28/08/2014 Scotland 2014

In Glasgow tonight, to tell Scottish business why they

The Prime Minister is in town tonight campaigning

He says a million Scottish jobs depend on being part of the one

of the "oldest and most successful single markets in the world".

But how successful are his visits to Scotland?

He is here on the same day that 200 business leaders have signed

a letter saying a Yes vote would be better for the Scottish economy.

And does this make you feel a bit cringey?

We're asking if there still such a thing as the Scottish cringe.

If so, and has the referendum debate made things better or worse?

David Cameron enjoyed beef daube with truffle mash followed

by a salted caramel tart at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow tonight.

No starter because the dinner had to be rather

scaled down to make sure the costs didn't breach electoral law.

He told the assembled diners at the CBI annual dinner that they

had just three weeks to make the case that we are better together.

So does his presence here help to make that case?

A business speech to a business audience. The Prime Minister argued

Scottish firms benefited from the scale and scope of the UK. He

promised more devolved powers but said there was more to the union

banner financial some political bargain. It was passionate and it

was personal. This to me is a family. It is very personal. What we

have brought together over the centuries, whether it was inventing

the NHS or defeating Hitler, we have achieved extraordinary and brilliant

things. Let's stay together and do even more in the future. Ahead of

the dinner, the Prime Minister visited a business based near

Glasgow Airport. While within the union, the Scottish economy had

thrived and found a range of opinions among the workforce. Are

you getting the information you need to make your mind up. I am

undecided. I am yes. You can have the best of old worlds. The

advantages of being part of the UK with the single market and currency.

The powers Scotland already has two helped the creation of jobs, the

record of 157,000 new jobs and the fiscal devolution we are looking at,

there will be further opportunities for Scottish politicians in the

Edinburgh parliament to help jobs and growth in Scotland. There is

Douglas Carswell, the Tory MP who defected to UKIP. Nationalists says

it marked another stage in the UK quitting the EU against Scotland's

will. David Cameron says he is determined to secure a better deal

for Britain in the EU. I caught up with him a short while

ago and began by asking him how the A quarter of the numbers that were

there because the electoral commission said it counted as a

campaign event. But among the business appeal argued that Scotland

benefited from the scope of the UK, the Prime Minister arguing much with

the lost in terms of family and personal relationships. Something

Alex Salmond has attempted to counter by arguing we are a social

union ensuring after independence. He is here to talk about the

Scottish referendum in three weeks, but the prospect of an in out) and

in the EU came up, could he assure people? Yes, it was raised by the

president of the CBI. He said there was ambiguity and uncertainty

because of the existence of the European Union -- European

referendum. The Prime Minister confronted that at the beginning of

his speech. He said he saw no evidence with regard to the EU

referendum that it was causing uncertainty to investors, quite the

contrary. Does it help the case to keep the union together when the

Prime Minister comes on these visits to Scotland? It is a tough one for

him. He is the Prime Minister of the UK, he has a constitution and an

interest in maintaining the United Kingdom. He stresses very much he

does not want to be the Prime Minister on whose watch the union

were to end. The Prime Minister has two strike a balance between leaving

it to the people of Scotland, leaving it to the parties in

Scotland, the largest party of the union of cause being Labour, leaving

it to them. At the same time not abdicating what he would see out his

responsibility and his duty. It is tough.

So was it a wise move for David Cameron to make

Joining me from London is the Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce.

And in the studio, Observer and Daily Mail writer, Kevin McKenna.

Does it do him any good to be here? I don't think it does him any harm.

