ONE of Scotland's most successful businessmen, Sir Tom Hunter, has said there should not be another referendum on Scottish independence for ten to 15 years, saying the country is already set to get greater control over its destiny.

 

The Ayrshire entrepreneur said the Smith Commission on devolution formed after the referendum had suggested a range of additional powers for Scotland. With reforms that were already in train Sir Tom thinks enough changes are in prospect.

Asked if the Smith Commission proposals went far enough, he said: "Yes, I think they're a very good step forward and I think what we need to do is just prove that the Scottish Parliament can take on the next step of devolution. I think we've proven that the Parliament has been a good thing for Scotland, it has taken care of Scotland's interests and I think this is another step forward."

He added: "I think we have got a lot of powers which the parliament's never used, we're going to get more powers under the Scotland Act, I think it's 2016 they come in, so there are more powers to digest and our polling before the referendum actually said that people didn't really know what the powers were, what extra powers we were going to get anyway. So I think we've got to get on with this, what we've got so far.

The Smith Commission has done a good job. There's plenty more to get on with there."

Asked if he was concerned that the prospect of a so-called neverendum could be damaging, he said:

"I think there should be something like when we have a referendum of such importance it shouldn't be able to be brought back say within ten to fifteen years. I think that would be a healthy thing because people would say let's get on with what we've got and if there is an appetite with the Scottish voting public to have another one that's fine but there needs to be a decent period of time before the next one."

Sir Tom has not said how he voted in the referendum.