In a blog post, Guy Platten, ceo of the UK Chamber of Shipping, who moved south of the border late last year, said divisions must now be healed across industries, businesses and communities.
“The UK Chamber was never going to publicly back one side, but it is no secret that we have expressed significant concerns about what independence would look like for a shipping industry that is a powerhouse of the Scottish economy,” Platten said.
He noted that uncertainty was the enemy of growth and in the closing stages of the campaign billions of pounds had been wiped of stock prices and the value of the pound plunged against all major currencies.
“The result of yesterday's (Thursday’s) referendum has eased that uncertainty, but frankly the result was just too close to put an end to the independence question.”
In the last week of the campaign the “no” side promised a greater level of devolution for Scotland, but it remains unclear how this will be achieved.
“The Westminster parties will no doubt think it was a wise campaign tactic, but questions remain over its wisdom for the long-term strategic health of the UK. This means that we have to continue to fight for our Scottish members to ensure their voice is heard as this new option is fleshed out,” Platten said.
He warned that unless constitutional questions can be resolved another referendum would be likely in a decade or two.
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