Local MP David Mundell has welcomed the announcement of the date for the Independence Referendum, which will be held on the 18th of September 2014.
And now the all important date is known the real debate can start with the public getting real answers to the many vital questions they require before making up their minds.
Commenting, the Dumfriesshire MP said: “This announcement gives us certainty, and hopefully now the SNP and Alex Salmond will be able to give us some concrete answers to the real questions people across this region are asking.
“I look forward to taking the positive arguments the Better Together Campaign is making for staying at the heart of the United Kingdom to the doorsteps over the next year. Here on the border this question will really impact upon people’s everyday lives and I am keen to engage as many people as possible in this important debate.
“Gretna, for example, right on the border between Scotland and England, highlights just some of the many problems facing those who want to split the long standing union between the two countries.
Many Scots live just a short distance into England, while many English people live in Gretna and the surrounding area. They have families living on both sides of the Border, and Gretna’s Gateway outlet centre attracts thousands of shoppers from across the Border.
The Dumfriesshire MP added: “The implications of an independent Scotland are enormous and many aspects of this split are not fully appreciated, so we have already been meeting local people and encouraging them to think carefully ahead of the 2014 referendum.”
“We want to ensure that Scotland remains ‘great’ within the existing union. By demonstrating our very close links with Carlisle, where Scots work, have families, shop etc we hope that people will pay very close attention to what is being proposed. And these family, economic and cultural links are not just confined to the Gretna/Carlisle area but are echoed right across the Scottish Borders to the east coast.”
He went on: “When we vote in the independence referendum we will not just be deciding the standard of living that we enjoy, but the standard of living of our children, our grandchildren and of generations to come.
“Being a part of the United Kingdom gives us the best of both worlds. We have key decision making powers devolved to the Holyrood Parliament, but we also have all of the advantages of being part of a bigger country.
“The choice we will be asked to make in 2014 is huge, so we are determined to take the debate directly to the people and make sure that we get the facts out there. We are confident that when we present people with the true picture of separation, they will agree with us that we are better together,” added Mr Mundell.