The north-east of Scotland will be a “key battle-ground” in the independence campaign over the next 11 months, the new Scottish secretary said yesterday.
On his first visit north of the border since taking up the post, Alistair Carmichael said Aberdeen was an “economic engine house” and he would be working hard to persuade people to vote in favour of retaining the union.
“The north-east is a living, breathing example of the importance of tearing down barriers between countries, instead of putting them up, because the oil industry is the most successful global industry that you will find,” he said.
Speaking at the Scotland Office in Edinburgh, where he was framed by the union and saltire flags, the Liberal Democrat MP said the referendum on September 18 next year was a “once in a lifetime event”.
But he admitted it was “eminently possible” that people could vote for independence.
Mr Carmichael said: “I am not going to downplay that risk and I think, it being a year out, with the polls standing as they are, one of the dangers we can have on our side is we begin to think we have it in the bag.
“If it is a ‘no’ vote, those who pursue the case for independence must, for the sake of us all, be able to say that they will respect that result and they will respect the view of the Scottish people.”
Mr Carmichael said he would be “assertive” with his Westminster Cabinet colleagues to ensure they fully understood what was at stake.
He added one of the consequences of devolution was that there was a “mindset” in Whitehall that Scotland was principally the responsibility of ministers at Holyrood, but that was clearly not the case when it came to reserved issues like welfare and defence.
The Orkney and Shetland MP said: “I am very keen that nobody in the UK should see Scotland as a no-go area.
“I have also told (ministers) that when they come to Scotland they should come, see how things are done here, share experiences and be prepared to learn.
“It must be more than an lecture tour.”
Mr Carmichael warned against negative campaigning in the debate as he hit out at “grossly offensive” language used by some nationalist supporters.
The MP, who revealed being described as a “bruiser” in the press upset his 79-year-old mother, said social networking comments referring to Better Together supporters in Orkney as “quislings” were also “grossly offensive”.
“That is the sort of thing that, if I see it coming from our side of the debate, yes, you might just see that on the odd occasion there is some justification for the label of ‘bruiser’, because anyone on our side of the debate who uses that kind of language will be bruised,” he added.
“I promise you that.”