TWO weeks today, with all votes cast and counted, we will finally know the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum and I sincerely hope the majority of Inverclyde residents will join me in casting a No vote to Scottish separation.

I love my country and care passionately about its future and that is why I do not believe independence is in our best interests.

I am involved in politics because I want a fairer, more prosperous society across the UK with greater opportunities for all.

It’s about building a better Scotland within the UK and the next Labour Government will achieve this by increasing the UK national minimum wage, repealing the ‘bedroom tax’ and providing a jobs guarantee for our young people. We will also pass a new Scotland Act to strengthen the Scottish Parliament and devolve powers over tax, housing benefit and the work programme. Labour will also freeze energy prices to help working families in Inverclyde. This can be achieved by pooling the resources of 60 million people across the UK, rather than 5 million in Scotland. By working together we will create a better society for all.

Independence will not put an end to austerity – it will make it worse and it’s the poorest who would suffer most from the extra austerity independence would bring.

Scotland spends up to £40 billion a year on health, education, pensions and social security. In the last 5 years Inverclyde alone has benefited from over £1 billion of UK welfare payments such as DLA/PIP, Housing Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance. With oil revenues expected to amount to just £2.9 billion in the first year of independence, the SNP have never made it clear how they would retain current public sector spending while funding the creation of a new Scottish State. Scots do not have to spend billions on replicating the institutions and services we have spent the last 300 years creating as part of UK.

We can all vote No to independence in favour of a better Scotland, with a strengthened Scottish Parliament backed by the strength and security we have as being part of the UK.