The Real Cost of Scottish Independence – 2025 Edition 📊 Fiscal Position According to the GERS 2025 report: •Revenue Raised: £91.4b •Public Spending: £117.6b •Deficit: £26.2b (≈11.7% of GDP) This deficit is currently absorbed by the UK Treasury. Post-independence, Scotland would need to self-finance this gap through taxation, borrowing, or spending cuts. ________________________________________ 💷 Debt Obligations •UK National Debt: ~£2.7T •Scotland’s Population Share (≈8.2%): ~£221b •Annual Interest (at 3%): ~£6.6b •Likely Credit Rating: BBB or lower •Interest Premium: +2–3% over UK rates → £8–10b/year ________________________________________ 🧓 State Pensions – Day One Responsibility •Estimated Annual Cost: ~£10b •Demographic Pressure: Older population profile than rUK •No UK Treasury Backstop: Must be funded from iScotland’s own revenue ________________________________________ 🏦 Currency & Financial Stability •Sterlingisation: No control over monetary policy or lender of last resort •Capital Flight Risk: Financial institutions may relocate •Launching a Scottish Currency: High setup costs, risk of inflation and devaluation ________________________________________ 🛒 Cost of Living & Food Inflation •Estimated Food Inflation: +5–10% •Drivers: •Loss of UK-wide procurement scale •Border frictions •Currency uncertainty ________________________________________ 🧾 Taxation Options Scotland already has higher income tax rates than rUK: BandRateUK Equivalent Starter19%20% Intermediate21%20% Higher42%40% Top48%45% Other options: •VAT hike: From 20% to 22% → ~£1.5b •Corporation Tax: From 25% to 28% → ~£800m •Wealth Taxes: Low yield, politically sensitive ________________________________________ 🧮 Spending Cuts – What’s Left to Trim? SectorSpend (£b)Notes Health & Social Care~£19Already under pressure Education~£9Cuts risk long-term productivity Social Security~£20Includes disability, housing, child benefits Pensions~£10PAYG system; demographic pressures Infrastructure~£4Needed for growth Defence & Foreign Affairs~£3Would need new institutions Realistic savings: £2–3b without severe service degradation ________________________________________ 📈 Economic Growth – Long-Term Hope, Not Short-Term Fix •Renewables: Potential export revenue, but needs investment •Tourism & Whisky: Strong sectors, but not enough to close gap •EU Membership: Opens markets, but introduces border with rUK ________________________________________ 🧩 Summary: The Independence Equation ComponentImpact Fiscal Deficit£26.2b Debt Servicing£8–10b State Pensions£10b Food Inflation+5–10% Tax OptionsLimited without economic harm Spending CutsPolitically and socially painful Currency RiskHigh without BoE backing Capital FlightLikely from Edinburgh Growth PotentialLong-term only ________________________________________ 🔚 Final Thought Independence is not just a constitutional change — it’s a full-scale economic transformation. Without the UK’s fiscal umbrella, Scotland would face: •Higher taxes •Lower services •More expensive borrowing •Greater economic volatility •Immediate pension obligations The question isn’t can Scotland be independent — it’s how painful the transition would be, and who pays.

🇺🇦🇷🇺 German authorities have confirmed the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was destroyed by an elite unit of Ukraine The unit was under the direct command of Valeriy Yaluzhny, former Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces of Ukraine

If @ShonaRobisonMSP is worried about the 2021 manifesto pledge regarding income tax, this SG have already broken it twice, therefore she’s got no issues. She can just stitch every Scottish taxpayer again. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ep…

The most unsurprising news possible - the SNP have been a scandal ridden disaster in Glasgow. The city deserves so much better. dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit…

Remember back in January, the First Minister said to solve the NHS crisis, we would create "centres of excellence" for operations like cataracts and orthopedics? It turns out there has been no money or communication from SG to the health board since.

Woman stabbed in Birmingham attack dies bbc.in/3JPu15D

🚨GANG TRIED TO SNATCH BABY FROM FATHERS ARMS A man was attending the GlasGlow lights events in Glasgow last night when a Muslim Gang tried to take his baby out of his arms and make a runner. Luckily one was caught but the other two got away WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS

Scotland's school days could start later because pupils 'struggle to get up in the mornings', says education secretary dailymail.co.uk/news/article…

🚨REFEREE CUTS MINUTE SILENCE SHORT Despite over 50 former CELTIC players serving in WW1, their fans boo and turn their backs when a minutes silence is called for the fallen. I could never support a club that does this. It's disgusting beyond belief

LOCALS IN MIDDLESBOROUGH SMASH WINDOWS AS TALK OF CIVIL UNREST GROWS "We want our town back, they have to go home"

A minute silence cut after 15 seconds. Guess the club, you’ll be shocked, honestly.

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So let me get this right. Robison is insisting Reeves increases income tax on 31m English taxpayers and increases public spending in order to give the SG an increased block grant so the SG don’t have to increase taxes to fund their already unsustainable public sector expenditure.

The Scottish Government has been involved in thousands of civil cases, with judicial stats noting around 4,946 in recent years, though comprehensive win-loss data isn't publicly tallied. In high-profile constitutional clashes with Westminster—like the 2022 IndyRef2 ruling, gender reform bill block, and recent Supreme Court loss on biological sex definitions—they've lost most, racking up defeats and costs exceeding millions. Wins are rarer in these overreaches, highlighting devolution's limits rather than ideas ignored.

Can’t even begin to guess how this will pan out. No Siree Bob … Sturgeon corporate manslaughter probe is 'ongoing' as cops examine new evidence scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/n…

On this Remembrance Sunday, it’s poignant to ask: how do we restore pride, discipline, and unity in Britain? One answer — national service.

🚨 HER NAME WAS LILY WHITEHOUSE 🕊 19 YEARS OLD AND SHE WAS MURDERED BY 41 YEAR OLD MOHAMMED AZIM❗️ ANOTHER MOHAMMEDEN WHO SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HERE HAS TAKEN ANOTHER INNOCENT LIFE ⚠️ BRITAIN IS BROKEN 🇬🇧

"he said the rUK in the event of Scotland breaking away, would honour it's commitments to pensions." Where did he say this? That's a remarkable find Tony because he said the opposite in oral and written testimony to the Scottish Affairs Committee. Can't wait to see this.

Every £ you have paid in has already been paid out to your nan. WM is not going to volunteer to tax the people of Wales to pay pensions in iScotland.

I gave my son £10,000 to help out with a deposit. I’m having to give three months bank statements. Is this normal 🤣🤣🤣

I’ve read today that this is also a far right trophy