As Scottish Conservatives and Unionists, our passion for the Union runs deep.
We are as proud to be Scottish as anyone else, but are of the firm conviction that Scotland is best served by remaining the jewel in the crown of the United Kingdom. The case for voting ‘no’ is therefore overwhelmingly positive. In the first instance, Scotland presently enjoys the best of both worlds. We have the benefits of being an internationally recognised nation with vast autonomy – our own legal system, our own education system and our own Parliament with significant powers. However, we also enjoy the security of being an integral part of the UK, one of the world’s leading nation states. As well as providing economic and military security, the UK also maintains vast global influence, with a seat at the top table of the UN, NATO, the G8 and the EU. An Independent Scotland would be deprived of this global role. Secondly, there are the strong cultural ties which bind the different nations of the UK together. England, Wales and Northern Ireland are not foreign to us, and at a time when so many countries are being torn apart along ethnic or religious lines, we should be celebrating our unique and special union. Four distinct parts, proudly maintaining their own culture and heritage, yet simultaneously fused together into a cohesive whole. Unpicking those innumerable ties which bind our nations would lead to years if not decades of chaos. This is why the Conservatives in East Lothian are proudly backing the Union.