Miliband makes major intervention in Scottish independence debate

Today Ed Miliband will make his biggest intervention in the Scottish independence debate to date, with a speech highlighting the importance of Scotland to the history and future of the United Kingdom.

Speaking in Edinburgh, Ed Miliband will say that by voting “no” in the referendum, Scotland will be choosing a big change:

 “By voting “no” you can say “yes” to the biggest progressive change for a generation. My appeal to the people of Scotland is to be part of our mission to change Britain. Scotland has always thought big. And the way to think big in the 21st century is by changing the United Kingdom. Changing our economy: to make it more equal. Changing our society: to make it more fair. And changing our politics: to reform the British state so it works for people in every part of our country.”

Drawing upon a long history of influential Scottish figures, Miliband will stress how important Scotland has historically been in the United Kingdom’s history:

“Every time the United Kingdom has faced huge challenges, the people of Scotland have been there leading the way. Every time there has been a need for big economic and political change, the people of Scotland have been instrumental in making it happen.  Every time that there has been a call for change in our country, the voices of the people of Scotland have been heard loudest in response. Generations of Scots have led the cause of equality across our history. And each time, you’ve looked not just to your own communities, not just to your own nation, but out to the whole of the United Kingdom and beyond. So this is the question for this and future generations of Scots: how can you best put your traditions of equality into practice? In an independent Scotland, apart from the rest of the UK? Or at the heart of a movement that goes beyond the border and changes all of Britain.”


He will recognise the deep desire for economic and social change in Scotland due to the cost-of-living crisis and he will highlight Labour’s mission to change this, reaffirming his pledge to tackle exploitative zero-hour contracts:

“Ninety thousand people here in Scotland are on zero hours contracts. Nearly 400,000 people in Scotland earning less than the living wage. That’s one in five of all working Scots. With no security in work from week to week. So much so that more of the people in poverty in Britain today are in work than out of work. A low pay epidemic that shames us all. The next Labour Government will write the next chapter in the battle against low pay. Raising the minimum wage by more than average earnings. That’s why the next Labour Government will act on the insecurity of zero hours contracts. We will ban exploitative zero hours contracts.”

Miliband will also talk about the problem of inequality, highlighting Labour’s promises to reintroduce the 50p tax rate and freeze energy bills:

“To tackle the inequality our country faces, we need a progressive tax system. Through a return of the 50p top rate of tax so that those with the biggest shoulders bear the greatest burden. We pledge also a real end, across the whole of the UK, to this government’s horrendous, iniquitous, unfair Bedroom Tax. We can only make our country work for working people again if we hold to account the powerful forces that have been allowed to exploit people for too long. We will reform broken markets, including in energy. Freeze gas and electricity bills.”

Finally, Miliband will lay out an attack on the SNP, slamming their reluctance to match his election promises and accusing them of participating in a “race to the bottom”:

“My priority is tackling low pay and inequality. The SNP priority is a three pence cut in corporation tax. My priority is a 50p tax rate to restore fairness. They won’t match it. My priority is an energy price freeze. They won’t match that either.

 And there’s a reason for it. Two countries divided with a border between England and Scotland means we are more likely to have two countries competing against each other with lower taxes, lower terms and conditions and lower wages. A race to the bottom.”

Rumours have been circulating that Miliband will be spending a substantial amount of time in Scotland campaigning against independence before the referendum in September, so this speech could well be the first of many appearances north of the border. What is clear from this is that Miliband considers Scotland to be a major part of his plans for transforming the country, and would view a vote for independence a huge setback in building a fairer society.