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Independence ‘will put Scotland’s people in charge of their destiny’
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An independent Scotland would keep the British pound, the queen and remain in the European Union but have its own defense force and collect its own taxes, First Minister Alex Salmond said yesterday.
In a 670-page blueprint aimed at convincing Scots they should vote on September 18 next year to end a 306-year union with England, Salmond said there would be no need to increase taxes if Scotland broke away.
His Scottish National Party is hoping the blueprint will win over the many skeptics, answering questions the party has been accused of dodging.
“We know we have the people, the skills, and resources to make Scotland a more successful country,” said Salmond, head of a devolved government in Scotland.
He said Scottish taxes would not be spent on nuclear programs and that the UK’s nuclear missiles would be removed from Scotland for good.
“Independence will put the people of Scotland in charge of our own destiny” he added.
Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister, described the document as “the most comprehensive and detailed blueprint ever drawn up for a prospective independent country.”
An independent Scottish government would create a sovereign wealth fund using revenue from exploiting oil and gas reserves worth around 1.5 trillion pounds (US$2.4 trillion), the blueprint said.
“This government will make the creation of a Scottish Energy Fund an early priority,” it said, adding that it would also put in place a more stable tax regime for oil and gas exploration.
Britain has long opposed the creation of a sovereign wealth fund using oil and gas money, making it one of the only oil-producing nations not to channel energy revenue into a separate fund.
Norway, for example, has one of the world’s richest wealth funds thanks to revenue from oil and gas fields.
Oil and gas production contributed around 22 billion pounds to Scotland’s GDP last year and nearly all Britain’s offshore oil production is expected to come from Scottish waters over the coming 30 years, the Scottish government said.
An independent Scotland would also remain integrated into Britain’s electricity market, allowing Britain to continue adding Scottish renewable energy production to its targets to cut carbon emissions.
With 10 months to the vote, many of the 5 million Scots are still undecided.
The latest poll, in the Sunday Times, suggests the gap had narrowed, with 47 percent opposed to quitting the UK, 38 percent in favor and 15 percent undecided.
Britain’s three main UK-wide political parties have argued against independence, saying Scotland would be worse off economically and unable to defend itself or project power on the global stage.
Pro-unionists have been helped in recent weeks by two reports from financial institutions. One warned Scotland would need to raise taxes and cut spending as North Sea oil revenues decline and its population ages and the second said independence would complicate cross-border pensions.
Scotland’s bid for independence is being watched closely internationally, particularly in Catalonia where 80 percent of people favor a vote for independence from Spain.
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