STUC Launches Final 'A Just Scotland' Report

One of Scotland's leading trade unions has concluded there's no case for a Yes or a No vote in the referendum.

After two years of research and debate with both sides, the STUC says it has strong criticisms of the two camps.

It says competing claims on currency, the NHS, the economy and pensions have yet to be addressed properly.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary said:

"This report concludes a two year process in which STUC has consulted with members, debated within civil society and engaged with both campaigns and governments across the whole range of policy areas covered by the debate.

"We have spent much of the last two years urging both sides of the debate to recognise and to bring forward arguments to address the fundamental inequalities of wealth and income in society.  We have been successful to a degree.  But this report concludes that neither of the mainstream referendum campaign groups, nor the respective governments, has been willing to consistently challenge the orthodoxies which have led to the prevailing conditions.

"We have not concluded that an unequivocal case for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ can be made but we have some strong criticisms of different aspects of both cases.

"The 19th of September will be a day to look forwards rather than backwards, we have already organised our first major conference (15th October) and a march and rally (18th October) which will allow our members and Scotland's communities to come together, irrespective of the result and to reaffirm our commitment to achieving social and economic change."