{"id":83360,"date":"2025-06-23T08:12:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T07:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=83360"},"modified":"2025-06-23T08:12:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T07:12:35","slug":"scotlands-case-for-independence-has-to-be-about-the-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2025\/06\/23\/scotlands-case-for-independence-has-to-be-about-the-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Scotland’s case for independence has to be about the economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I say in The National<\/a> this morning:<\/p>\n

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LIKE others whose comments were reported in The National, who are also keen to see Scotland as an independent country, I was disappointed by\u00a0John Swinney\u2018s speech on the issue last week.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Time and again, he, like many others in the\u00a0SNP\u00a0leadership, fails to provide an argument for why Scotland should be independent. In addition, and vitally, he fails to provide an explanation of the\u00a0benefits\u00a0of Scotland being independent.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I added:<\/p>\n

I am not going to pretend that control of Scotland\u2019s economy is the biggest reason for Scotland being independent. I genuinely do not think it is. However, to pretend that economics is not a matter of significance in this debate would be entirely incorrect.<\/p>\n

Having an independent Scotland with an economic policy designed to achieve the best outcomes for the people of Scotland is fundamental to the delivery of the best benefits for the people of the country and John Swinney didn\u2019t even scratch the surface of this issue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I then go on to explain what the argument is.<\/p>\n

You can find it here<\/a>, and if it's behind a paywall, subscriptions are very low, and this is, importantly, the one paper you can find that actually has a decent policy on Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I say in The National this morning: LIKE others whose comments were reported in The National, who are also keen to see Scotland as
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