I have always found him very personable. He comes across very

easily. He is a formidable and accomplished debater in world

debating. I think it was a mistake for his people to persuade him not

to debate head with Simon because I think he would have given a good

account of himself. It is a little bit supercilious on the part of some

people feeling if he were to have debated with Alex Salmond, the Scots

would have ridiculed him because of what he apparently represents. I

would like to think we were more broad-minded than that. Should David

Cameron accept the challenge of the head to head debate? No, was Kevin

not listening to Alastair Darling. Alex Salmond made some cheap

political points about the bedroom tax, demonising the Labour spokesman

for being an apologist for the Tories. It was all about, if you

stick with the union you will have an old, Tony and Prime Minister. I

want the union to stay at it is and the last thing I want is to see

anything unravel but the presence of David Cameron in Scotland will not

help the union. It will help Alex Salmond, who must be delighted he is

there. You can imagine the attacks he will make on him over the next 48

hours. It he did not go, Alex Salmond would say he was frightened

of being in Scotland and they would make more of that? No, the virulence

and the jeering from the audience. The Tories only have one MP in

Scotland. They are almost like an endangered species. David Cameron

has to think politics, he will not help the union at all. All he will

do is set it back. It would be an irony that David Cameron, with a

Scottish name goes up to Scotland while it is still the United Kingdom

and is the last bit is Prime Minister to address Scotland while

it is still the United Kingdom. One of the arguments is if you vote for

independence you will not have to put up with any more Tory rules. So

anything that reminds us there is a Tory led coalition in Westminster,

feeds their case? There are about 300,000 conservative voters in

Scotland at any time. Who have probably made up their minds? Yes,

there is only one Westminster MP but that does not represent the

conservative constituency in Scotland. Andrew probably will not

know this, as recently as 1955, only one party in modern Scottish

democracy has ever gained more than 50% of the vote at any election and

that was a conservative in 1955. Welbeck is up to 250, 300,000

conservative voters in Scotland, it is not a radical country. There is a

lot of reserve, cautious people who would probably find some natural

fraternity with some conservative values. I find it curiouser I have

more faith in Mr Cameron's debating skills and political skills than

Andrew does, given Andrew I assume, witnesses this on a daily basis at

Westminster. David Cameron makes a decent case for the union. He has

said an independent Scotland could be a successful country, just that

it shouldn't be. Something Alastair Darling could not bring himself to

say in the debate. People south of the border don't have a vote and

that is the cause of deep anxiety to some Scottish friends of mine. David

Cameron and the old attorney and click that run the modern Tory party

are the best recruiting Sergeant Major for the nationalist cause. If

the union collapses and the vote is yes, David Cameron won't just be

Prime Minister of Scotland any more, he won't be Prime Minister of the UK

because Conservative MPs will be unforgiving and kick him out. It

would be more unforgiving if he had not done his utmost to save the

union? Tory MPs know where their bread is buttered and they know it

is the combined forces of maybe Alastair Darling and Gordon Brown

who can argue the case better for the union rather than the Tory

party. Which I know in the 1950s was the major party. That was a long

time ago, even I cannot remember that. It was a very controlled visit

from David Cameron today. This will not be his last visit before the

boats, should he get out and do some door-to-door canvassing? People do

find him personable, he comes across well. He is a good media operator

and seems to be good with people. He couldn't not come to Scotland,

because Prime Minister 's, statesman like to have a legacy. If this is

going to be a yes vote, not only will he have been deemed not to,

rather this will have disappeared on his watch, people in future will

say, where was he when a quarter of the kingdom was at risk. Thanks for

talking to us. More than 200 business people have

signed a letter to the Herald saying they believe independence is in the

best interests of Scotland's economy because Westminster governments do

not and never will pay sufficient attention to the interests

of Scottish business. Colletta Smith our Economics

Correspondent is in the studio. Who signed this letter and what is

in it? I am not going through everybody in it, but more than 200

as Mrs, from sole traders to the very large, the likes of

Stagecoach. The thrust of the whole letter was about changing the

culture, signatories are saying only an independent Scotland can foster

the kind of culture that entrepreneurs need. The wedding of

this is about job creation, the idea Alex Salmond only introduced in the

debate the other day, where he was challenging Alastair Darling about

the job creation powers. This letter is only through -- says only through

an independent Scotland we can get that job creation here. And the

power concentrated in Scotland, not reflecting Scottish is Miss needs.

And the possibility of the British exit of the EU and that is the real

threat to Scottish firms here. That is different to the letter signed

yesterday in the Scotsman by more than 100 prounion firms. And the

clash between the two business groupings. There has been an opinion

big established businesses are more likely to be No but this has turned

that on its head. That is the nature of the campaign over the last year.

In March and April, a lot of big companies put out their annual

accounts for the rest of the year and that is when we got companies

like standard life mention invests as a potential risk on the horizon.

