The Wee Blue Book

The Facts the Papers Leave Out
The Facts the Papers Leave Out

Infrequently Asked Questions

In this book we’ve tried to answer all the reasonable questions that people might want to ask those of us on the Yes side. (If we’ve missed any, see the Appendix.)

But here are a few questions you might like to ask your local Unionist MP, MSP or No campaigner, and see how direct and convincing the replies they give you are. Because if you wait for the media to ask them on your behalf, you might be waiting a very long time.

1 Does Scotland - including its oil revenues, of course - contribute a larger share of the UK’s income than the share of UK spending it gets? (And specifically the SHARE, not the AMOUNT - debt which has to be paid back doesn’t count as “spending”.)

2 Regardless of whether YOU think it would be a good idea or not, is it true to say that an independent Scotland could continue to use Sterling as its currency if it chose, no matter what happened?

3 Your campaign keeps saying that independence would make our family and friends in the rest of the UK “foreigners” [139]. Even if we accept that’s true, what’s wrong with foreigners? Would you love your granny or your nephew or your sister any less if they became “foreign”?

If not, why does it matter?

4 In your view, would the rUK really build and patrol a 100-mile long physical barrier of some sort across the border if an independent Scotland had a different immigration policy? (Because obviously road checkpoints alone couldn’t stop illegal immigrants, who’d simply cross on foot.)

And if so, what would you estimate as the construction, manning and maintenance costs of such a barrier?

5 The McCrone Report was kept from the Scottish public by successive Labour and Conservative governments for 30 years to prevent them knowing how rich Scotland would be if it were independent. Are you aware of any similar documents relevant to the independence debate which are currently designated secret?

6 In the event of a No vote in September, can you guarantee that in five years’ time Scotland will still be in the EU?

7 In the event of a No vote, can you guarantee that in 10 years’ time Scotland will still have a fully publicly-funded NHS?

8 In the event of a No vote, can you guarantee that the “Barnett Formula” used to calculate the Scottish Government block grant will still be in force by 2020 and set at the same proportions?

9 What will be the approximate set-up/annual costs of the tax-collecting bureaucracy your party plans to implement in the event of a No vote?

10 In the event of a Yes vote, will the UK government have an obligation to pay the pensions of everyone in Scotland who has ALREADY qualified for the UK state pension, as would be the case if current pensioners emigrated to (say) Spain or France or Australia?

I’m not interested in the Scottish Government’s position on the matter, I want to know what the UK government’s responsibilities are, since they’re the ones all the contributions were paid to.

You can easily contact your local MP, MSPs, MEPs and councillors via WriteToThem.com. We’re not saying you’ll get straight answers. But if you don’t, perhaps that might tell you something.