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Scotland benefits from being part of UK, says Alistair Carmichael Scottish independence: White Paper 'a mirage', says Alistair Carmichael
(about 11 hours later)
The Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael is to set out the case for Scotland remaining in the UK union. The Scottish government's White Paper on independence is a "mirage", according to the Scottish secretary.
During a lecture in Stirling later, he will say Scotland gets more back from the UK than it puts in. Alistair Carmichael used a speech in Stirling to highlight the "shared values, shared effort, shared achievements" of the UK.
He plans to cite 20 reasons why Scotland benefits from being part of the UK, including more jobs, extra spending per head and safer banks. But he also warned the current devolution settlement was "unbalanced", and called for more tax-raising powers for the Scottish Parliament.
The SNP said many of these gains could survive independence - as well as Scotland having full self-government. The Scottish government has published 50 questions for the No campaign.
The UK government minister will make a speech at Stirling University, highlighting issues raised in the Scotland Analysis programme, a series of papers designed to promote the UK ahead of the referendum. Speaking at Stirling University, UK government minister Mr Carmichael said Scotland benefited greatly from being part of the UK, claiming cheaper mortgages, safer banks and better pensions were among the gains.
He is expected to say that banks are safer, mortgages are cheaper and "public spending in Scotland is consistently 10% higher than the UK average". He said public spending was "consistently 10% higher than the UK average", and highlighted the BBC and NHS as UK institutions that "bind together our family in pride and endeavour".
He will say: "Right now, we get the benefits from natural resources like North Sea oil - but are able to manage the volatility in production and price as part of a much larger and diverse economy made up of 60 million individuals rather than just five; 4.5 million companies rather than 320,000 - a market with no boundaries, no borders, no customs - but with a stable UK currency that is respected and envied across the world; a single financial system, and a single body of rules and regulations." During the speech, Mr Carmichael attacked the independence blueprint, and accused Nationalists of being "skittish and evasive".
Mr Carmichael will also highlight UK institutions such as the NHS and the BBC. He said: "The Nationalists like to assert that they have a vision for an independent Scotland and that their White Paper is its articulation.
He will say: "These are just a few of the things that bind together our family in pride and endeavour. Shared values, shared effort, shared achievements. Why should we now break these things up? "It is not. This is not a vision, it is a mirage. Like all mirages, the closer you get the less real it becomes.
"For too long we've let go unspoken the contribution that Scotland makes to the UK. And we've been equally silent on the benefits that we get from being part of it. "In every sense, it simply does not add up," he added.
"2013 was the year when the UK government started putting the record straight. We're talking about a complex, detailed piece of analytical work - that's because what we have in the UK is a product of years, of decades worth of co-operation and negotiation - both within the UK and with our neighbours." Further devolution
'Transformational benefits' Scotland will vote in a referendum on independence on 18 September, with voters being asked the yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"
He will say banks ware safer, there is greater financial protection for savers and pensioners, cheaper mortgages and a single labour market which allows people to move freely within the UK for jobs. Though he dismissed the case for independence, Mr Carmichael said the current political settlement was "unbalanced", adding that Holyrood should have greater tax-raising powers.
"The list can - and does - go on," he will add. "And together these facts add up to make the positive case for Scotland in the UK." He said further devolution was "necessary to complete the project that we started with the Scotland Act in 1998".
Responding to the speech, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The Scottish government has published Scotland's Future which outlines in comprehensive detail the clear, transformational benefits of becoming an independent country. "It is perhaps the law of unintended consequences coming to play here, and the fact that you can only do these things incrementally, we have produced a politics which is unbalanced, which speaks about how you spend money but not about how you raise it," he added.
"It illustrates how the powers of independence can be used to benefit individuals, families, communities and the nation as a whole - and it has economic growth, jobs and fairness at its heart. "In order to make Donald Dewar's vision from the late 1990s complete, to make it work as it ought to work as I believe it can work, then I think we have to give the Scottish Parliament extra powers, especially on tax-raising."
"By contrast, the Westminster government is tearing apart our social security system, privatising public services and is determined to force through permanent austerity. 'Crunch questions'
"It's time the UK government came clean on the damaging consequences of what will happen if powers are retained by Westminster." Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon responded to Mr Carmichael by publishing 50 questions which she said those leading the anti-independence campaign must answer about the consequences of voting No in the referendum.
Ms Sturgeon said: "Last week, the chancellor announced plans for a further £25bn of public spending cuts - including huge additional cuts to welfare - which brings into even sharper relief the prospects for Scotland under the Westminster system should there be a No vote in September.
"The Scottish government has published a detailed, 670-page guide to an independent Scotland, including answers to 650 questions.
"In the interests of a fair, balanced and fully-informed debate, it is essential that there is an equivalent amount of detail from those arguing for a No vote.
"Those leading the anti-independence campaign have a responsibility to answer the crunch questions such as by how much will Scotland's budget be cut if there is a No vote, will the UK remain in the European Union, and how much more of Scotland's money would be wasted on Trident nuclear weapons that we neither want not need?
"These issues and many more highlight why it is essential that we achieve a Yes vote in September."