| Will large companies want to stay in Scotland after |
| Wednesday, 18 March 2009 15:00 |
| Just before the 1979 devolution referendum, the Daily Express ran a headline listing all the factories that would supposedly close if Scotland got a Parliament. We didn’t get our Parliament, but all the factories which they listed closed anyway - under a UKGovernment. Then, in the 1997 referendum, scare stories were circulated about large corporations moving out of Scotland after devolution. We got our Parliament - and the companies didn’t leave. That’s why scare stories about job losses after Independence are so unconvincing. In fact, Independence provides Scotland with a huge opportunity to develop bothhomegrown businesses and inward investment. At present, Scotland is seen as a branch economy, but with Independence, corporations will be much keener to have their headquarters here, or at least set up new Scottish HQs. We will finally be able to set our own corporation tax and use this to attract businesses to Scotland, rather than rely on a UK economic policy which will always be balanced to suit the needs of the south. To boost employment in Scotland, we need an economic policy which is designed for the needs of the 21st century – the age of the small country - and Independence is the way to achieve that. |
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