Scottish independence, White Paper unveiled
Written by author on November 26, 2013
Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has launched his government’s independence blueprint, calling it a “mission statement” for the future.
The 670-page White Paper promised a “revolution” in social policy, with childcare at its heart.
The launch came ahead of next September’s independence referendum.
Alistair Darling, leader of the campaign to keep the Union, branded the document a “work of fiction, full of meaningless assertions”.
On 18 September, Scots voters will be asked the yes/no question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
As well as making the case for independence, the White Paper also set out a series of policy pledges which the SNP said it would pursue if elected as the government of an independent Scotland.
These included:
- Thirty hours of childcare per week in term time for all three and four-year-olds, as well as vulnerable two-year-olds.
- Trident nuclear weapons, currently based on the Clyde, removed within the first parliament.
- Housing benefit reforms, described by critics as the “bedroom tax”, to be abolished, and a halt to the rollout of Universal Credit.
- It would be in Scotland’s interest to keep the pound, while the Bank of England would continue as “lender of last resort”.
- BBC Scotland replaced at the start of 2017 with a new Scottish broadcasting service, continuing a formal relationship with the rest of the BBC.
- Basic rate tax allowances and tax credits to rise at least in line with inflation.
- A safe, “triple-locked” pension system.
- Minimum wage to “rise alongside the cost of living”.
