Alistair Darling tells Edinburgh audience he’s ‘not convinced’ by Scots currency plans

Alistair Darling has said that he is “not really convinced” by plans to adopt a separate currency in the event of Scottish independence.
Former Labour chancellor 

Alistair Darling led the campaign for Better Together in the run up to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. Picture: Lisa FergusonFormer Labour chancellor 

Alistair Darling led the campaign for Better Together in the run up to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. Picture: Lisa Ferguson
Former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling led the campaign for Better Together in the run up to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

The former Labour chancellor and Better Together campaign leader addressed a panel discussion at a business lunch for the Prince’s Trust at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on Friday, The Times reports.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is in favour of ditching pound sterling rather than pursue a currency union with the rest of the UK, as was desired by predecessor Alex Salmond who led the 2014 independence campaign.

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Speaking yesterday, Mr Darling reiterated his opposition to Scotland becoming separated from the rest of the United Kingdom and said he did not believe adopting a new currency would be the best course of action if a Yes vote came to pass.

In response to a question from the audience regarding the feasibility of the SNP’s plans, Mr Darling said: “You can have a new currency. That is not the problem.”

The ex-Labour minister then warned that creating a new currency would act as a “barrier to trade”, with pension holders and savers in Scotland also at risk.

In the event of a Yes vote, a recent Panelbase survey discovered that just one in seven, or 14 per cent, of Scots would like to see a new currency adopted in an independent Scotland, with 37 per cent of voters in favour of a currency union, 8 per cent keen to see Scotland switch to the euro and 8 per cent stating that the country should retain the pound without a currency union.

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