Rules for new referendum would end the uncertainty
catastrophically over-optimistic. Can they be trusted to produce another one? Why don’t we see how well they govern for a bit so we can decide whether they are capable of producing accurate forecasts? And what of the future?
Will the UK be able to achieve a sensible Brexit arrangement which allows businesses in Scotland to trade easily with the EU or not? We do not know, all we have at the moment is posturing by all parties rather than facts. Will England become a nasty little inward-looking country which we will not feel comfortable with or will it retain its historic place as an outwardlooking liberal and tolerant nation which we would be happy to co-exist with? We don’t know yet. Will the EU continue to stagger under the weight of overregulation, bureaucracy, corruption and debt or will it get its act together and be a club worth being part of? The jury is out. Would we have to adopt the Euro if an independent Scotland joined the EU or not? We don’t know. Unless we have the answers to these questions how can we possibly reach a rational conclusion as to whether we should remain part of the UK or not? The idea of a referendum on independence for Scotland before we have the proper facts is ludicrous, unfair, self-serving nonsense from the Scottish Government. Here is the solution. The UK Government should legislate now to allow the Scottish Parliament the right to hold a legally valid referendum on independence. The legislation must contain four conditions. First, the power can only be used once. Second, the referendum can only take place between 2025 and 2030. Third, the Electoral Commission must decide (not just review as it did last time) the referendum question – Remain/ Leave was a much fairer question than Yes/No. Fourth, provisions must be laid down to ensure fairness in any referendum process.
Then could we all please just get back to our day jobs for a few years – investing, creating jobs, improving services? Pinstripe is a senior member of Scotland’s financial services community.
‘‘ Another narrow result would be a disaster and that is exactly what is likely to happen if one were held shortly