Can Scotland Raise £1.5 Billion?

[ChillDoubt]

That is the projected figure for the cost of independence.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27557547

That's an eye-watering amount. Is it seriously achievable?

[Baldric]

If it helps, I'll willingly chuck in a few Quid!

[Quizmonster]

Has the UK Treasury ever "projected" an accurate figure about anything? It might help if you also read the information provided by Scottish ministers. For example, where did the Treasury get the figure of 180 departments, as it appears to be based on nothing ever decided by them?
Just another "scare story" in a long flood of such tales, designed to persuade Scots that they'd better go on clinging to nanny's skirts! By 'nanny' I mean the UK as a whole - of which Scotland itself is a part - not just England.

[humbersloop]

1% of GDP over five years? achievable, but ouch

anyhoo Chilli, Alex Salmond basically says "it's all fibs and rubbish, so there!" ;)

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/26/treasury-estimates-setting-up-independent-scotland

[aelmpvw]

no problem, it's prising it out of their sporons that will be difficult

[ChillDoubt]

Aye sloopy, but Salmond also said UKIP would be squeezed out of Scotland.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/05/26/openly-gay-ukip-mep-elected-in-scotland/

[heathfield]

Quoting the New Statesman, 5 days ago..."One MEP and a string of lost deposits hardly amount to a Caledonian "breakthrough"". I'll go along with that. And £1.5 billion? Questionable, but even if true, worth every penny!

[youngmafbog]

Small amount to pay to get shot of them. I think the UK should fund it on our behalf, otgerwise I am happy to chip in too.

[DTCwordfan]

Does that include the costs of all the unemployment generated by Scottish institutions moving south of the border and the closure of Faslane...Plymouth and Falmouth are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of the latter.

[Wharton]

There's about £1.5 Trillion in oil & gas still waiting to be extracted from the North Sea and so £1.5 Billion would be a drop in the ocean :-)

[Quizmonster]

The article is from 16 months ago, but if you click here http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/04/mod-nuclear-submarines-scotland-plymouth
you'll see that the prospect of Trident submarines moving from Faslane to any port in Devon - or anywhere much else in England - is effectively a non-starter. Hard to see, then, just who is "rubbing their hands" in glee over the possibility.

[baza]

no doubt we will pay up whilst the scots plead poverty and wring out their sporrans.

[johnny37]

Thats not much in the great scheme of economics. The oil income is more than that.