It has been a momentous week.

 

First Scotland’s two governments signed the agreement which ensures the referendum on whether we stay in the UK will be a clear, decisive, single question.

 

Then on Wednesday my party – the Liberal Democrats – unveiled our alternative vision for Scotland’s future in a Federal UK.

 

This is a plan which would change the relationship between Scotland and each of the other nations of the UK, creating a modern partnership for the 21^st Century.

 

But crucially it would increase the powers of the Scottish Parliament and give the people of Scotland more control over our own affairs without forfeiting the strength and security of being part of the UK.

 

Many of the issues the SNP has so far failed to address over independence – questions about our currency, EU membership, defence and the welfare state – are answered clearly in these proposals from the commission headed by former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

 

And it not only details the range of powers to be transferred to Holyrood, but also how local authorities like ours here in the Highlands can be given real power over council, and business, tax rates.

 

That way we can avoid more and more services being centralised and run from Edinburgh as we are currently seeing control of our police force and fire brigade taken out of the highlands.

 

It’s clear to me from talking to people in my constituency and across Scotland that there is a genuine desire for a change in the relationship between Holyrood and Westminster.

 

But the majority of people do not want to separate us from the rest of the United Kingdom with all the risks that entails.

 

I believe the proposals unveiled by Sir Menzies Campbell this week provide the ideal vehicle for fulfilling that desire for a stronger Scotland.

 

They are the plans we will be putting before the voters in our General Election manifesto in 2015 to give all the people in the UK the chance to vote on them, because it is only right that if we want to change the relationship between Scotland and our partner countries they should also have a say in our common future.

 

Between now and then we also hope to build a cross-party consensus for this change just as we did over the original devolution proposals and the Calman commission which led to the Scotland Act 2012 and the single largest transfer of power to Edinburgh since the Act of Union.

 

But before we can pursue that federalist vision we have to settle the issue of independence. Last Monday’s agreement negotiated by Scots Secretary Michael Moore MP, clears the way for the real debate to begin.

 

We can put aside all the process arguments about when it will be and with how many questions and move on to the issues that people really care about.

As a Liberal Democrat I will be campaigning passionately for Scotland to remain in the UK and pressing the SNP for details on many of the claims they have made over the past few months.

I’ll be making a positive case for the benefits we gain from being part of the UK just one of which is the economic and financial credibility which allows us to borrow money on extremely low interest rates.

I’ll also be pointing to the benefits of being part of an economy like ours which is big enough and strong enough for us to be able to do better than so many of our neighbours in the current economic climate.

But there’s also the question of what would happen to tax rates in an independent Scotland, to our defences, our EU membership and so many more issues.

In Autumn 2014 the people of Scotland will face the most important political decision we may ever have to make.

For me we are better, stronger and safer together in the UK .

 

I firmly believe that Scots will vote positively for that future and I am optimistic that the debate will present an opportunity to pursue our vision of Federalism by highlighting the many reasons why a modern, decentralised and democratic partnership is in the interests not just of Scotland but also Wales, England and Northern Ireland.