David Cameron's "ugly stain of separatism"

Now that all the political parties have united in the view that Scotland's constitutional arrangements need updating, I am genuine when I say that I'm looking forward to hearing what the unionist parties are going to put forward - with their rationale.

David Cameron has been first up with his stab at it. I was, some would say unsurprisingly, left very disappointed. The Tories and their stablemates need to find reasons for the Union. Here's what Cameron came up with:

That means saying loudly and proudly: together, we are stronger. Britain is one of only five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

We have a seat at the top table and are listened to in a way that other countries can only dream of. So yes, together we are stronger.

It means saying loudly and proudly: together, we are safer. Scotland and Wales punch above their weight in Britain's armed forces….and Britain punches above its weight in the world because of the expertise and bravery of those armed forces. So, yes, together we are safer.

It means saying loudly and proudly: together, we are richer. The City of London overtaking New York as a global powerhouse……Edinburgh's role as a great financial centre. So yes, we are richer.

And it means saying loudly and proudly: together, we are fairer. The NHS is the best of British……created by a Welshman and benefiting from the skills of doctors trained in the great medical schools of Scotland. Stronger. Safer. Richer. Fairer…together.

I'll leave it to others to fully break this apart. But in short, he is saying the Union should be kept for: a seat at the UN Security Council (Scotland doesn't currently have a seat anywhere); joint armed forces (they have to be bigger if you're going to provoke wars); Edinburgh being a financial centre (this is down to the Union how?); and doctors being trained in Scotland (Cameron seems to be under the impression Hadrian's Wall is going to be rebuilt after independence).

He really tailed off at the end there. Three of his four rationales were complete rubbish, and I don't think the people of Scotland are going to have our country held back much longer on the basis of a permanent seat at the UN security council.

In fairness to Cameron, he did acknowledge we want to move Scotland forward:

I know you have great aspirations for your country. To become a model for success based on a competitive economy and the skills and talents of your people. To follow the examples of Ireland and Scandinavia and deliver prosperity and high living standards for all.

But again, it's not because of the Union that you're being held back…it's because of the Labour Government.

That's not going to work. Ireland would not be where it is today, richer per head than the UK, by being part of it. The Scandinavian economies? All small independent nations.

He is trying to adopt the reasons for independence as reasons to stay in the UK. Independence would be a sign that the "ugly stain of separatism" has taken over. I can't understand the level of his thinking. This from a man that complains about the powers that the EU holds. The EU does not set the UK's tax levels, Brussels doesn't take the UK's rightful natural resources and spread the proceeds across the continent, and when Mr Cameron switches on the 6'o'clock news, he doesn't have a news presenter from Belgium telling him what's happening with health and education over there. If that did happen, he'd be the first one campaigning to get out. "Ugly stain of separatism" indeed.