THE HERALD
THE BEFERENDIIM
To D or not to
(That is the question...)
Donald Findlay 00
12 THE llST 29 Aug—ll Sept 1997
WHY SHOULD SCOTLAND vote 'Yes, Yes’ in the forthcoming referendum? Simple!
if Scots wrsh to be the United Kingdom's highest taxed citizens, if they wrsh to see businesses leaving this country and potential investors ignoring it, if they want to see unemployment rising, if they think we will be better served by havrng our influence at Westminster greatly diminished, if they think that Scottish Ministers should meekly support Westminster policy in Europe at the expense of home based interests, if they support the break Lip of the United Kingdom, they Will have the power to bring this about on T 1 September.
'Strong claims,’ yOu may say ’Prove them,’
Simple. It is all in the White Paper
The assembly Will have the power to vary income tax up or down by three pence in the pound. No one now seriously
'If Scots wish to be the
Will be able to increase the lcrcal taxes on indivrcluals and businesses. How many businesses Will be prepared to remain l". Scotland to pay higher rates north of the border compared to their competitors in the south7 Why shOuId any company locate north of Carlisle when rt wrll be far cheaper to do so in the south7 The effect on Jobs will be catastrOphic.
Policy in Europe wrll he decided by Westminster. Should our minister‘s drsaciree \‘.’liil it, they ‘.'."ii have no choice but to support it even if they knov. that tr) do so 'Zl be seriously daniaziinc; to :‘er interests.
Social Security, einpioynzent it‘tllSideHT, company law, transport safety (the list rioes ciri VJIH be controlled by London When decisIons are being take.“ which Will affect Scotland, there Will be fewer Scots MPs after devolution to frciht our corner
And of course, it wrll lead to the
break up of our country, the United Kincidoni, \Vfllcfi
unitEd Kingdom’s has ‘sF‘r’VC‘tf all us. taxed citizens, they will have w” W hundreds
the power to bring this about on 11 September} .i Ask no
Donald Findlay QC
claims, let alone believes, that the tax wrll ever be reduced. The Scottish Office number two, Henry McLeish (a man With clear ambitions to be Scotland’s first First Minister) has made it plain he cannot wart to use the power to increase taxes
The assembly wrll have the power to decrde how local authorities should be funded. It
of years Don".
take my word f *r
"‘ Sl‘v'f
Dewiiutit‘ri is all-3:"
ti) (“.’t‘.",’ti‘.lll£_1
stands for ind yet
it is supporting what rt believes is
the first step on the tourney to independence
The 'NO, NO' vote is a DOSlIl‘vt‘
vote for the dead of Scotland Think about it'
Donald Findlay QC is chairman of Think Twice, director of Rangers Football Club and rector of St Andrews University.