thank you to ian mcmillan for two decades championing scottish business. cbi scotland does have a reputation for putting great people at its helm. i know this because i have recently picked one of them, chair, and she will be a fantastic representative for scotland and business in the parliament. many congratulations on that appointment. there is just three weeks until the voters go to the polls. as has been said, the balance is being cast already to determine scotland's future -- a future in the u.k. or outside the u k a future where we strengthen our common ties were where we sever them forever. we have just three weeks to make the case that we are better off together as one united kingdom. i believe we are joined by more than just a landmass. our family of nations is an intricate tapestry of millions of relationships woven tightly over more than three centuries. we are inextricably linked by history, backed by family, values, and trade. that's what i want to talk about today, the business case for scotland in the united kingdom. something that really ma