Scotland can do

Phil Tate repeats the myth that an independent Scotland would have a £13 billion deficit (Letters, 5 September) when GERS merely tells us what the finances of Scotland look like under the current constitutional arrangement and is an annual reminder of the mismanagement of our economy by successive Westminster governments that invest much more in London and the South East compared to anywhere else.

Of the 26 income figures quoted in GERS, 25 are estimated, and as there are no Scottish specific income tax, corporation tax or national insurance figures, Scotland operates as a region of the UK, so there is severe difficulty in collecting reliable data on things like exports; also, costs are calculated on a UK basis and then applied to Scotland’s accounts, but that is still an estimate and open to debate. For example, on the defence costs attributed to Scotland, we could save approximately £1.5bn a year.

Norway earned £11bn more in oil revenues than the UK last year and apart from exporting surplus energy to England that Mr Tate refers to, an independent Scotland would have a healthy balance of trade as we export much more than we import.

Apart from being the best country in the world to visit, all we need is more of the can-do self-confidence that built the wonderful new Queensferry Crossing to grow our economy and become a normal, successful independent nation.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh