Updated: Updated with details of fourth paper
Issue
The UK and Scottish governments have agreed to work together to give people in Scotland a referendum on Scottish independence by the end of 2014.
However, the UK government believes that Scotland is stronger in the UK, and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it. We will continue to make the positive case for how people in Scotland can have the best of both worlds: decisions on important issues taken in Scotland, within a strong and secure UK.
Actions
To inform the debate about Scotland’s constitutional future, we are undertaking a programme of analysis on Scotland’s place in the UK and how it contributes to and benefits from being part of the UK. We are publishing the Scotland analysis series.
The work will be informed by expert opinion, including a forum of independent legal experts and open to scrutiny when it is published. It will provide people in Scotland with the facts and figures that are currently unknown or taken for granted, and explain how the UK in its current form works.
The work will cover a number of important themes, including:
- the UK’s position in the world
- the protection of our citizens
- the economic benefits of the UK
A number of government departments are involved in this analysis. We are also working with independent experts including think tanks, academics, economists, lawyers and specialists from different sectors and areas of expertise.
Our first paper, Scotland analysis: devolution and the implications of independence, examined the UK’s constitutional framework and the legal implications of independence, how it benefits Scotland and the implications if people voted to leave. It concluded that, should Scotland become an independent state, the UK would be the continuing state, and an independent Scotland would be a new state. The legal position is clear that bodies that support the UK now, for example the Bank of England, would continue to operate on behalf of the continuing UK on the same basis as before should Scotland vote to become a separate state.
Our second paper, Scotland analysis: currency and monetary policy, explores these issues in more detail and concludes that all of the alternative currency arrangements would be likely to be less economically suitable for both Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Our third paper, Scotland analysis: financial services and banking, analyses how the financial services sector currently operates across the UK, and considers the implications of Scottish independence on the financial system, the industry, and its customers across the UK.
Our fourth paper, Scotland analysis: business and microeconomic framework, considers the benefits of the UK’s integrated domestic market for goods and services, and the implications of Scottish independence on the UK’s shared regulatory and institutional framework; unified labour market, integrated knowledge base; and communications and transport infrastructure.
Background
In October 2012, the UK and Scottish governments signed an agreement about how they would work to provide a legal basis for the referendum and make sure it provides a fair and decisive reflection of Scottish people’s views.
More information about how we are doing this can be found in our policy on facilitating a legal, fair, and decisive referendum. Information about our work to strengthen and deepen the Scottish devolution settlement can be found in our policy on Scottish devolution.
Bills and legislation
The Scotland Act 1998 established the Scottish Parliament.
The Scotland Act 2012 devolved more tax-raising and other powers from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament.