Sunday, 16 March 2014

Six Months to YES: Gains of Independence Highlighted


'WITH YES WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER' - WHITEFORD

With nearly six months to go until the referendum – and support for independence at its highest since last summer - the SNP is today highlighting what people across Scotland stand to gain from independence.

And in the week it was revealed that Scotland’s Future – the blueprint for an independent Scotland – has become a ‘bestseller’, with over 100,000 copies ordered, the SNP is encouraging those who have not yet ordered or downloaded their copy to do so.

Commenting, Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford said:

“As September draws nearer, the choice we face between two futures we face becomes ever clearer. And more and more people are moving to Yes, with recent polls showing support for independence at its highest since last summer.

“Scotland’s Future – the blueprint for an independent Scotland – is now a ‘bestseller’, with over 100,000 copies ordered. Over the next six months, we will continue to encourage as many people as possible to order a copy to provide them with the answers they need.

“The gains of independence are clear. With Yes, we can get rid of Trident from Scotland’s soil once and for all. With No, we face a bill of £100bn for a new generation of nuclear weapons.

“With Yes, we can put an end to the democratic deficit we face under Westminster rule. Only independence can ensure Scotland gets the government it votes for – every time.

“With Yes, we can transform childcare, benefitting 240,000 children and their families. With No, Westminster’s austerity agenda threatens to push up to 100,000 more children in Scotland into poverty.

“With Yes, we can scrap the hated Bedroom Tax, saving 82,500 families in Scotland around £50 per month. With No, we are signed up to years of austerity which hit the poorest hardest – Osborne is already signed up to another £25bn of cuts.

“With Yes, we can bring the Royal Mail back into public hands where it belongs. Under Westminster rule, we have seen it privatised despite the fact that a majority of Scottish MPs voted to keep it in public ownership.

“With Yes, we can take action to reverse years of growing inequality as part of the UK, working to close the gap between rich and poor. With No, the gap will continue to grow and we have little chance of stopping what UK Business Secretary Vince Cable called the “giant suction machine” of London “draining the life out of the rest of the country”.

“These are just some of the gains people across Scotland stand to make with independence. I am confident people across Scotland vote Yes on September 18 to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.”