Scotland's Debt?

Scotland's Debt?

Wouldn't Scotland be overwhelmed by debt? NO.

How big is UK's National Debt? Nobody knows for sure. Office for National Statistics can't explain its own figures. Some say £2tr; others c£1200bn. Unionists attribute 8% to Scotland i.e. £106bn (max) and say this will have to be paid back.

Between 1980 and 2014 UK debt went up from £98bn to £1440bn but during those years Scotland incurred none of that £1340bn debt because it was contributing to UK with oil. That sum needs to be deducted from the total the Unionists are giving.

Since 2014 more debt has been incurred but there has also been Quantitive Easing (QE) of 500bn which cancels a chunk of the figure. What the sums then show is that England actually owes Scotland!

In 2014 UK said it would be responsible for the debt if Scot. went indy and international law says the continuing state does take the debt and the assets with it. The new state does not. However, the SG did say at the time it would pay some compensation even though it was not legally obliged to.

Since 1945 c£1745bn has been borrowed by UK, of which less than £40bn has been repaid and none at all for last 19 years. So, if rUK is not repaying why should Scotland pay any compensation?

Interest is repaid so should Scotland pay a share?  UK currently borrows long term at 0.6%. So even if we accept the £106bn figure as correct that would mean Scotland has £600m to pay which seems a lot but is c1% of Scotland's current income, (much lower than rUK's %)

N.B.  The Scottish Government is legally obliged to balance its books so it is not running up debt.

A country's debt is much misunderstood, and it would be more accurate to call it savings.

Andrew Fraser