Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will today urge the UK Government to accept the “commonsense” position that an independent Scotland should keep the pound
During a speech she is expected to say that ministers in London made a sensible decision when they agreed to honour all of Britain’s £1.4trillion debts up to the point of separation.
The Treasury move on Monday was designed to reassure world markets and prevent them becoming jittery in the run-up to the historic referendum in September.
Ms Sturgeon, who will address the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh, is expected to say: “Monday’s announcement is the first clear acceptance by the UK Government of the rational, commonsense positions laid out in the white paper (on independence).
“It also demonstrated that such clarity is as much in the interests of the UK as it is in Scotland’s.
“And if the UK Government can accept the commonsense position on debt then there is no reason why they should not accept the commonsense position that Scotland and the UK should share a currency.
“Or that Scotland’s continuing membership of Europe can be agreed in the way we have set out in the white paper.
“The barriers the ‘no’ campaign have sought to build all fall down when faced with simple logic and commonsense.”
Ms Sturgeon will also say risks are shared unequally in the UK and that Westminster policies are hitting the poorest hardest through the dismantling of the social security safety net and imposition of policies outwith the Scottish Government’s control.
A UK Government spokesman said it acted on debt to reassure financial markets as it was the “responsible thing to do” amid concerns over independence.
“It is the Scottish Government’s referendum that is creating uncertainty and the white paper provides no credible answers on the key issues of currency and EU membership,” he added.
“The chancellor has already made clear a currency union is highly unlikely while EU membership would have to be agreed by 28 member states.”
Scottish Secretary Alastair Carmichael has insisted the pound is an institution, not an asset or liability.
“Just because you have a sensible arrangement on debt does not mean to say your currency union plans are necessarily any more workable,” he added.