Perhaps the most unusual venue yet for what is fast becoming the most itinerant Cabinet in the British Isles, the Glasgow Science Centre will be the place to be this morning when the Scottish Government unleashes its 700 pages of Independence information to the Scottish public.
A detailed plan to create jobs, boost the economy and increase long-term economic security will be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s white paper on independence.
First Minister Alex Salmond said the white paper will put beyond dispute Scotland’s capacity to be a successful, independent country and he said it will show that no country has ever been better equipped to become independent.
A formal meeting of the Scottish Cabinet will take place at the Glasgow Science Centre ahead of the launch of the Scottish Government’s guide to independence.
All members of the Cabinet will attend Tuesday’s launch, before returning to Holyrood for a statement in Parliament.
More than 200 members of the media – from across the UK, Spain, France, Germany, China, the Middle East, Netherlands, Japan, North America, Australia and Russia – have so far registered to attend the launch event which will be streamed online to give as many members of the public as possible the opportunity to view it.
The guide to independence which has been designed to be as accessible and reader-friendly as possible will be available online at scotreferendum.com and is suitable for reading on tablet, ipad and kindle as well as in hard copy. A summary document will also be available in print and online in order to make it as accessible as possible for people across Scotland.
Follow updates from the launch by watching live on scotreferendum.com and through @scotreferendum and #indyplan.
Speaking ahead of the launch Mr Salmond said:
“We are setting out a positive plan for job opportunities and economic growth based on Scotland’s vast natural resources, key growth sectors and human talent.
“The Scottish Government is setting out plans for the future, and from Tuesday we will seek to engage the whole Scottish population in a debate about how to build a better Scotland.
“We will set out a series of reasonable proposals and ask people to judge for themselves this common-sense approach.
“The white paper will detail how Scotland’s public finances are healthier than the UK’s and will show that we have raised more in tax per head than the UK as a whole for every one of the last 30 years.
“As well as demonstrating these firm foundations, the white paper will put the focus of the referendum campaign firmly on Scotland’s future and the issues that matters most to people – jobs, economic growth and security.
“It will make the economic, social and democratic case for independence and show that the better Scotland we all seek can only be achieved by putting the decisions about Scotland’s future in the hands of the people of Scotland.
“Everyone in Scotland should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and to make a contribution to our society. This white paper will show that with the powers of independence we can and will grow our economy, boost our population, and ensure everyone in Scotland benefits from our wealth.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
