"Trident is redundant" says Deputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been reacting to David Cameron's views on Trident and has said the Prime Minister is 'out of touch':
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'David Cameron should apologise for Westminster's betrayal of Scotland's communities' says SNP Defence minister
– Angus Robertson MP, Spokesperson, Scottish National Party Defence“It is the most enormous blunder for the No campaign to place Trident at the centre of the referendum debate.
"The Parliament and 80 per cent of the people of Scotland want to get rid of Trident, and the obscene waste of up to £100 billion it represents at a time of austerity and savage welfare cuts from Westminster.
"David Cameron should be using this visit as his opportunity to apologise for Westminster's betrayal of Scotland’s communities and its constant broken promises on defence."
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Cameron says 'keep trident'
As part of his visit to Scotland, David Cameron is due to visit HMS Victorious, a Royal Navy submarine which keeps Trident nuclear missiles continuously at sea.
The Scottish National Party say they would scrap Trident in an independent Scotland.
However, Mr Cameron says it would be 'foolish' to abandon it because of the threat of nuclear attack from North Korea.
Prime Minister in Scotland
The Prime Minister will say the UK is 'stronger and safer together' as he visits Scotland today.
Speaking ahead of a trip to the offices of a defence contractor, David Cameron said:
– Prime Minister, David Cameron“Scotland has a world renowned and highly skilled defence sector that employs over 12,600 people and has annual sales in excess of £1.8 billion.
“Being part of the UK opens doors for the Scottish defence industry around the globe. When we sell Typhoons overseas, this benefits jobs and growth for companies making components in Scotland.
“Scotland counts for more on the world stage because it is part of the United Kingdom and Scottish defence jobs are more secure as part of the United Kingdom. "Defence matters. We are stronger and safer together.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the visit, Scotland's Deputy First Minister has stepped up calls for David Cameron to agree to a live TV debate with Alex Salmond on Scottish Independence.
– Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister"First and foremost in such a referendum debate should be the UK Government’s brutal welfare cuts – and how David Cameron can possibly justify the Westminster system imposing iniquitous measures such as the Bedroom Tax on Scotland when over 90 per cent of Scottish MPs voted against it.
“David Cameron should use his visit to Scotland to speak for himself and agree to a head-to-head debate with Alex Salmond – if he does not, the conclusion we can take is that he is incapable of defending Westminster’s attacks on working families and some of our most vulnerable citizens to the people of Scotland.”
David Cameron tweets praise for Cumbria
Prime Minister David Cameron has tweeted praise for Cumbria Day after visiting the exhibition in Westminster.
He said:
"Just visited #cumbriaday event at parliament to promote tourism in this beautiful area. Brings back happy memories of swimming in Ullswater."
Scottish Independence 'would deliver faster growth'
Independence would "provide Scotland with the opportunity to capture and deliver faster sustainable economic growth, with greater opportunities to tackle key challenges in sustainability and inequality over the long-term", according to a report by The Fiscal Commission Working Group.
It described Scotland as a "wealthy country" which is "on a par with many other successful independent countries".
The panel of experts highlighted a number of key strengths in the Scottish economy, including the energy sector, life sciences, food and drink and tourism.
But it said the country faced a number of challenges "not least tackling the long-term growth gap between Scotland and other comparable countries".
– The Fiscal Commission Working Group reportIt is clear that over the long-term, Scotland has not completely fulfilled its economic potential.
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SNP: Govt report shows 'breathtaking arrogance'
The government is making its case against Scottish Independence today.
David Cameron is releasing the first in a series of reports, highlighting how the UK and Scotland benefit from the union.
Speaking in an ITV Daybreak interview Stuart Maxwell from the Scottish National Party said the UK Government's report today showed a "breathtaking arrogance" over their "supposed" recognition of Scotland as an equal partner.
Scotland would have to 're-negotiate' world relations
Advice on what will happen to Scotland if it became independent from the UK will be published today.
A summary of the report, issued from Downing Street ahead of the publication, revealed that it was an "unusual step" for the Government to publish full legal opinion from experts.
– Government issued summary of the report on Scottish independenceIf Scotland became independent, only the remainder of the UK would automatically continue to exercise the same rights, obligations and powers under international law as the UK currently does, and would not have to re-negotiate existing treaties or re-apply for membership of international organisations.
Scotland warned against independence from UK
The UK Government will today reveal the advice it has been given on what would happen if Scotland became independent from the rest of the UK.
According to Professors James Crawford and Alan Boyle, who set out their opinions in the paper, Scotland would be treated as a new country, having to renegotiate its relationship with world bodies.
The Scottish Government issued a paper last week, which assuming a Yes vote occurred in autumn 2014, could see negotiations between Scottish ministers and the UK Government, EU and international organisations concluded by March 2016.
Today's publication does not include specific advice from the European Commission on the implications of Scottish independence in the EU.
David Cameron launches defence of United Kingdom
David Cameron has launched a defence of the United Kingdom as his government prepares to put the "facts" about Scottish independence to the public.
While people in Scotland will make the decision in autumn next year, the implications will have obvious impacts across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Conservative leader said.
"Britain is admired around the world as a source of prosperity, power and security," he said.
"Those glorious Olympics last summer reminded us just what we were capable of when we pull together: Scottish, English, Welsh, Northern Irish, all in the same boat - sometimes literally.
"If you told many people watching those Olympics around the world that we were going to erect barriers between our people, they'd probably be baffled. Put simply: Britain works. Britain works well. Why break it?"
Cameron spoke out one day before the government publishes the first in a series of analysis papers about Scotland's role in the union.
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