Rachael Hamilton has emphasised the importance of the union to Scotland in a speech at the East Lothian Conservative AGM.
The South of Scotland MSP spoke to members about the recently published GERS figures that showed Scotland as having a near £15billion budget deficit.
This equates to 9.5% of GDP, as opposed to 4% of GDP in the rest of the UK.
Thanks to being part of the union however, the financial burden is spread across the whole of the UK, meaning that every man, woman and child receives a £1,600 ‘union dividend’.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“Scotland continues to face challenging financial times.
“Our deficit increased further as the Scottish Government is still spending more on public services than they are raising in taxes and other revenue streams.
“It further proves that we are better off pooling and sharing our resources with a wider United Kingdom.
“Every man, woman and child north of the border is better off to the tune of £1600 thanks to Scotland being part of the UK.
“Being part of the Union is like having a buffer zone – allowing us to withstand shocks like a fall in the oil price without a sudden crash in revenue.”
East Lothian Conservative and Unionist Association Chairman Tim Jackson, who was re-elected at the AGM, echoed Rachael’s comments. He also highlighted that the association’s recent increase in membership was an indicator of the support there is for staying in the union.
Tim Jackson said:
“Our increase in membership has helped to reinforce the message that Scotland does not universally want or need a second Independence Referendum.
“It shows the level of support we have for remaining united and preventing us from being thrown into yet another destabilising Referendum.
“The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party are now the only party who will always support the Union.”
