Stockton North's Scottish-born MP Alex Cunningham says he feels a duty to help keep the union together

I WILL return to my home town in Scotland twice next week – once to help persuade former classmates, neighbours and friends to vote “No” in the Scottish referendum, and again to make sure they get to the polls in time to save the UK as the strong, united country it is.

Though Scottish, I couldn’t be prouder representing anywhere in the world than the people of Stockton, Norton, Billingham and the villages in my Stockton North constituency – and I feel a duty to them to help keep our lands together.

So my trips are nothing to do with nostalgia – and not even just about Scotland – but are everything to do with jobs, investment and the economy across the UK. And in North-East England, that is probably more important than in other places given our links to my homeland.

This decision is not only a monumental political choice for the people of Scotland today – and there can be no doubt that this is the biggest such choice that Scots will make in this generation – but it is an opportunity for an entire nation to confirm its identity and shape how Scotland – and the rest of the country - will look tomorrow.

When I joined the Labour Party back in the 1980s, I was taken by the idea inscribed on the back of my membership card – that “by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone”. And it is my continued belief in the relevance of this idiom, both as an aspiration and an observation, that I will be championing as I knock on the doors of Harthill, in Lanarkshire.

But a “No” vote on Thursday will bring as many meaningful changes as a tick in the box for independence, and it is important we don’t lose sight of this.

Contrary to some of the ideas encountered on the doorsteps already, saying “no thanks” to an independent Scotland next week would not represent a vote for the status quo. Far from it. A vote to maintain the Union would instead represent just the beginning of a new phase of our relationship with Scotland that will see greater powers devolved to the Scottish people: a chance for greater autonomy to steer their own course while maintaining the strength that only unity can provide to tackle the bigger issues.

Working together for a better Scotland and a better Britain are both sides of the same coin and I will hope to see change for regions like our own North-East with the devolution of more decision making powers to the people who know our region best.

As a United Kingdom, the previous Labour government was able to deliver a Scottish Parliament and the extra powers for the Scots that this brought with it – decisions on such things as care for the elderly, education and health.

But at the same time, Labour delivered major policies for Britain that changed our social fabric for the better, with legislation introducing a statutory minimum wage and a Human Rights Act to name but two. And this is before we consider the record levels of investment in our hospitals and schools, record levels of employment, and the decade of economic growth that were delivered as a nation united.

If we are to continue to make such positive impacts as these, we will be better equipped to do so together. And there are many challenges that an incoming government will face in 2015 that would be better addressed with one voice, such as getting our young people back to work, ensuring a fairer tax system and reducing the cost of living through such measures as freezing energy prices.

I know that the North-East, sadly in my opinion, rejected the chance for regional government so we have to find new ways of making more decisions locally, by people who are accountable locally and have our region’s best interests at heart.

It is areas such as the North East that would likely be particularly hard-hit by any break up of the UK. The petrochemicals industry on Teesside, for instance, shares many links with locations such as Aberdeen. With continuing uncertainty regarding trade, taxation, currency and EU membership, not to mention legal rights to mineral reserves, these ties would undoubtedly be jeopardised. And this is before we even think about the impact on jobs in the sector, with many of the region’s most experienced workers being based north of the border.

This is why, when I travel to Scotland next week, I will be urging voters to vote “No”. We have a glorious history of achieving great things together, and I strongly believe we are better as one country.