Mike Vickers' Blog

This was the forth of five presentations by the five major political parties in Scotland about how Scots should vote in the September Referendum

First let me say I have been a Liberal all my life and I draw little comfort from the Liberals in the Coalition. Second that Willie Rennie to me has been way below the parapet – inconspicuous.

So it was good last evening for Rennie to reveal himself as his own man, a man in control of his party, a somewhat cheeky man.  I was less concerned as to his performance in his speech and wondered how he would perform under questions and in that he came out well.

To his statement of policy, the policy was good but unfortunately it doesn’t carry much weight as the Liberals are such a small party now even in its erstwhile stronghold of Scotland.

Devo max for ever, complete tax raising to Scotland, only corporation tax common across the UK, less clear on welfare, preschool  as the building block for Scottish citizens, equal power to women in society (but nearly everyone says that now) and strongly in Europe.

In Europe there’s a problem: he stated that an Independent Scotland would have a border with its major trading partner, rUK,  and trade with rUK is key to Scotland’s economy –true – but where does the European dimension stand if a united kingdom leaves the EU (Britain in Europe in Work).

Menzies Campbell has set the Liberal stall – now to be followed at Rennie’s instigation by Campbell 2 – coming soon.

Nice to be reminded of Beveridge.

But where he came unstuck was where is the Better Together Song Sheet ?  He stated it will come but there is only 9 months left.  Campbell 2 is no substitute.