The SNP is busy spinning today’s pledge by the Treasury to guarantee all UK debt in the event of Scottish independence in its favour. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “UKG debt announcement today marks the moment that common sense & mutual self interest begins to trump #projectfear”, while Alex Salmond declared that the move meant Scotland would be in “an extremely strong positon to negotiate a fair deal.”
The announcement means that rather than transferring a proportionate share of UK gilts to Scotland following independence, the British government will continue to guarantee them and expect the Scottish government to reimburse it accordingly. Here’s the key passage from the Treasury paper:
Content from our partners
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month