UK Fearful of Losing Power after Scottish Independence, Analyst Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The British government is fearful of losing power and influence as a smaller country after Scotland’s independence, a Scottish analyst said.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Michael Danson, professor of Enterprise Policy at Heriot-Watt University, rejected the UK officials’ claims that a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum will lead to a terrible economic crisis for the country.
“Of course, from the arguments on deficits and economic problems as they (UK government) have lost the people, they clearly have an alternative set of reasons and these include loss of Scottish finances, taxes and oil revenues, loss of power and influence as a smaller country,” Danson said.
“The UK has almost the highest level of debt/GDP ratio in the world,” he said, adding that Scotland is doing much better.
“The problem with deficits is a UK government problem that they have to address,” the Scottish analyst noted.
He went on to say that even the Financial Times and others have confirmed that Scotland would be placed in a superior position after independence.
The Scottish electorate is voting in an independence referendum. Scots will decide whether their nation, which has a population of just over 5 million and is a source of North Sea oil, should end its 307-year-old union with England and leave the United Kingdom.
