promises Scotland would have the public services of the Scandinavian countries, but the tax system of Monaco. That’s not honest and not credible.
The truth is that when Scots go to the polls next year they will be voting on the contents of the White Paper. The crucial point though is they can’t claim that this is a mandate document because it is a negotiation position. Scotland can’t dictate the terms to the rest of the UK - it is right that we would negotiate for what we believe is in our best interest, but the remaining UK will obviously argue for what they believe is in their best interest. Contrast this to the very clear white paper Labour published in 1997 to establish a Scottish Parliament - we voted for it in a referendum and then we got the devolved Parliament we voted for.
And it’s not just on currency where answers are missing. The White Paper glosses over the fact that there would need to be negotiations on EU membership with every other European country.
The White Paper uses language like ‘will be’ and ‘will have’ - it should really be saying ‘could’, ‘might’, ‘maybe’ and ‘fingers crossed'
And as for the SNP’s big pledge on childcare, it might come as a surprise to them that they already have the powers to increase childcare now. Nicola Sturgeon gave the game away on the radio when she admitted that the SNP would take no action now because any increased revenues from more women taking up jobs would flow to the UK Treasury.
The SNP are promising increased childcare, not to change women’s lives but to win women’s votes. I would repeat the call made by Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont earlier this year, to work with the Scottish Government to deliver free childcare now. Why wait until the referendum and break up the United Kingdom? Deliver for families now with the powers that already exist.
What we have seen published last week is not a blueprint for independence but a wish list based on the fantasy that we can leave the UK but still keep all the benefits of being part of the UK.
We were promised a document of 670 pages - "Scotland's Future" actually runs to 647. Perhaps the missing answers we were promised are in the lost 23 pages.
Sandra Osborne
Peggy Lee used to sing a song "Is that all there is?" That's my reaction to the SNP White Paper on Independence, 'Scotland's Future'.
After months of talking up the Independence White Paper as the answer to all our questions it still leaves huge holes and suffers from a credibility deficit. The absence of detailed costings means that this isn’t a blueprint; it’s a wish-list. I'm surprised the first two words aren't "Dear Santa".
This is an entire document that is based on the assertion that Scotland will keep the pound as part of a newly created Sterling-zone with the UK treasury remaining as the lender of last resort. The fact there is no Plan B on the currency brings the entire document’s credibility into question.
Nicola Sturgeon repeated the threat that Scotland would default on its debt if a Sterling-zone and the use of the pound could not be agreed. That would have significant implications for Scotland’s credit rating and could have serious consequences on people’s savings and mortgages.
The White Paper promises huge tax cuts – a 3% cut in corporation tax and the scrapping of Air Passenger Duty – while promising huge increases in public spending. It promises Scotland would have the public services of the Scandinavian countries, but the tax system of Monaco. That’s not honest and not credible.
The truth is that when Scots go to the polls next year they will be voting on the contents of the White Paper. The crucial point though is they can’t claim that this is a mandate document because it is a negotiation position. Scotland can’t dictate the terms to the rest of the UK - it is right that we would negotiate for what we believe is in our best interest, but the remaining UK will obviously argue for what they believe is in their best interest. Contrast this to the very clear white paper Labour published in 1997 to establish a Scottish Parliament - we voted for it in a referendum and then we got the devolved Parliament we voted for.
And it’s not just on currency where answers are missing. The White Paper glosses over the fact that there would need to be negotiations on EU membership with every other European country.
The White Paper uses language like ‘will be’ and ‘will have’ - it should really be saying ‘could’, ‘might’, ‘maybe’ and ‘fingers crossed'
And as for the SNP’s big pledge on childcare, it might come as a surprise to them that they already have the powers to increase childcare now. Nicola Sturgeon gave the game away on the radio when she admitted that the SNP would take no action now because any increased revenues from more women taking up jobs would flow to the UK Treasury.
The SNP are promising increased childcare, not to change women’s lives but to win women’s votes. I would repeat the call made by Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont earlier this year, to work with the Scottish Government to deliver free childcare now. Why wait until the referendum and break up the United Kingdom? Deliver for families now with the powers that already exist.
What we have seen published last week is not a blueprint for independence but a wish list based on the fantasy that we can leave the UK but still keep all the benefits of being part of the UK.
We were promised a document of 670 pages - "Scotland's Future" actually runs to 647. Perhaps the missing answers we were promised are in the lost 23 pages.
Sandra Osborne