More than 200 business people have lent their support to the “Yes Scotland” campaign in an open letter published in The Herald Scotland newspaper, just one day after 130 slammed the idea of secession from the UK.
The heads of 200 companies representing about 10 percent of
Scotland’s workforce have backed Scottish independence over
staying with the UK. Similar to the pro-unity bloc’s letter on
Wednesday, all the bosses signed on an individual basis, not as
representatives of their companies.
“We are involved in business and entrepreneurship at
different levels in Scotland and around the world. We believe
independence is in the best interests of Scotland’s economy and
its people,” the letter reads.
Wealth and entrepreneurship will blossom in Scotland once power
and resources are centralized in Edinburgh and not London, the
pro-independence business leaders wrote, hoping to tip the
balance of economic power.
“It will encourage a culture in which innovation, endeavor
and enterprise are nurtured. It will place power in the hands of
Scotland’s people to channel the huge resources of our country in
the interests of those who live and work here,” the letter
states.
“The London-centricity of Britain’s economy is
unsustainable,” wrote Professor Nathu Puri, founder of
Purico, a UK-based industrial manufacturing company with
strong ties to India.
“We must re-industrialize the nations and regions outside of
the South East of England,” Puri said.
In total, the ‘Yes’ campaign says that over 2,500 businesspeople
have joined the pro-independence Business for Scotland
organization, with membership coming from large corporations to
smaller, family-owned businesses.
Tony Banks, the chairman of the group, calls the demographic the
“lifeblood” of Scotland’s economy.
“More and more business people are moving to ‘Yes’ after
looking at the facts and figures. Our members know Scotland’s
balance sheet is relatively stronger than the UK’s but we have
the potential to be stronger. We know Scotland will thrive as an
independent country, because key economic decisions will be made
by those who truly understand and care most about our Scotland’s
distinctive economic needs, that’s the people who live and work
here,” Banks said.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron expected to give a speech later
on Thursday which will focus on the connectedness of the Scottish
economy to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Cameron will say
that in some industries, Scottish companies source 90 percent of
their customers from the UK. According to Cameron, trade between
the UK and Scotland supports 1 million Scottish jobs, or about 20
percent of the population.
Leading signatories are Sir Brian Souter, chairman of Stagecoach,
an Australian-based transport giant, Jim McColl, chairman and CEO
of Clyde Blowers, a £1 billion engineering group, and Ralph
Topping, former CEO of gambling site William Hill.
On Wednesday, about 130 pro-UK business leaders signed an open letter stating their case to
keep Scotland a part of the Union, and not seek independence.
The letter argued that Scotland’s business success is directly
correlated to its integration with the UK economy, which is more
than 10 times bigger than the Scottish economy of $250 billion.
The letter argued that Scotland’s recent success, record growth
in investment and high employment are both connected to
integration with the UK, and that separation would put progress
at risk.
Article source: http://rt.com/business/183304-200-business-leaders-scotland-independence/
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