Home Rule journey

The three parties campaigning for Scotland to stay in the UK have said that a ‘No’ vote on 18 September will be the start of change.

The Lib Dems have set out a timetable for the next stage of Scotland’s Home Rule journey.

This timetable starts the day after a ‘No’ vote, with a draft bill published by the end of January, giving Scotland major new financial powers, including over income tax and social security.

This shows Scots can have the best of both worlds, real change without irreversible separation and the risks to jobs and future prosperity.

The Liberal Democrats were the first to set out our plans for a stronger Scottish Parliament.

Now all parties have put forward ambitious plans for further devolution to Scotland. They differ in detail but share much common ground on tax and welfare.

•Tax: The priority is further devolution of tax powers, in particular income tax, to increase the financial autonomy and accountability of the Scottish Parliament.

•Welfare: There are advantages to devolving certain benefits, such as housing benefit. But the core of the welfare state should continue to share resources across the UK.

We are setting out a clear plan to give Scots certainty that change is coming.

Referendum

We want the best for Scotland. We believe Scotland is better off in the UK and the UK is better off with Scotland in it.
It is a choice between opportunity and security of staying in the UK or leaving forever – without the pound, without the UK’s influence in the world and one that puts jobs and pensions at risk.
As part of the UK, Scotland has economic security, international influence and the best of both worlds.
We have a great future together – a United Kingdom with a united future.

Risks of Independence

The real risk of a ‘Yes’ vote has already knocked billions off the value of Scottish companies and led to warnings of the impact of separation on jobs and pensions.

In contrast, the announcement of a clear delivery plan for further devolution has shown that a vote for ‘No’ is a vote for change.

Earlier this week Scottish companies, employing over 40,000 people in Scotland, lost nearly £3 billion in value – hitting pensions.

While the value of the pound fell to its lowest level in ten months, taking billions out of our economy.

We’ve also seen warnings from a wide range of businesses about the impact of independence on jobs, wages and prices.