-- mansion in this. So pro-business groups have been campaigning at the

grassroots level. The picture is not that simplistic, their raw a lot of

large organisations who do see independence as the way forward and

yesterday, smaller companies signed the letter, saying they are worried

about the risks and uncertainty. We've all heard of the Scottish

cringe, that sense of cultural inferiority and embarrassment

about being our own culture. But with culture taking

a central role in the referendum debate, is our attitude towards

the cringe changing? What is the Scottish cringe? Did it

ever really exist? Has this referendum changed how we see

ourselves? The debate on Scotland's future has seen something of a

doctoral awakening, how we see ourselves and the world is often

connect to do how we see ourselves culturally. -- connect it. For some,

an issue as important as the economy, currency and other issues.

The Scottish cringe is to some extent an inherent embarrassment in

Scottish people at certain times of the life. Largely when they see

images of themselves projected in the public domain and sometimes

those images are ridiculous, sometimes they are hampered,

sometimes funny. -- sometimes camp. Sometimes ludicrous, but it has the

capacity to turn the switch on the cringe factor, it does not feel

quite right. The referendum has been a long political campaign but for

many, it has been a cultural journey. This idea of the cringe, I

recognise it was there when I was leaving Glasgow School of Art in

1970. Somebody said, you will visit want to go to London. And I thought

I would find myself in London, I did not do anything about it. I realised

the next generation of people leaving at school after needed not

feel like that. Groups like national collect if using the referendum

debate to take the idea of culture around the country to encourage us

to vote Yes -- national collective. They tell us Scotland is getting

over the cringe and comfortable to stand on it some as an independent

nation. This is a musician not afraid of speaking out about

politics, and unashamedly Scottish. As an artist and somebody who

cherishes speech and cultural expression, I think the London

culture means it is a race to the bottom. You have to adopt those

mannerisms and techniques and that sort of language to ascend. So me

returned in my own accent could be seen as small-minded or introverted

but I think it adds to a richness of global call, international culture.

-- global culture. It is about being who you are. If this growing

maturity with those who support a United Kingdom? It is a national,

public conversation about self-confidence, Scotland's place in

the world. These are positive things irrespective of how you vote. Things

that people felt about Scotland have been fundamentally challenge and one

of those is the idea that Scottish people somehow need England or a

bigger state, the union, that is coming under fierce challenge. The

route to September 18th has changed Scotland, we all probably have our

own personal view of what the Scottish cringe is but the question

for many is how we feel about the cringe after the referendum vote.

Joining me now in the studio is playwright

And in London, the novelist Damian Barr, who's No.

First of all, briefly, what does the Scottish cringe mean to you, Damien?

It is kind of New Year's Eve, line dancing and stuff when I was a

child. As an adult, reflecting on that, it is the opening of the

Commonwealth Games where I was thinking, are we are going to get it

right? We mostly got it right. There were shades of that shortbread tin

nationalism which I think everybody finds uncomfortable, nobody on Yes

finds that contemporary and representative of Scotland. Is that

your opinion? The Scottish cringe is on understanding of a feeling that

the culture, language and accent, especially working class culture is

inferior and parochial and it cannot express the human condition. So one

of the features of the referendum debate is that these ideas are being

challenged and the idea of being Scottish is being expanded. Does

there need to be a Yes vote to extinguish the Scottish cringe? Yes,

because if you vote No, it shows we do not believe we are capable of

running our country and we do not believe we have the ability and the

right to take control of our affairs, not the sign of a confident

country. That is not true, culture and the Arts reflect and shape our

culture. And when I look at Scottish culture and Scottish writers, games

makers, we are pioneering and doing very well, outperforming other

countries within the UK. We are very confident and we are doing well and

I do not think voting No would not mean we not confident and that we

did not feel sure about our creative abilities. When you say it is a myth

most cultural people in Scotland are generally Yes... The idea that Yes

is a more creative response has a lot of traction. No is the negative

word and you think it is shutting down debate. If there is a No

result, it opens up debate and we have to challenge what is wrong

about the union. I am not saying it is perfect and the way the Arts

funded is perfect, that has to change. The Scottish Government

could put taxes up now and put that money into the Arts but it has not.

