The Scottish Play

[vetran]

BBC News - Scottish independence: New claims on economic outcome

Competing claims about the costs and benefits of Scottish independence have been set out to voters.

The Scottish government said an independent Scotland would start out with "strong" finances, and could be £5bn a year better off by 2029-30.

UK ministers said Scotland would be better off staying within the UK by about £1,400 per person per year.

The two sides set out their cases ahead of the independence referendum, on 18 September.

"The £1,400 a year 'UK dividend' breaks down into almost £1,000 from the extra government spending promised under an independent Scotland and the other £400 for everything else.

"The extra spending will go on things like extra childcare and reducing Air Passenger Duty by 50%. The 'Yes' campaign would argue that those are measures that are designed to stimulate the economy and raise more tax in other areas.

"On the other hand, the Scottish government reckons independence will be worth £1,000 per person a year in things like higher productivity.

"But all of these figures seem to be dwarfed by the uncertainties in this argument. We still don't know what share an independent Scotland would take of the UK's £1.185 trillion of debt.

"We also don't know what share it would receive of the oil and gas revenues, which were worth £6.6bn to the government last year and £11.3bn the year before.

"A billion pounds here and there to be spent on new government institutions seems like a minor issue - even Danny Alexander said it was a 'trivial part' of the overall costs."

so if Scotland stays we will bribe them with an extra grand a head.

Who is hoping for a yes vote?

[Doggy Styles]

Scotland deserves to be independent.

And so does England.

[MicrosoftBob]

so if Scotland stays we will bribe them with an extra grand a head.

Who is hoping for a yes vote?

Can't we just bribe them to go away ?, just in case the plan backfires ?

[scooterscot]

Makes you wonder what income the treasury is protecting if bribes are affordable.

[vetran]

Makes you wonder what income the treasury is protecting if bribes are affordable.

no it doesn't, its just that CMD doesn't want to go down in history as the one that broke the Union.

[doodab]

Makes you wonder what income the treasury is protecting if bribes are affordable.

Well, £1000 for 5 million people is only £5 billion. That's a fraction of what it's going to cost to move the military bases, shipyards and so on.

[scooterscot]

no it doesn't, its just that CMD doesn't want to go down in history as the one that broke the Union.

Too late.

The history books of the future will ask why London hoarded so much power in the first place.

Clearly we don't like when Brussels acquires too much power. The union of the UK is no different. The economics of the north are very different from the south.

CMD wants to do down in history for the right reasons then he needs to devolve power to the major cities of the UK in a big way. Return the Birmingham exchange, all cities to control their own taxes etc.

[scooterscot]

Well, £1000 for 5 million people is only £5 billion. That's a fraction of what it's going to cost to move the military bases, shipyards and so on.

Sounds like a good amount to invoice the rUK on an annual basis.

[doodab]

All cities to control their own taxes etc.

Like council tax?

I don't think you can easily have ultra fine grained income tax and VAT in the UK it'll be an admin nightmare when you have a mobile labour force. Where does a contractor with a base in London and clients in 3 other cities pay income tax? What about PAYE? What about PAYE for travelling salesmen?

[DodgyAgent]

no it doesn't, its just that CMD doesn't want to go down in history as the one that broke the Union.

He will end up breaking both

Much to the benefit of the English