The UK government's paper on financial services has been described by Jim Spowart, one of the leading figures in the Scottish financial sector, as not being “a credible analysis of how financial organisations work”. Mr Spowart's direct experience in the financial sector includes being former managing director of Direct Line Financial Services and founder of Intelligent Finance (IF).  He said:

“The Treasury paper is not an accurate reflection of Scotland's financial services industry now, or of how financial regulation would work for an independent Scotland in a sterling area. It is clearly not a credible analysis of how financial organisations work.” 

Today Mandy Rhodes in the Holyrood Magazine interviews Denis Healey, the retired British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.

"If Scots want independence then he sees no good reason why they should not get it. He says the rest of the UK has more to lose if that were to happen.”

Businessman Dr Imtiaz Majid explains the benefits of taking control of your own affairs and making your own decisions.

He describes how you reap the benefits of deciding the best course of action for you depending on your understanding of your circumstances.

And he adds that if you do that it is up to you how you spend the rewards of your efforts.

Independence will give Scotland the powers it needs to ensure that the political and economic decisions affecting the people of Scotland are made by the people of Scotland.

Carole Inglis overcame her self-doubt and started Isle of Skye Fudge Company.

By taking control of her own affairs she can more easily react to shifting market conditions in a way which benefits her business.

Independence will give Scotland the powers to take control of its own affairs; powers the Scottish people want Holyrood to have.

Businessman Glen Bennet is the founder and managing director of EAE Leaflet Marketing. He took control of his own affairs in 1987 and has never looked back.