An Indy Utopia

Hardly a day passes without another “British Unionist” (or perhaps more precisely, another “British Nationalist”) declaring that because reported “exports” from Scotland to RUK are currently more than three times those reported from Scotland directly to the EU, then should Scotland become independent the economic damage it would sustain would be proportionately larger than that sustained due to Brexit. This is nonsense, but such simplistic arguments are accepted unquestioningly by some, either because they have insufficient civic concern to seek the truth or because they are ideologically committed to preserving the “British Union” whatever the truth.

While the sun would still rise following a “Hard Brexit”, it would probably take 10-15 years to secure the necessary global trade deals that would enable the UK economy to grow at an annual rate comparable to that achievable by remaining in the EU.

An independent Scotland however, with an economy long suppressed within the UK due to both a relative lack of infrastructure investment and the persistent depletion of human resources, would have exceptional opportunities, especially from within the EU or EFTA, to grow exports of its premium goods and services. Any “short-term setbacks” arising through Scotland choosing to determine its own future would not extend beyond the economic realities of the RUK government needing to secure long-term supplies of clean energy, oil, gas and water.

An independent Scotland with full access to the European Single Market will soon thrive; a dependent Scotland in a United Kingdom outside the ESM will continue to underperform economical- ly and will fail to achieve this country’s social aspirations. STAN GRODYNSKI

Gosford Road Longniddry, East Lothian