This week’s Scotland on Sunday is full of the usual outpourings of fear and madness (our absolute favourite is a standout piece of howling-at-the-moon insanity from frothing Tory loonbag Gerald Warner, magnificently entitled “Feminism driving holocaust of abortion”), but one in particular caught our eye.
Headed “Independent Scotland at risk from bank crash“, the Tom Peterkin effort (based, in fairness, on an imminent UK government document) kicks straight off with an opening line that’s a top-shelf example of hysterical sub-Daily-Mail scaremongering. But it’s the second line that makes it special.
We got an email from our Prague correspondent last night, but that’s not the only thing the disgraceful pun in the headline refers to. As Michael Moore was kicked around the playground by Nicola Sturgeon in the first Scotland Tonight debate that same evening, the soggy security blanket he clung to more than anything else was the currency issue, which the No camp appears to believe is now its most powerful weapon.
It’s a two-pronged Trident, if you’ll forgive the even more tortured wordplay in that metaphor. Firstly there’s the scaremongering part containing the (empty) threat that the rUK would refuse to enter a currency union with an independent Scotland, forcing it to join the embattled Euro, and as back-up there’s the claim that if we DID get a currency union, Scotland would somehow end up getting less consideration from the Bank of England governors when it came to monetary policy than the none it gets now.
Let’s take the briefest look we can manage at both of those assertions.
We’re indebted to the alert reader who sent us a link to this last night:
If you don’t have time to sit through it all now, it’s an STV referendum debate – not about independence in 2014, but about devolution in 1997. In short, all the arguments and dire warnings we’re fed by Unionists now about independence were also deployed against devolution, which doesn’t in fact seem to have caused the sky to fall in.
It’s also interesting to note a BBC news story uncovered by National Collective this morning which reports a poll finding that “76% of businesses believe a double-yes vote in Thursday’s referendum would harm the climate for business in Scotland”.
While right-wing, conservative organisations like the CBI and FSB will doubtless never stop bleating about the terrible “uncertainty” of constitutional change, it’s good to see that there’s been at least some progress made in that field.
Hang on. The heart of the latest No campaign/media scare story is that the enormous pension deficit currently looming over the UK like a great big multi-billion-pound fiscal sword of Damocles (but which everyone is feverishly avoiding looking at) will become much more urgent in the event of Scottish independence, because according to EU rules “cross-border” pensions can’t just boot the problem into the long grass for years, and have to ensure any shortfall is funded immediately.
EU rules? But haven’t the Unionists spent most of the last six months telling us that an independent Scotland wouldn’t be an EU member, and would have to wait years at the back of the queue to join as a new country? Phew! Problem solved!
We’ve taken quite a lot of cold medication this week, readers, and it’s caused us to have a bit of an epiphany. We’ve realised that our constant advocacy of independence is a recklessly optimistic position which takes no account of the very real dangers of separating Scotland from the rest of the UK (and the world), and that in order to be responsible citizens we ought to present a more balanced picture.
We’ve decided, therefore, to use this page to keep track of the numerous and often serious potential consequences of a Yes vote in 2014, as helpfully pointed out by our concerned countrymen south of the border and the cooler heads in our own land.
