POLL SHOWS WESTMINSTER’S CURRENCY BLUFF HAS BEEN CALLED

Westminster’s currency bluff has faced a further blow today – after new polling revealed that people in Scotland back the Scottish Government’s common-sense plans to keep the pound and simply don’t believe the bluff and bluster from the No campaign.
 
A Survation poll published today shows 57 per cent support for Scotland keeping the pound after a Yes vote – with 50%  of respondents backing plans for a currency union with the rest of the UK.
 
Today’s poll also shows that more people believe that Westminster is “bluffing” on the pound than don’t – following on from yesterday’s admission by Ed Miliband that any attempts by Westminster to block a currency union would cost businesses in England “hundreds of millions” of pounds or that they would willingly take on £120bn of extra UK debt, worth £1000 per Scottish household.
 
Commenting, SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie said:
 
“A currency union would be in the best interests of Scotland and the rest of the UK – and today’s poll shows that people in Scotland agree with this common-sense position.
 
“Despite a new onslaught of scaremongering from the No camp parties, it is clear that people in Scotland still aren’t buying Westminster’s currency bluff. 
 
“When even Ed Miliband admits that businesses in England would face costs of hundreds of millions of pounds if Westminster blocked a currency union it is clear that the anti-independence position is nothing more than a campaign tactic.
 
As leading economist Anton Muscatelli stated it would be “economic vandalism” for any UK government to turn down a currency union and volunteer to take on an extra £120bn of debt leaving Scotland without any obligations.
 
“Taxpayers in the rest of the UK will simply not accept making £5bn of extra debt payments each year, when Scotland could be paying those debts as part of a currency union. This is a ridiculous position for the anti-independence parties to take.
 
“But more than anything these poll results show that people in Scotland know that the pound belongs to us just as much as it belongs to anyone else – it’s our pound and we are keeping it.”