Scottish independence: Nicola Sturgeon says No campaign 'must set out vision'
The Scottish government unveiled its White Paper "guide to independence in November The pro-Union campaign must set out in detail what a No vote in the independence referendum would mean for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The deputy first minister said the Scottish government had provided "a compelling case for independence" in its White Paper.
Unionists must respond with a competing vision, she added.
Better Together, which opposes independence, said the White Paper was a "wish list without a price list".
Ms Sturgeon is due to speak at the University of St Andrews later on Monday in what has been described as the "curtain-raiser" to the 2014 independence campaign ahead of the referendum on 18 September.
Speaking ahead of the address, Ms Sturgeon said: "The referendum is not a choice between change and no change.
"It is about choosing the kind of change we want for Scotland and who we want to be in the driving seat of it - ourselves, or Westminster. It is a choice between two futures.
"That means that the consequences of both a Yes vote and No vote need to be considered carefully. And that means both the Yes and the No campaigns have an obligation to inform."
'Positive case'She said the Scotland's Future White Paper, which was published in November, "sets out a compelling case for independence" and gives "robust, credible and common sense answers to the legitimate questions that people have".
But to make an informed choice, people also need to know what a No vote will mean for Scotland, she said.
Ms Sturgeon added: "Now, as we enter this next, vital phase of the campaign, it is time for the No campaign to spell that out in detail to allow you to compare and contrast the competing visions for the future of Scotland and make your own minds up."
A spokesman for Better Together said: "The SNP's White Paper manifesto for breaking up the UK was nothing more than a wish list without a price list.
"Rather than facing up to the consequences of breaking up the UK, the nationalists promise us the sun would shine brighter everyday if only we were independent. The idea that the White Paper was compelling is, frankly, laughable.
"There is a strong positive case for Scotland remaining part of the UK. Today we have the best of both worlds - a strong Scottish Parliament with responsibility for schools, hospitals and childcare, and we benefit from being part of the larger UK.
"Why would we want to trade the strength and security of being part of the UK for the risk and uncertainty of independence?"
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