Expert debunks everything you've been told about GERS and the Scottish 'deficit'

Primary Author or Creator:
Richard Murphy
Publisher:
The National
Date Published:
Category:
Type of Resource:
Newspaper article
Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)
1 page
Fast Facts

The GERS figures present the UK government's view of whether Scotland could afford to be an independent nation.

Professor Richard Murph takes a look at the numbers and explains why the figures are inaccurate and don't represent the truth about the economy in a new Scotland. 

His starting position is this:

The Scottish Government balances its books.

Every single council in Scotland balances its books.

Every public agency that is reflected in jurors balances its books.

In other words, the truth is Scotland's public finances balance, by definition and by law.

 

More details

Examples are given of expenditure decided on at Westminster which Scotland is expected to contribute to but will not benefit from, such as nuclear power stations in the South of England and HS2. The consequence of over-development in the South of England is lower incomes in Scotland, resulting in a lower tax base.

English