The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Clegg insists Scotland ‘cannot have cake and eat it’

-

NICK CLEGG insists a UK minister’s claim the pound would be shared with an independen­t Scotland was “flatly wrong” as the fallout continued from the anonymous briefing.

Mr Clegg said Scotland could not “have their cake and eat it” if voters decided to voteYes for independen­ce in September.

He said the main Westminste­r parties were in clear agreement that a currency union would not happen.

The Treasury was forced to intervene at the weekend to insist Scotland would not keep the pound after comments by an anonymous minister were published.

Mr Salmond said the news proved the stance on sterling “is a campaign tactic, a negotiatin­g position, something to scare the natives up in Scotland”.

At a press conference in London, the Deputy Prime Minister saidAlex Salmond should “not pretend” there was a chance of retaining the pound.

“I have no idea who the anonymous minister was but they are totally, plainly, utterly and flatly wrong,” he said.

“The three main parties in Westminste­r... have said clearly and unambiguou­sly that there is a solid crossparty consensus that if Scotland were to leave the United Kingdom they cannot have their cake and eat it and also remain part of the sterling currency union.

“And it’s really, really important that we understand what is at stake in this referendum, and when it comes to the currency I want no one to be under any illusions whatsoever that the idea that Scotland can pull itself out of the United Kingdom but still enjoy the stability of being part of a wider currency union, in which interest rates are set by the Bank of England, is simply not available and he, Alex Salmond, should not pretend that it is — and he certainly shouldn’t clutch at straws or invoke anonymous briefings.”

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom