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Scotland and the Union

No, I shall not give way as I have done so enough times already. The Union dividend for pensions is the pensions fund raid, which has cost every Scottish family £3,700. That is the Union dividend on pensions. Let us consider the issue that Labour Members like to crow about most: macro-economic management from London. Right, okay, there is growth; but not in Scotland. We have underperformed compared with the rest of the UK since Labour came to power. We should not even bother considering the small European independent nations that would be Scotland’s normal comparators. Compared to Scotland, those nations are economically in another stratosphere because of the dead hand that this House has dealt with the macro-economic management of Scotland. This debate is also called the Government’s policy on the Union. I did not know that they had a policy on the Union other than they were for it and we have heard more about that today. I will make our policy clear: we want to offer a referendum to the people of Scotland on the future of the Union. That is the fair and democratic way to proceed. Constitutional debate has been a feature of Scottish politics since Winnie Ewing’s magnificent triumph in 1967, and the question regarding the Union should be put to Scotland. As democrats, we should be in favour of something as fundamental as letting the Scottish people choose. [Interruption.] The hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North asked ““When?”” from a sedentary position. My hon. Friend the Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) has made that clear. It will be in 2010. We will have the opportunity to prove what an SNP Government in power can do and then we will put the question on the Union to the Scottish people. Some Labour Members have suggested that the election on Thursday is a referendum on the Union, but it is not. Every week and month, Labour Members say that the SNP talks only about the constitution, but Labour Members have discussed nothing but the constitution in this debate. The hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North asked about health and education, but I have hardly heard a peep from the Labour party about those issues. All the First Minister talks about is the constitution, the constitution, the constitution. Scotland will have its choice on the constitution. Hon. Members from the Labour party are frightened of a referendum that will happen in three years time. People will have the choice at that point. I have detained the Chamber for too long. On Thursday, the people of Scotland will have a choice between hope and fear, the positive and the negative, and the ““can do”” and the ““cannot do””. That is the choice that will be put to the Scottish people on Thursday, and I have no doubt about the decision that they will make. One last thing to Labour Members here today: after 50 years, go back to your constituencies and prepare for defeat.