By the time this article is read the Scottish Independence Referendum will be upon us, and I would like to take this opportunity to say to constituents in Clackmannanshire – if you are still in doubt, then vote No, because this is a decision that cannot be reversed and one which will affect our families, their families and the generations to come.

Whilst Alex Salmond and the Nationalists talk of building a fairer Scotland through independence, their arguments are riddled with uncertainties, they are unable to give concrete answers to the questions posed by the Scottish people, and their assertions are more-often-than-not, detached from reality.

A blatant illustration of this last point is the First Minister’s recent efforts to persuade voters that the best way to protect the NHS from privatisation is to vote Yes. This is absolute rubbish – the NHS in Scotland is devolved, and the only person with the powers to privatise the NHS in Scotland is Alex Salmond. In fact, last year he was doing just that as millions of pounds of our money paid for private healthcare.

It is Alex Salmond’s plans to separate Scotland from the UK that is the greatest threat to our NHS, because independent experts are clear that this will leave us with a £6 billion black hole. This would mean substantial tax increases of around 9% or spending cuts of 8%, and a lot less money to spend on vital services such as those provided by the NHS.

This multi billion pound funding gap would also threaten our pensions if we walk away from the UK. Our pensions are currently guaranteed by the UK and we will lose this if we vote Yes.

Over the next 20 years, the number of Scottish pensioners is expected to rise from 1 million to 1.3 million. The best way to tackle this demographic challenge is by spreading the responsibility across 63 million people UK wide rather than just the 5 million in Scotland. In fact, currently we pay 8% of UK national insurance but receive 8.8% of the benefits – a clear example of the benefit to Scotland of being part of something bigger.

Alex Salmond also tells us that a Yes vote will mean more jobs, but the fact is, independence would mean that the thousands of jobs that depend on being part of the UK could disappear very quickly, this includes employment in sectors like financial services and defence. Also Scottish firms which benefit from UK public-sector contracts and research and development jobs that are financed by UK grants will be under threat. If we stay with the UK, we can use the strength of the union to secure these jobs, and use policies like the Bankers Bonus Tax to tackle long-term and youth unemployment.

A No vote will mean a stronger Scottish Parliament, as further powers will be delivered without the chaos and instability of the SNP’s uncertainty on the currency, the threat to the economy, the threat to default on Scotland’s share of the debt and inability to explain how they would cope with a £6 billion public spending hole when we lose the Barnett formula and the UK welfare state.

A No vote on Thursday the 18 September will not be the end point, nor a vote for retaining the status quo, it will be a vote for positive change, starting the very next day, with a draft bill published as soon as the end of January, giving Scotland major new financial powers, including over income tax and welfare. Giving the Scottish people real change without irreversible separation and the risks to our jobs and our future.