Even when including our geographic share of North Sea Oil an independent Scotland would have run a budget deficit of £12.4bn equivalent to 8.1% of GDP compared to the UK’s deficit of 5.6%.
Whilst the amount of money raised in Scotland is £400 per head higher than the UK, the amount of public money spent per person in Scotland is £1,200 higher compared to the UK average.
Had Scotland voted to separate from the UK last year, cuts to public spending above what the UK government is implementing, would have been necessary.
Mid-Scotland and Fie MSP Murdo Fraser said:
“The economic utopia promised by Alex Salmond would have turned into a nightmare if we had voted to leave the United Kingdom back in September. Declining oil and gas revenues coupled with higher public spending costs would have seen an independent Scotland run a budget deficit second only to Greece and Slovenia in the EU.
“These figures clearly illustrate how the people of Perth and Kinross, Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Fife were right to reject separation.
“Because we are part of the United Kingdom where we can pool and share resources, Scotland is protected from massive cuts in public spending. And because these figures are from 2013-14, the full extent of the fall in oil revenues is not even included.”