CBI: Forget Scotland's National 'conversation' and get on with running country

ONE of Scotland's leading business figures has criticised SNP ministers for wasting their time pushing a "conversation" on independence when they should be growing the economy.

Iain McMillan, the director of CBI Scotland, spoke out as Alex Salmond, the First Minister, prepares for tomorrow's launch of the second phase of his National Conversation, an event designed to involve "civic Scotland" in a discussion about independence.

The CBI chief said he did not want to "snub" the Scottish Government by refusing to take part, but he believed the time would be better served by running Scotland and growing the economy.

His comments came as it emerged several senior figures from Scottish society will not be taking up invitations to attend the launch.

Mr McMillan cannot be there, as he has a prior engagement, while Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, will be absent as the launch clashes with another event.

The first phase of the National Conversation, launched on the Scottish Government's website last August, has attracted 26,000 comments from individuals and organisations across Scotland and the website has recorded 314,000 hits.

Ministers now want to start discussions in a range of organisations about various aspects of independence, to feed these views into a final consultation document.

But Mr McMillan said CBI Scotland had already submitted its response to the consultation on independence, and he saw no reason for the Scottish Government to spend its time asking for more views.

He said: "We are not going to snub the Scottish Government or refuse to take part in this, but I don't think we want to get into a conversation about this.

"Our view is that the devolved government should be getting on with running Scotland and improving the economy, not entering into a debate about the future of Scotland in the Union."

He said the CBI was not persuaded by the case for independence and had made this point to the Scottish Government.

The National Conversation was also derided yesterday by the Labour Party, who claimed it was being met by "complete indifference" by the Scottish people. It published a selection of comments placed on the website by Nationalists and claimed the site was attracting bigots.

Among those cited by Labour is one that defends a call for flag burning, saying "burn that union jack for all of them and for all the men and women of the isles who where made to do the ill deeds for a few greedy people".

Another includes claims that "the English living in Scotland are mostly here to enjoy retirement on the richer pickings they had available to them so let's take control of our own country".

Another says: "When ppl (people] ask me why Scotland is not independent. I always say it will take a nation of millions to hold us back. That nation is England."

The Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said it was clear that "offensive" comments were being posted.

"There is no place for bigotry on a government website, yet the National Conversation website has posted inflammatory comments which have called for the burning of the Union Jack, attacked the Royal Family, our English neighbours and the UK," she said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Salmond said the best way forward was "open debate", and this was what the National Conversation was doing. She said: "Questions about our future need to go beyond government, parliament and the media to include individuals, groups, communities and all political viewpoints."

DRIVE TO GET 'CIVIC SCOTLAND' TALKING
TOMORROW'S launch of the second phase of Alex Salmond's National Conversation is designed to involve so-called "civic Scotland" in the process.

Ministers have invited representatives from Scotland's churches, trade unions, environmental groups, universities and colleges, women's groups and Scotland's business community to an event at Edinburgh University.

Mr Salmond will make an opening speech and then the guests will be invited to join a series of discussion groups.

The groups will focus on the Scottish Government's strategic objectives – a greener, healthier, smarter, safer and stronger, fairer and wealthier Scotland – and individuals can join any group they choose. These workshops are designed to begin a process ministers hope will take place across the country.

Each of the organisations represented tomorrow is then expected to take on the discussion with its "stakeholders", reporting back with a detailed position for the consultation at a later date.