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What do you think of UK Government’s Scottish Referendum YouDecide tool? NOW CLOSED

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MichelleMumsnet · 18/07/2014 14:33

Today, the UK Government is launching YouDecide; an online tool that helps you to see what remaining in the United Kingdom offers you and your family.

Here's what UK Government has to say:

"We have created YouDecide ahead of the Scottish independence referendum on 18 September, to help you explore what the United Kingdom provides and what this means for your home, your family and your work life. YouDecide has been designed so that you can drill down quickly and simply to get facts on the issues that matter to you.

"We all know that the independence referendum is the most important decision to face voters in Scotland in 300 years; it's a decision that affects everyone in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The information you find on the YouDecide tool is informed by the facts and figures published in HM Treasury's Scotland analysis programme and also reflects UK Government policy.

"There is a wealth of information on the referendum subject. We want you to be as fully informed as possible ahead of making such an historic and permanent decision.

"There are of course a number of things we cannot answer, because no one knows the full impact that independence would have on all areas. Splitting a 300 year-old union would be complicated and many new agreements would need to be negotiated. We can't speculate on unknowns but we can give you the facts about the existing UK policy.

"Together as England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland we have created one of the world's most successful unions. Our UK Government policy is that we want to see Scotland remain part of the UK because we believe that by staying together we have much more to share and much more to gain."

Have a look at YouDecide and let us know what you think of the tool and the issues surrounding it by posting your thoughts below. Do you feel you have the facts and information you need to make an informed choice about Scotland's future to remain in the United Kingdom or to leave and become a separate state, permanently, or not? You can also look at the UK Government's In the Know factsheets series and booklet: What Staying in the United Kingdom Means for Scotland.

Thanks,

MNHQ

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MNHQ

DawnMumsnet · 19/07/2014 21:21

Hi all,

Here's a message from Katie, our press manager:

Just to confirm this is an activity paid for by the UK government. It is not a Mumsnet campaign and we could of course allow other sides of the debate to advertise too. We are planning to host Mumsnet discussion threads and content pages (and hopefully webchats) on both the yes and no sides of the campaign as polling day approaches.

MNHQ

MichelleMumsnet · 01/08/2014 14:24

Thanks for your comments so far. The Cabinet Office would like to say, "Thanks for your contributions to the thread. We'd like to get back to you on a few of the themes that have come up so far."

"To start things off, we wanted to explain why the YouDecide website supports Scotland remaining part of the UK. Our policy as the UK Government is that we want to see Scotland remain part of the UK because we believe that as a united kingdom we are all stronger, so our aim with the website is to provide information about the benefits of being part of the UK."

"We don’t have all the answers, because nobody knows what the full impact of Scotland becoming a separate state would be. For example, no one can guarantee how long it would take to negotiate Scottish membership of the EU, or what the terms would be."

"Pensions: It was mentioned that pensions would be more affordable in an independent Scotland because there would be fewer pensioners. The answer is a clear no. State pensions are more sustainable as part of the UK because they are funded by 31 million tax payers and 5 million businesses. In a separate Scotland, the proportion of pensioners as a share of the population is expected to increase more rapidly than across the UK as a whole. This will increase pressures on age-related spending as well as decreasing future growth and tax revenues, because a greater proportion of people will be retired than working. The working age population in Scotland is expected to decline by over 6 per cent in the next 20 years, compared with a small increase in the UK as a whole.
You can read more here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/scottish-independence-referendum-jobs-and-pensions"

" Help to Buy: For those of you looking to buy a home, the good news is that both the LIFT and the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee schemes are available in Scotland. Use of the mortgage guarantee scheme has been particularly concentrated in Scotland, with almost 1,000 households using the scheme."

"Read more on Help to Buy: www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantees
Find out more about the LIFT scheme (Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers): www.liftmortgage.co.uk/"

" EU membership: A contributor suggested that a separate Scotland might be able to become a member of the EU because Scotland is already a member as part of the UK. However, as a separate state Scotland would have to apply to join the EU and negotiate its own membership terms, in the same way as every other member state does. All 28 Member States would need to agree the terms of Scotland’s membership and the whole process would be complex and lengthy.
Read more here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/scottish-independence-referendum-our-place-in-the-world/scottish-independence-referendum-our-place-in-the-world"

"Thanks for all your comments. Please keep them coming."

MNHQ

MichelleMumsnet · 04/08/2014 15:35

This thread has now closed. The Cabinet Office would like to say, "Thanks for your comments. Follow @youdecide2014 on Twitter or facebook.com/youdecide2014 to continue the debate."

MNHQ

MichelleMumsnet · 05/08/2014 17:34

Hi everyone, by closing the thread we have just stopped promoting it around the site but you are more than welcome to continue posting Smile!

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