I'll share this tweet
I’ve just recorded for The Nine on BBC Scotland at 9pm saying Scotland would be completely able to deliver all the support the UK government has to the people of Scotland if it was independent, had its own currency and its own central bank. Hoping some of that makes it to air
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) July 23, 2020
I was a little surprised they asked me - given my accent - but was emphatic that Scotland has plenty broad enough shoulders to more than carry its own people through any economic crisis that might face them - subject to those conditions.
We recorded for more than five minutes. I suspect 15 seconds will get to air.
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Scotland has a population of 5.5 million and a GDP of around £200 billion. Similar in population to Norway, Singapore, or Finland, but somewhat lower in GDP per capita. Similar in population to Slovakia, but substantially better GDP per capita. Closer perhaps to New Zealand. But all if them manage to govern themselves.
Precisely
An remember GDP per capita is reduced by profits not being recorded in Scotland but in England instead
So this will also change
If Iceland can do it I see no reason why Scotland could not.
iN FACT i THINK THE ICELAND EXPERIENCE PROVES mmt IN PRACTICE.
Scotland could become a free rider on defence and security,
Could offer incentives to Elderly and wealthy UK pensioners to relocate to Scotland by providing a better deal on Social Care and quote prices for North Sea Oil in Groats.
and It could make decisions to train more doctors and nurses and then hire them out to other parts of the UK. Plus by offering fiscal incentives for companies to relocate to Scotland it could offer a way in for UK companies wanting access to both the UK and EU markets.
bORIS WOULD OF COURSE WANT A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT sO WHY SHOULDN’T SCOTLAND TAKE THE UK TO THE CLEANERS .
As I pointed on your Twitter feed, making them same point, I very much doubt Scotland could cope alone. It will have massive nuclear legacy costs. Scotland hosts four large nuclear power plant complexes, three research reactors, & three very large nuclear submarine bases. There is very little practical experience in closing, decontaminating , radioactive remediation and decommissioning such licensed nuclear facilities. Although nobody knows for sure what the full cost will be for the decommissioning, educated guesstimates start at £100 billion. I would probably double that. And for sure, the remaining U.K. will not be offering to pay the tab if Scotland goes independent.
With respect David, you talk nonsense on most issues; this one included. Those are U.K. liabilities
with reference to nuclear clean up costs I also think you are talking rubbish. The polluter pays. Unfortunately the MOD as polluter is in no hurry to clean up anything in Scotland. Rosyth has been a dump for old nuclear submarines for decades. They can be pointed out to you if you take a trip on the Maid of the Forth from South
Queensferry.
It also took them a very long time to decontaminate Gruinard Island after they exploded an anthrax bomb there in the 40’s.
I am sure NATO will help us sort all this out after independence which hopefully isn’t too far away now.
“I was a little surprised they asked me – given my accent”
Ooofft! You don’t know the BBC in Scotland. Whenever the public are “stopped in the street” for an opinion on any news story, there are always English accents aired. I say they are equally as valid as any broad-scots accent but the BBC’s motives for seeking their opinion, not so much.
They know fine that most English-born adopted Scots are more likely to think of “nationalism” as, to coin a (Labour in Scotland leader) phrase in bad taste, “a virus”!
The desired result; SNP Baaaaad!
Noted!