In a visit to Scotland ahead of the referendum, David Cameron calls on the “silent majority” of Scots to vote to stay with the United Kingdom – and slips in a jibe at “Alex the unready”.
With just 77 days to go until Scots vote in the referendum on independence, David Cameron said there was a “silent majority” who wanted Scotland to remain part of the UK, and called on them to start speaking out.
He said that the pro-independence campaign led by Alex Salmond had not provided answers to key questions on the future of the currency, Nato or the costs of separation, should Scotland break away from the UK.
“He has had years to think of the answers to this question,” the prime minister said. “But yet with 77 days to go, we can see he is ‘Alex the unready’. Not a clue about the enormous gamble he would be taking with our nation’s future.”
The prime minister was addressing Conservatives in Perth, as part of a final push to get Scots to back the union when they go to the polls on 18 September. The speech came after he accused Scotland’s nationalist leaders of using “threats and warnings” to stop Scottish businesses from speaking out about the strength of the UK.
He told a rally in Perth: “We’ve had, if you like, the noisy nationalists. It is now time to hear from the silent majority: the silent majority of Scots who do care passionately about our United Kingdom; the silent majority of Scots who don’t want to take a big risk with the future of their country, themselves, their jobs, their children or grandchildren.”
Mr Cameron appealed to the audience on issues of defence spending and the economy, both of which he said would be protected within the UK, and added: “It would break my heart to see our United Kingdom break apart.”
But the biggest round of applause was reserved for his appeal to listeners’ patriotism:
“I think we should for all time stop this argument that you cannot be patriotic, and a proud Scot, if you want to stay in the united kingdom. I think it is nonsense.”