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.
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “Fourth of October 2026. Another date historians of the future (assuming they survive) will be writing about long after we…” Oct 4, 18:25
Lorncal on The Love Of Big Brother: “Even if we are not in a Union, James, we have acquiesced for centuries. Acquiescence can, itself, be used to…” Oct 4, 18:09
Northcode on The Love Of Big Brother: “Correction: “Crowdjustice automatically refunds donations if the stated target isn’t reached.” Should read: “Crowdjustice automatically refunds donations if the stated…” Oct 4, 18:08
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: ““It is factual to say Scotland has a food affordability problem” Only to the extent that every other country in…” Oct 4, 18:00
Lorncal on The Love Of Big Brother: “The one thing that is never, ever mentioned when drugs use is being discussed is personal responsibility and the drive…” Oct 4, 17:49
Northcode on The Love Of Big Brother: “Either donations made to Craig Murray’s fundraiser before the US intervention were refunded or they went to his lawyers (unlikely).…” Oct 4, 17:22
Lee Floyd on In The Eyes Of The Law: “English, but strangely still committed to Fair Play. So I contributed. Good luck.” Oct 4, 17:17
sam on The Love Of Big Brother: ““The fairest conclusion is that the policy responds to a real problem but remains unproven as a mechanism. It is…” Oct 4, 17:02
sarah on The Love Of Big Brother: “Salvo’s facebook post today explains why they suggest that donations to their crowdfunder be made direct to Salvoscot Ltd’s bank…” Oct 4, 16:24
James Che on The Love Of Big Brother: “It is of great importance wether there are two Countries parliaments in a union, in the parliament of Great Britain…” Oct 4, 16:12
Hatey Mchateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “Yeah, thanks for clarifying that, x. Is it possible to just send our money directly to Ir@n instead? Hack off…” Oct 4, 16:05
James Che on The Love Of Big Brother: “Northcode. Whereas the parliament of England was never dissolved but simply transferred under Westminsters triennial act which ended in 1708,…” Oct 4, 16:02
James Che on The Love Of Big Brother: “Northcode, There is one thing for sure I do like debating both sides of the coin. If the treaty of…” Oct 4, 15:46
Northcode on The Love Of Big Brother: “Thanks for that clarification. It’s always better to get the real story. So although Murray’s funds weren’t seized US policy…” Oct 4, 15:45
agentx on The Love Of Big Brother: “Craig Murray’s CrowdJustice fundraising campaign was taken down rather than literally seized by the government. The removal occurred because the…” Oct 4, 15:28
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “Wheesht, Northy, you’re spoiling things for a lot of people.” Oct 4, 15:03
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “More than harsh to pick out Northy for not providing evidence when hardly anybody else does. If BTL was moderated,…” Oct 4, 15:00
Northcode on The Love Of Big Brother: “I don’t think Murray’s CrowdJustice funds were seized – they were, however, temporarily frozen due to some procedural uncertainty. They…” Oct 4, 14:58
sarah on The Love Of Big Brother: “Thanks, sam. We need some good news. I was reading some of the tribunal action the other day (can’t remember…” Oct 4, 14:52
sam on The Love Of Big Brother: “Sarah: “Will Sandie Peggie win her tribunal case against the RCN? I’m not holding my breath.” I’ve been following the…” Oct 4, 14:26
PhilM on The Love Of Big Brother: “Like most online commentators these days you’ve provided a list of assertions without any examples to back up what you…” Oct 4, 14:15
agentx on The Love Of Big Brother: “The UK Labour government is restricting the practice of fire and rehire through the Employment Rights Act 2025, which makes…” Oct 4, 14:14
Northcode on The Love Of Big Brother: “I suspect you’re right, Hatey – few, if any, are listening. However, It’s good to know that you are listening…” Oct 4, 13:57
sarah on The Love Of Big Brother: “O/T: Rev’s crowdfunder has reached the £30,000 target in less than 3 days. The new target is £400,000. This is…” Oct 4, 13:56
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “I’m astonished that as far as I am aware, nobody BTL has yet commented on this story: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/04/glasgow-council-workers-face-pay-cuts-in-fire-and-rehire-plan-after-union-talks-break-down” Oct 4, 13:40
Hatey McHateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “I never got further than this: “Declaration of interests Public Health Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government. The studies…” Oct 4, 13:28
Hatey Mchateface on The Love Of Big Brother: “Sorry, Northy, but I don’t think anybody is listening 🙂 I rely totally on my inalienable rights as a Sovereign…” Oct 4, 13:15
willie on In The Eyes Of The Law: “At 12.30 lunchtime today after two days the appeal has broken £30,000. Great, great stuff folks, lets keep it up.…” Oct 4, 13:09
James Che on The Love Of Big Brother: “Bilbo, I was not talking of using the SNP votes or any others politicians votes for that matter, I was…” Oct 4, 13:02
