Dave Thompson MSP

Recently, there has been a good level of television coverage of events and locations in the Highlands. In July the excellent four part documentary Hebrides; Islands on the Edge was shown across the UK. Two of last year’s biggest films, the Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall, were also in part filmed in the Highlands; the opening scenes featuring the plane in the Dark Knight Rises were shot over Badenoch and the A82 near the striking peaks of Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag featured in Skyfall, and recently David Tennant and Billy Connolly were filming in the Western Highlands.

There is some anecdotal evidence that suggests tourism has experienced a boost this summer, and while it is very difficult to pin down the precise source of increase in tourism numbers, this excellent coverage can only serve as an advert for some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Tourism is a vitally important industry to the many hoteliers, bed and breakfast owners and the large number of people who work in related industries, and it is very encouraging to hear that 2013 is likely to have been a positive year. With the spotlight on Scotland in 2014, future prospects look promising, and I hope we can attract as many visitors as possible to come and explore.

The ‘No’ campaign, or “Project Fear” as they call themselves have claimed that independence may threaten our rural postal service. Over the last few years, Governments of all colours in London have chipped away at our postal service, opening up the service to competition with couriers who take away the most profitable business, undermining the Universal Provision and closing 400 Post Office branches in Scotland. Recent swingeing parcel price rises are threatening small Highlands and Islands businesses and the Coalition Government are now proposing to fully privatise Royal Mail, despite the service making a healthy profit. This is the ‘safety’ that Westminster offers the Royal Mail!

Vince Cable recently published a paper which claimed that independence would lead to Scottish based hauliers having to pay premiums to travel across the border into England. A lot of business flows between Scotland and England, in both directions, and barriers such as these would be damaging for businesses and customers on both sides of the border. These types of protectionist barriers are unlikely to be created following independence however. Again, if we look around Europe we can see that independent states are actively working together, through the EU and out with it, to reduce these barriers. Cross border trade flows freely among the EU members, and even fiercely independent Switzerland have signed up to these measures. There is a reason why all states are doing this; no one wins when barriers are erected which stifle the flow of trade. A London Government has nothing to gain from this, just as an Independent Scottish government would not, and the coalition’s attempts to present this as a ‘benefit’ of the Union are in fact just a thinly veiled threat which would evaporate once the two newly independent governments work co-operatively to ensure unencumbered cross border trade.