There needs to be an examination of how -- of how that works. Do you

think most people involved in cultural activities in Scotland are

inclined to Yes and if so, why? Most artists and creative people

favouring Yes. Not all of them but most of them. That is because we see

it as an exciting possibility that Yes could unleash attentional in the

Scottish people and the Arts. -- potential. Who is holding them back,

the people of Manchester not holding back the people of Glasgow. I find

it patronising the idea people in Scotland are being held back and it

is not true everybody in the Arts support yes. A lot of them want to

vote No but are afraid of coming out and saying that in the same way

business leaders are afraid across the public criticism and social

media is out there and also divisiveness after the vote. I did

say most of them. It might not be the case we culturally held back

because with or without a Yes vote, we we can write novels and poems,

but politically, we would be limited with a No vote. Economic way, we

could not take control of our affairs and that is does feed into

the Scottish confidence if we feel there are limits on what we can

achieve as a nation. That is the case and it would be the case. Thank

you very much. Now let's take a look at the stories

making headlines around the world. Russian troops have been deployed in

Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian President. CBC News reports Petro

Poroshenko has cancelled a foreign visit to deal with the crisis,

Russia denies the allegations. There is an alleged execution of dozens of

Syrian soldiers by Islamic State militants. A Eurosceptic

Conservative MP switches his allegiance to UKIP. He has stepped

down from his current seat to contest it for his new party in a

by-election. Joining us now to look

at the rest of the day's news are Labour blogger Duncan Hothersall

and Yes campaigner Audrey Birt. Back to that story about Douglas

Carswell. Nigel Farage is behind -- is beside himself and he says... It

is obligatory in Scotland to look at everything through the Scottish

referendum. Is it a problem for Better Together that this makes

Westminster look a bit more Eurosceptic and people will be

worried that if the rest of the UK is going to leave the EU, maybe we

should vote for independence to stay part of the European Union? That is

an argument the Yes side will put forward. I think this idea there is

this massive political difference and it hits the country at Eric is a

nonsense. You have to look at the way Nigel Farage was greeted in

Kent. -- Berwick-upon-Tweed. He had protests. A lot of people oppose

UKIP. And we have had a UKIP MP in Scotland, unfortunately. The idea of

this political dividing line is a nonsense. If you were to divide the

UK politically, you would have to go to Wales and round Bristol and back

again. That is not a rational reason for voting for independence. We'll

Yes campaigners make the most of this and say there is a likelihood

after a referendum that the UK would leave the EU so to stay in a single

market, you have to vote Yes? -- will Yes campaigners. This is

worrying and we are seeing a move to the right. And a likelihood of

coming out of Europe. Douglas is saying many people do not vote for

UKIP across the UK and that is right, but Scotland is definitely

does not. It is very different from the way we are responding to this

call for change. We are responding very differently. And I think this

will harden some of the voters. David Cameron is in Glasgow this

evening for a scaled-down dinner. Will it be a shot in the arm for

Better Together? We asked viewers. Tony says...

Audrey, what do you think this visit will do for Better Together? It is

another day trip to Scotland. I think it is not good news for Better

Together. Any more than it is good news for the rest of the people of

Scotland. Is his presence here toxic? We are in a situation where

that is the way we are describing the Prime Minister of the country,

so clearly, there is a democratic problem. Better Together have a

problem when David Cameron, who should be a big hitter, is not seem

like that in Scotland. There are a surprisingly number of people who do

see him like that. At both the Yes and No campaigns Scottish campaigns.

-- but both. The subtext of the criticism is that they want to turn

this into the Scottish Government against the UK Government. And that

would be fundamentally wrong. We are debating where government should

set, not the pros and cons of David Cameron's of and or Alex Salmond's

government. -- David Cameron's government. So if Alex Salmond wants

to take on David Cameron because he thinks he will built them, that is a

false respect. It is about us debating between the two Scottish

campaigns, not about the two governments. It is about where the

power lies and that lies in Westminster. And he is the leader of

Westminster. We're arguing about whether power should live.

I'll be back at the same time on Monday.

Go away if you don't me to speak to you like that!

Most schools exclude disruptive pupils.

I ain't putting up with this any more.

But one school takes them in and promises five GCSEs.