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Scotland unveils blueprint for independence
[Pak Daily Times] An independent Scotland would keep Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch but create its own defence force, nationalist leader Alex Salmond said on Tuesday as he unveiled detailed proposals ahead of next year's historic referendum.Launching his regional government's long-awaited "white paper" on independence, Salmond said he could build a "wealthier and fairer nation" if Scots vote next September to end the 300-year-old union with London. "We'd become independent in more promising circumstances than virtually any other nation in history," Salmond, the first minister, told a packed news conference in Scotland's biggest city Glasgow. "Ultimately at the heart of this debate there is only one question and one choice. "Do we, the people who live and work in Scotland, believe that we are the best people to take decisions about Scotland's future?" Among the proposals in the 670-page tome, an independent Scotland would take 90 percent of revenues from the North Sea oil reserves lying off its shores and would no longer play host to Britannia's Trident nuclear deterrent -- both highly contentious issues. Salmond did admit however that while Scotland had "huge" hydrocarbon resources for another 50 years, "we need to build renewable wealth which will last forever". An independent Scotland would continue to use the pound as its currency, but would ditch the BBC as its national broadcaster. With 10 months to go until the vote, Salmond's Scottish National Party (SNP) is struggling to convince Scots -- some 38 percent are currently planning to vote for independence, according to a Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times, while 47 would vote against. Posted by: Fred 2013-11-27 |
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