1. There are a lot of positive sounding promises in the SNP’s White Paper, but as it is really a manifesto, it does not mention how many could be delivered without breaking up our country, through influencing Government policies in London and Edinburgh.
  2. Also, because it is really a manifesto masquerading as a White Paper it does not mention the many risks and sensitivities of its plans, even though any first year student in business studies will tell you any plan without these is simply half baked.
  3. The SNP say that as long as the price of oil holds up and the economy of Scotland grows as they hope, their plans should be affordable, but they forgot to mention what will happen if real life intervenes and we face less than these picture perfect conditions.
  4. If the SNP Government gets their way we must negotiate the terms of Scotland staying in or re-joining the European Union and the terms of the break up of the United Kingdom. They forgot to mention what will happen if either the European Union or the United Kingdom are not the pushovers that Alex Salmond assumes.
  5. Europe might expect Scotland to meet the same terms as new entrants – namely that we agree to eventually join the Euro and to become part of the ‘ever closer Europe’ project – which is likely to mean losing opt outs and Scotland’s share of the UK rebate. Alex Salmond says he thinks Europe will want us and I think he is right. I just think they will want us on their terms, not his.
  6. If we vote for Alex Salmond’s nationalist vision in the Referendum, we will need to negotiate terms with the UK Government for the resulting break up of our country and all of its assets and debts. The SNP Government has forgotten to mention what will happen if on anything from pensions, to underpinning Scottish banks, from the share of accumulated debts to the arrangements  for at least an interim currency, something less than the SNP’s ideal results. Alex Salmond assumes he will get the best terms, namely his terms. I think the Government and people of the rest of the UK will be more careful looking after their interests than he thinks.
  7. A nationalist view of  ‘independence’ ignores that we already have great influence and access to democracy across the UK, Scotland and through local government, that we already have wide ranging freedoms and equal opportunities underpinned by law, and that all of this has been evolved over generations. The nationalists are not offering us ‘independence’ so much as offering us an alternative version of ‘independence’ where nationalists have all the power.
  8. A nationalist view of  ‘independence’ insists that we break the ties of over 300 years of shared heritage, culture and loyalties.
  9. A nationalist view of  ‘independence’  includes around half of the people of Scotland making foreigners of members of their own families that happen to live in other parts of the United Kingdom.
  10. A nationalist view of  ‘independence’ requires each of us to turn our backs on so many things and people that we love and care about.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Ordinary Man