Referendum deal welcome, but there are still questions to be answered.

15th October 2012

Commenting on the referendum deal, signed today by David Cameron and Alex Salmond, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: -Businesses throughout the UK will welcome the fact that they now have greater clarity on both the timing and the question to be posed in the Scottish independence referendum.

-However, a clearer debate is now needed on the potential economic consequences, both in the short and long term. The referendum itself will generate uncertainty for some businesses, and affect the timing of key investment decisions. -To date, there has also been too little public discussion of what a 'yes' vote might mean for jobs and growth on both sides of the border. Three hundred-plus years of shared economic history mean that the links between Scotland and the rest of the UK are deep and complex.