How to pay for becoming independent
Setting up an independent Scotland is estimated to be about £25 billion, £15 billion of which comes Scotland's share of UK assets. The remining £10 billion is a one-off cost.
Initial debts will be a matter of negotiation with the UK government. The set up costs are estimated at £25 billion of which £15 billion will be offset as a share of assets being transferred.
The large debts shown by the 2020/1 GERS are temporary and not structural. They do not indicate that Scotland cannot afford to be inedpendent.
GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland) 2015/16 reported Scotland’s fiscal deficit to be in the region of £14 billion per year, portraying Scotland as the country experiencing some of the most challenging financial circumstances in Europe.