SNP can hold a referendum – if it first accepts the terms of a divorce Business

Then, the currency. The SNP should stop pretending it could just use the pound as before. An independent Scotland could of course join the euro, or launch its own currency, or the phantom pound.

But he couldn’t expect to have joint management of the Bank of England (there is a hint in the name), nor could he expect to have any form of quantitative easing in pound sterling to cover his deficits. budgetary. Financially, it would be part of the euro zone, or alone.

Finally, the markets. Scotland could join the EU, in which case it would have to accept a hard border with the rest of the UK, with customs checks. Or it could join the UK’s single market, but with no say in framing its rules.

Or, it could not do either and make its way into the world market, as many small economies are very successful. But he couldn’t claim that he could gain access to the single markets of the UK and the EU, or that he could magically remove the trade barriers that independence would create.

Brexit has already shown that it doesn’t work. On top of that, Scotland would have to agree that all UK grants would end immediately and all UK assets outside of Scotland would remain the property of the rest of the country.

As Michel Barnier – who, come to think of it, could make an excellent negotiator for Westminster, especially since he seems to be late – repeatedly pointed out when we left the EU, the UK couldn’t choose which pieces of membership he wanted, nor could he hope to get a better deal outside of this Union than he enjoyed as a member.

The same goes for Scotland if it chooses to leave the UK. If the SNP is ready to concede these points, then there could be a referendum.

The Scottish people could make a realistic choice, stripped of the illusions woven by the nationalists. And a vote could finally take place that would end the whole argument – this time for a few generations at least.