Liberal Democrat MP Michael Moore writes a regular column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition.
Scotland’s place in the UK
As the Referendum date quickly approaches, I was glad to have the chance to speak in a House of Commons debate last week on Scotland’s place in the UK.
As part of the United Kingdom we have fantastic economic opportunities through the single market, greater security due to having a seat at the top table at NATO, and the ability for Scotland to punch above its weight internationally due to the UK Foreign Office network around the world.
It was a huge privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Scotland and make the case for Scotland to stay part of the United Kingdom. Delivering more powers for the Scottish Parliament through the Scotland Act and negotiating the Edinburgh Agreement to secure a legal, fair and decisive referendum were two particular highlights.
Throughout my time in government I drew great support from people across the Borders. I am hugely grateful for that support and I was proud to bring attention to the region in the work that I did nationally.
We have a big choice coming up in September – whether to go it alone or remain as part of the most successful family of nations the world has ever known. Like many people across the Borders, I am proud to be Scottish, proud to be British, and I hope together we can keep this family of nations together.
British Heart Foundation
Last week I met with representatives from the British Heart Foundation at their pop-up shop in the Upper Waiting Hall of the Palace of Westminster. The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s biggest funder of charitable heart research. For over 50 years they have pioneered research that has changes the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions.
The pop-up shop in Parliament was to raise awareness of their new campaign – ‘Ramp up the Red’- to highlight the work of British Heart Foundation shops in local communities like ours. British Heart Foundation shops raise vital funds for life-saving medical research – £31 million last year – and support local communities by offering high quality low cost goods, heart health information, as well as volunteering and employment opportunities. Here in the the Borders we have 3 local shops in Galashiels, Kelso and Hawick, whose full-time members of staff and volunteers are doing great work to help fund research, support and care for those suffering with heart disease.
* Michael Moore was the Liberal Democrat MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk from 1997-2015 and Secretary of State for Scotland from 2010-2013.
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3 Comments
I think this depends less on Scotland than on England’s attitude to the EU.
Surely Scotland can “punch above its weight internationally” by being a member of the EU?
That is the family of nations we need to ensure we keep together not the imperialist concept that is the UK. There will always be strong links between England and Scotland, just as there are between England and Ireland after 90 years of Irish Independence. Yet the unionist parties are still spouting nonsense about customs posts and passport controls. You don’t have either when travelling between England and Ireland, or France, Belgium, and the Netherlands for that matter, So why should you if Scotland became a partner nation of England in the EU instead of being a subsidiary of England in an outdated UK?
In one word Steve; schengen.
And what is outdated about the UK?