The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Independence ‘the route to austerity’
Politics: Corbyn urges Scots to stay within the UK
Independence would result in “turbo-charged austerity” for Scotland and a “glaring hole” in the cash for essential public services, Jeremy Corbyn has warned.
While First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to take the UK out of Europe’s single market “undoubtedly” makes a second referendum more likely, the Labour leader cautioned Scots against leaving the UK.
He also insisted the vote for Brexit could bring “opportunities” for Scotland, with the possibility of further powers being devolved to Holyrood.
Mr Corbyn said while “of course Scotland has the talent and ability to run its own affairs”, he did not believe this “would be the best option for the Scottish people”.
Since the 2014 independence referendum, the case for Scotland leaving the UK had “weakened”, he claimed, citing the plunge in North Sea oil revenues as one reason for this.
Speaking out against independence in Glasgow, he insisted: “It would lead to turbo-charged austerity and a glaring hole in the money required to fund essential services, and would not be in the interests of the people of Scotland.”
His claim was, however, rejected by Ms Sturgeon, who branded it “rubbish”.
The SNP leader tweeted: “If Corbyn wasn’t leading such a pitifully ineffective opposition the Tories wouldn’t be getting away with half of what they are.”
Mr Corbyn said separating from the rest of the UK “would not tackle the underlying problems facing Scotland” such as poverty.
Independence would mean “political power would lie with the Edinburgh establishment” instead of in London, but he stressed “economic power would remain south of the border”.
He said: “Of the 250 largest companies in the UK, only 17 have their headquarters in Scotland.
“So, decisions on Scottish wages and salaries would be made in boardrooms largely down south where the Scottish Government would have little sway.”
The Labour leader said he could “empathise” with the 67% who “believe there is an ‘establishment’ in London that doesn’t understand the problems faced by people living in Scotland”. He added 43% of Scots “agree that an Edinburgh establishment doesn’t understand them either”.
Mr Corbyn told the audience, including Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale: “220,000 Scottish children live in poverty. It’s the same across our cities, small towns and rural communities in England.”
He went on to say: “It is too simplistic to define Scottish challenges as being a national question while insisting issues in the English north are an economic question.”
“Of 250 largest companies in the UK, only 17 have headquarters in Scotland”