THE area covered by the Believe in Scotland regional representative for the Scottish Borders is the same as the council area – convenient.

The Scottish Borders may be one council area, but it is anything but homogeneous in nature.

Others have covered the “doorstep” issues of cost of living. I will concentrate on the wider social issues across this diverse geographical area from West Linton, by the Pentlands, to Eyemouth in the south-east – just five miles from the Border. It includes everything from the Edinburgh commuter belt to agriculture and fishing.

What are the challenges? How, with the opportunities of independence – with investment, innovation and entrepreneurship – can changes be made to the local economy?

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The “virtue cycle” is consistent with the wellbeing economic approach – the interlink between economic regeneration and the improvements in society, in relation to the specific areas.

From Peebles going north this area, excluding agriculture, is essentially the commuter belt for Edinburgh.

Child poverty in Scotland overall is 25%. However, in the former textile mill towns of Galashiels and Hawick it is in the region of 50%. Historically, both towns rapidly grew in population, specifically to support the textile industry.

With a few exceptions due to niche markets, the textile industry collapsed in the 1970s creating the vacuum in adult employment, the downward spiral of adult wage earners and the consequential rise in child poverty. Emigration coincided with the lack of employment – the population of Hawick has dropped by 21% since 1970.

With the full economic powers of independence, investment, innovation and entrepreneurship, there can be a reversal in this industrial decline.

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Creating employment creates wages, creates prosperity, reduces poverty and improves health. Thinking “outwith the box”, Scottish Border wool could be reinvented. There are plenty of sheep in the local hills and people need to be kept warm. It has happened elsewhere.

France and the continent were major markets for Scottish fish. Looking at the Borders aspect, Brexit has had a major economic impact, reducing the volume of fish that Eyemouth can send to the EU countries.

Agriculture is a major industry in the Borders. Brexit has had a major impact on the movement of animals to the EU. However, to some extent the industry has been in a reprieve as it is still in the transition period before the full negative aspect of Brexit kicks in.

The Brexit consequence of reducing immigration has had a negative economic impact across the Borders. There are shortages of staff in the hospitality, agriculture, health and fishing sectors.

The obvious sign of this is in the hospitality trade. If hotels and restaurants cannot get staff, they cannot open, they do not earn money and there is no input to the local economy both from the lack of revenue and the lack of tax.

This is a double negative whammy which becomes a triple, as money that would have been earned is no longer circulating in the local area. With independence Scotland would then be in control of immigration and will be able to reverse this impact.

Emigration is also an issue at the higher education end. There is a lack of employment opportunities. Again, with the full powers of independence there can be incentives and encouragement for high-end inward investment in these remote towns.

It is done in Norway by taking industries to the people, rather than the opposite.

If Norway, why not Scotland?