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Democracy, by Jackie Baillie In seven weeks time we face a choice between two different futures: continuing the success of devolution within the UK or separation with all the risks and uncertainty it brings.

Since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, devolution has delivered for the people of Scotland. It has given us complete responsibility over health, education, housing, transport and much more. And the three pro-UK parties have guaranteed more powers over tax and welfare for the Scottish Parliament so this journey will continue if we say ‘no thanks’ to separation in September.

The SNP, on the other hand, has opposed devolution at every opportunity. When the Scottish Constitutional Convention brought the trade unions, churches and political parties together in the 1990s to campaign for a Scottish Parliament, the SNP refused to join in. The majority of Scots wanted devolution, but the nationalists sat outside in a huff because they were only interested in independence. In 2009 the SNP refused to join the Calman Commission, the review initiated by Labour, which resulted in the greatest transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament since devolution. On each occasion, the SNP have been devolution deniers.

The reality is that the settled will of the Scottish people is in support of home rule within the UK. The SNP are on the wrong side of the argument, and they know it. That’s why they are trying to turn this referendum into a vote on the Tories. I don’t believe we should take a leap in the dark and tear ourselves out of the UK because of the Tories, we can get rid of them at the General Election in May. This isn’t about David Cameron or even Alex Salmond, when they are long gone the consequences of separation would last forever.

The SNP tell us that most Scots don’t get the government we vote for and that’s why we should separate. They fail to point out that the SNP only achieved 22.8% support from the population as a whole at the last election so, by their own logic, you could say that most Scots didn’t get the government we voted for at Holyrood. If you are sixteen years old and voting for the first time in September you will have spent three quarters of your life with a Labour government so the SNP argument is nonsense.

Devolution means we can have the best of both worlds: a strong Scottish Parliament with full control over things like health and education, while also benefiting from the stability and security of being part of the United Kingdom.

Inequality I joined the Labour Party to fight for social justice and tackle inequality. There is no greater cause than to eradicate poverty, in this country and across the world. Labour achieved much – lifting 200,000 children out of poverty; halving pensioner poverty and introducing the minimum wage. Tackling health inequalities by creating the NHS, advancing women’s rights and investing in public services . From equal pay legislation to children’s tax credits, Labour has delivered for women and children by pooling and sharing our resources across the UK. But there is more to do.

But it has taken political will, not constitutional change, to deliver the real life-changing policies which have meant so much to families in Clydebank, Alexandria and Dumbarton.

However in recent years this progress has stalled. People in West Dunbartonshire are caught between two governments with the wrong priorities and women and families are bearing the brunt. The SNP will promise you anything to win your vote, but they will not do anything to change your lives. Their track record in government speaks for itself: 50,000 jobs cut from public services, like schools and hospitals; and £1 billion removed from tackling poverty budgets.

The SNP’s vision of an independent Scotland would lead to greater inequality. Their flagship economic policy is a 3% tax cut for big business and the banks. Not one penny would go on tackling poverty. Even Alex Salmond’s own advisor, Prof Joseph Stiglitz has said that the policy would increase inequality and do nothing to attract investment. Economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have also warned that a separate Scotland would have to make huge cuts to public services or raise taxes just to balance the books.

I strongly believe that the best future for people in West Dunbartonshire lies within the United Kingdom where we can pool and share resources among 63 million people instead of just 5 million. Being part of something bigger means we have the ability to redistribute wealth to the places and the people who need it most. That’s why most Scots are saying ‘no thanks’ on September 18.