Member Article

UK ‘too London-centric’ but Scotland should remain in the union says Hull and Humber Chambers

According to Hull and Humber Chamber the UK is ‘better together’ after 85% of businesses in a ‘major’ survey said that Scotland should remain within the UK.

Commenting on the results of the independent survey Dr Ian Kelly, the chief executive of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce said: “If the business communities of our great United Kingdom have their way we are undoubtedly and overwhelmingly “better together”.

“For over 300 years our United Kingdom has built, often through business invention and trade, first an Empire and now a Commonwealth that has both civilized the modern world and helped bring global prosperity.

“Whilst there are always some faults to work on at home in our too centralised, too London centric United Kingdom, we must never forget the enormous achievement this great family of nations has achieved by uniting together.

“Now, after three centuries of success to try and turn many of our family and friends into foreigners through this divisive attempt to “Balkanise Britain” is frankly rather frightening and one we are pleased to see is strongly opposed by the vast bulk of the wider UK business community”.

The independent survey of 2,400 Chamber members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland examines the impacts, opportunities and risks perceived by businesses in the rest of the UK. The survey also explores how non-Scottish businesses would react to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote on September 18th.

Findings from the survey:

• The majority of businesses surveyed (85%) said that Scotland should remain within the UK
• Only 11% of firms said that Scotland should become an independent country
• If Scotland votes to remain part of the UK, almost half of businesses (49%) believe that the current division of power should remain the same
• Exactly a quarter of businesses (25%) said that the Scottish Parliament should have more power if Scotland remains part of the UK, but a fifth (21%) also said it should have less

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .