Economic Opportunities of Independence

As an amendment to motion S4M-10769 in the name of John Swinney (Economic Opportunities of Independence), leave out from "can be" to end and insert "benefits from being part of the UK currency union, which is one of the oldest, strongest and most successful in history; considers that keeping the pound and the current arrangement within the UK economic and political union is in the best interests of Scotland and that the only way to keep the pound on present terms is to vote to stay in the UK; believes that Scotland benefits from being part of the deeply integrated UK economy, which is the third largest economy in Europe and the sixth largest in the world; considers that being part of the large and diverse UK economy provides strength and stability to Scotland’s finances; believes that, as part of the UK economic union, Scotland is afforded protection from unexpected economic and financial shocks; considers that Scottish businesses have unfettered access to a domestic market 10 times the size of Scotland’s population and that it is imperative that this remains the case; believes that Scotland benefits from being part of an integrated economic union and that the pooling of tax income ensures that public spending in one part of the UK is not exclusively dependent on the taxes raised in that area, meaning that, if one part of the UK is disproportionately impacted on by an economic downturn or slow growth, public services in that area are not forced to assume all of its impact, and considers that the best future for Scotland is for a Scottish Parliament with more powers and enhanced accountability within a strengthened union".