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “https://x.com/newsandpics/status/1999194291365683484?s=20” Dec 11, 20:21
robertkknight on The ginger stepchild: “The SNP is NOT the party of Independence any more… Any member who cared about Indy is long gone, leaving…” Dec 11, 19:52
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “Now we know why…… https://x.com/iwontwheesht/status/1999180012893929938?s=20” Dec 11, 19:41
Northcode on The ginger stepchild: “The problem, TH, is that if Liberate Scotland gets TOO much attention and – God forbid- gets the mass backing…” Dec 11, 19:39
Mark Beggan on Strike One: “Let’s play Judges and Lawyers. Unsuitable for under fives.” Dec 11, 19:28
Mark Beggan on The ginger stepchild: “We’ll cut aff oor noses to spite those English bastards faces. That’s them telt. Bastards. Soar Giro!” Dec 11, 19:27
David Holden on Strike One: “Sadly I am old enough to remember when Scottish law was given a level of respect even from South of…” Dec 11, 19:24
Lewis Moonie on Strike One: “Anyone ever seen a trans woman who didn’t stick out like a sore thumb? Me neither” Dec 11, 18:58
Hatey McHateface on The ginger stepchild: “Perhaps the pollsters were unaware women are allowed to vote. Perhaps when the pollsters asked people, the men refused to…” Dec 11, 18:48
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “I think this one needs a detailed explanation from the judge https://x.com/anyabike/status/1999121983481536635?s=20” Dec 11, 18:45
Lorncal on Strike One: “It seems to me to be far too accurate in its misinterpretations and unsound quotes to be purely AI or…” Dec 11, 18:41
Lorncal on Strike One: “I’d second that. Alex Massie has written a glowing reference to the Rev, too, acknowledging his forensic analyses.” Dec 11, 18:25
Karen on The ginger stepchild: “I’m surprised that women (and children’s) rights come in at 3% or less.” Dec 11, 18:25
Hatey McHateface on The ginger stepchild: “Cart before horse, Alf. First you have to get a solid majority of Scots to believe your number. Then you…” Dec 11, 18:22
twathater on The ginger stepchild: “The rev talks about supporting yoonionist parties in an attempt to destroy or remove the stench of the Scum Nonce…” Dec 11, 18:15
Northcode on Spoiler Alert: “I’m not allowed friends anymore. Not since… sorry, I’ve been told I can’t talk about it. All I can tell…” Dec 11, 18:08
Dan on The ginger stepchild: “Aye Sarah, it is pretty obvious, so one has to question the motives of supposedly pro-indy politicians, activists, and bloggers…” Dec 11, 17:54
Hatey McHateface on Spoiler Alert: “Wow, Northy! Right out with the worst insult you can come up with. You’re gonna love Sharia.” Dec 11, 17:51
Hatey McHateface on Spoiler Alert: “He’ll be allowed plasticine. As long as it’s the safe-to-eat kind.” Dec 11, 17:47
Andrew Ingram on Strike One: “Well said.” Dec 11, 17:44
twathater on Strike One: “As someone posted yesterday I believe the manipulative unseen hand of the Scum Nonce Party SG deviants and perverts has…” Dec 11, 17:41
Aidan on Spoiler Alert: “@Northcode – have you thought about making some friends?” Dec 11, 17:30
Michael P on Strike One: “This is staggering – the English Courts have recently handed down decisions excoriating advocates for quoting non-existent cases, usually ‘researched’…” Dec 11, 17:24
Veritas on Strike One: “What most people don’t realise is that judges are not “selected” by some higher authority on their merits, they apply…” Dec 11, 17:22
Jay on Strike One: “Amazing and invaluable work by Rev. Stu. Acknowledgement in The Times is good but there have already been attacks against…” Dec 11, 17:21
Steve A on Strike One: “It is long past time that a reputable university conferred honorary doctorate on our host here. The only question is…” Dec 11, 17:20
Northcode on Strike One: “Can judges be sacked for incompetence or crookery? If so there might be wan or twa quakin’ in thair bench…” Dec 11, 17:10
Alf Baird on The ginger stepchild: “Recovery of the £150bn+ plundered by Westminster and other external corporate interests from an annexed Scotland each year would solve…” Dec 11, 17:08
Northcode on The ginger stepchild: “In case you’re wondering I wasn’t replying to your comment, PhilM. I posted it under your comment by mistake. Apologies.” Dec 11, 17:05
Lorncal on Strike One: “Wow. Nailed it again, Rev. It seemed before the amendment that the judge certainly appeared to be, according to his…” Dec 11, 17:01
