You can’t deny to Scotland what is being held out as a tax promise to Northern Ireland

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The Guardian has reported that:

The battle over the Scottish government's plans for Scotland to share the pound after independence intensified sharply on Wednesday after the governor of the Bank of England warned about the risks of a eurozone-style financial crisis.

Mark Carney said Scotland would need to give up significant areas of its sovereignty and reach a watertight deal with the UK on banking, taxation and spending if a new sterling zone were to avoid the risks and instability which had plagued the euro.

Which is interesting, but at the same time lots of noises are being made that Stormont will get its own taxing powers at some time and Owen Patterson and Theresa Villiers have both made warm noises about doing so as Northern Ireland secretary.

I have always been unambiguous in opposing such measures for Northern Ireland - and have said so often in the media there - but it cannot be that the same government that holds out this possibility to one part of the UK seeks to deny it to Scotland if it votes to become independent. that's just not possible. There is a massive inconsistency here that needs to be resolved.

For what it's worth in my view the Scots have to have their own currency; anything else makes a mockery of independence.


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