FORMER HEAD OF RBS SLAMS NO CAMP SCAREMONGERING

The SNP has welcomed the intervention of former RBS Chief Executive and Chairman Sir George Mathewson today – after he branded the No camp’s claims on banking and currency as “nonsense.”
 
Writing in today’s Financial Times, Sir George Mathewson makes clear the benefits of a currency union after a Yes vote for both Scotland and the rest of the UK, and condemns scaremongering on Scotland’s financial sector – saying that the No camp’s claims on these issues should “be taken with a bucket of salt”.
 
Sir George also points out that a Yes vote offers Scotland the opportunity to “support and expand the financial services sector using the powers of independence to attract new business and new entrants to the market” – and says that Scotland’s financial services sector is currently “neglected by the Westminster government and its London-centric policy”.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said:
 
“Since the launch of the No campaign two years ago, Alistair Darling and his Tory allies have tried relentlessly to spread fear about Scotland’s financial sector – but this expert intervention from Sir George Mathewson disproves the tired old scaremongering once and for all.
 
“Sir George is absolutely right to say that the No camp’s claims need to be taken with a bucket of salt – people in Scotland just don’t believe their predictions of doom and gloom any more.
 
“As Sir George makes clear, with a Yes vote we can use the economic powers of independence to further grow our financial sector and attract new business to Scotland – and to have an economic policy tailored to Scotland’s needs, rather than London and the south-east.
 
“With the No camp’s scaremongering claims unravelling in the face of the evidence, Alistair Darling will need to write a new script ahead of tomorrow’s TV debate – the same old Project Fear negativity simply won’t cut it.”