There has been a notable shift in the Better Together campaign in recent weeks. The Labour Party appears to be finding its voice, while the UK government, recognising that its own interventions may be counter-productive, appears to have vacated some space to allow Labour’s big hitters to come to the fore.

There is no bigger Labour figure than former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who last week urged Scots to “vote No, because I’m asking you to cast a vote for social justice”. At the heart of Labour’s case is the idea of "pooling and sharing" - the sharing of resources and risks to preserve and promote social solidarity, and so foster more secure welfare provision for all, whether you live in Inverness or Ipswich.

Such claims merit closer scrutiny. There is nothing inevitable about larger populations leading to more socially progressive welfare systems. Indeed, the most progressive welfare states tend to be found in smaller, more cohesive countries. Moreover, unlike the social investment model which traditionally characterised Nordic welfare, the UK system leans more towards providing a safety net for vulnerable individuals. That safety net seems somewhat less secure in the context of the coalition government’s welfare reforms. Motivated in part by the drive to reduce the deficit, welfare cuts, tighter restrictions and sanctions have generated hardship for many citizens dependent on benefits.   

And there’s the rub. Labour's vision of a ‘pooling and sharing’ union is predicated, first, on there being a Labour government in power at Westminster after the 2015 general election and, second, on that government committing to reversing the direction of travel on social security and the future of the welfare state. Neither of these is certain.

Last week, the Expert Working Group on Welfare – independent, but appointed by the Scottish government - issued a report which presented a carefully considered, alternative vision of how social security might develop in an independent Scotland. Some of its ideas may feed into the political discourse in this last 100 days, with Yes campaigners arguing that pooling and sharing within Scotland offers a surer route to social justice.