Knowing our place in future

Sir, – In response to William Loneskie (Letters, September 3).

People still fail to realise we send HM Treasury approximately £66 billion of revenue, are given about half of that back, and the remainder is spent on what Westminster deigns to be on our behalf, and over which we have no control.

Any Barnett consequentials merely give us back some of what we have already given.

There is no certainty about any post-independence currency devaluation or comparisons.

The Scottish Government, pre and post SNP, are required to balance the books, so have never created or maintained any deficit. The deficits are the result of Westminster decisions, not ours.

Any independent country can choose whatever it likes as a currency. Exchange rates vary all the time and there would be a period of balance and adjustment in any transition.

If Scotland doesn’t have the cash to back its prospective currency then neither does Westminster.

The value of any currency is not dependant on past glories but on current performance. There is no UK largesse available other than what is printed or bond funded.

And with Scotland’s population of around six million and a tax income of £66bn we would be easily capable of managing things for ourselves – on 2019 figures approximately £30bn extra.

Also, to clarify, the SNP has published draft balanced independent budgets.

Most unionist arguments are merely parroted repeats of an unsubstantiated statement to try and justify a belief.

If there were factbased arguments then we could move forward in an informed manner.

Just because someone doesn’t like a particular position does not make it wrong.

Nick Cole. Balmacron Farmhouse, Meigle, Perthshire.