The chairman of a leading business organisation has branded the Scottish Government’s white paper on independence an un-costed wish-list “made up on the hoof”.
Ian MacKay, chairman of the Institute of Directors Scotland, said businesses were frustrated with the lack of financial detail on key policies like re-nationalising the Royal Mail.
He claimed businesses wanted to know how an independent Scottish Government would bring back into public hands an organisation that was floated on the stock market in what would by then be a foreign country.
Mr MacKay, a former Royal Mail group director, said businesses needed assurances on what would happen to the mail system, post office network and cost of parcel delivery.
“The main concern in the business community is we are not seeing numbers to back up their (Scottish Government’s) assertions or reassurances that are there in policy,” he added.
“One very often has a salesman coming to your door saying things will be better but the first question you ask is how much and we need to see how much these various assertions and assurances are going to cost.
“The general lack of costings and economics in the white paper is something we need to see corrected, particularly from the Scottish Government but also from the No camp.
“There is no way we can have this debate on the basis of assertion.”
A survey of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce members published in September – two months before the white paper – showed they felt groups on both sides of the debate were failing to provide enough information on key issues.
Addressing SNP ministers at the first Cabinet Stakeholder event in Edinburgh, Mr MacKay said: “It seems to us increasingly there are some answers being made ‘on the hoof’ to make policies up or wish lists which basically tell us it will be OK once we have independence or OK from the other side because the UK is a big country.”
First Minister Alex Salmond told Mr MacKay the government would be publishing further detail on the issues he touched upon and explain why key services should be kept in public ownership.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said savings made through independence would be used to support white paper commitments. He added that the government was obliged to take a sustainable approach to public finances and the SNP’s performance in government “stands us in good stead”.