Whatever form our border between Scotland and England takes in the future, it will bring opportunities for all.
Shared Border, Shared Future is a resource for the many aspects of the Scotland/England Border, with a view to Scotland being a normal, independent country.
Trading in sterling for a transitional period would mean goods from Scotland will avoid currency exchange issues. If the UK doesn’t sort its borders with the EU, the resulting fall in the value of sterling will mean that trade with the rest of the UK increases, not decreases.
There may be significant economic costs resulting from independence. However, there is no reason Scotland cannot prosper as other small nations have. This report looks at the cumulative effect over 15 years.
Independence, then, might be inevitable, but it has to be contemplated with some sense of reality. The reality of Brexit in front of our eyes. Scotland’s freedom from unending Tory rule from London may well be unavoidable. The constitutional position is simply unsustainable.
Decisions on independence are balanced between a few elements:
A rebalancing of relations with England outside the EU.
Independence with the objective to join the EU, creating a hard border with England.
An independent Scotland within the EU would be part of the EU’s single market: England and Wales would be outside. The border checks may be quite significant. Ireland's experience shows it is clearly possible for a small country to succeed economically in a similar situation to that which would