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by crapshoot101 4302 days ago
Would be shocked if this actually happens. Most Scottish business will move down south (they've said as much loudly), they will not be able to use the pound, and because of the EU's "any member can veto policy", I think EU membership will be harder, not easier for Scotland to get - Spain, for one (with Catalonia or the Basque region), is not going to want this precedent set.

Still, will be interesting to watch. Money is still on "No", but stranger things have happened.

3 comments

I think it's perhaps more accurate to say that business leaders in Scotland are split just the same way that the rest of the population is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-2896...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28944255

Also worth noting that the SNP wants to lower corporation tax rates to attract large companies here.

The UK already has very low corporate taxes, so Putting it even lower could be interesting.
Ireland already has lower taxes than the UK, it would probably have a similar effect, although the EU is quite keen to get rid of the ways to evade even the low official rates in Ireland.
By the way, Tyler Cowen has an interesting link on this (Citing the FT): note that financial services are the biggest part of Scotland's GDP now, and getting away from the pound would affect that: http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2014/09/doe...
Spain has said they will be fine with it since it's bilateral. It's unilateral independence they wouldn't be ok with.