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Scottish Independence Backer Accuses Opponents of ‘Bullying’ Scottish Independence Backer Alleges ‘Bullying’ and Urges Inquiry
(about 4 hours later)
EDINBURGH — With tension rising just a week before Scots vote on independence, Alex Salmond, the leader of the “yes” campaign, appealed to Scots on Thursday to “make history,” and accused his opponents of using bullying and subterfuge to try to prevent a Scottish breakaway. EDINBURGH — With tension rising a week before Scots vote on independence, Alex Salmond, the leader of the “yes” campaign, accused opponents on Thursday of bullying and subterfuge, and he demanded an official inquiry into disclosures that the Royal Bank of Scotland would shift its registered office to England in the event of a Scottish breakaway.
Opinion polls are giving conflicting signs about the likely outcome, and each side of the debate has intensified its fierce disputes about the economic, political and social implications of independence. Speaking in Edinburgh Mr. Salmond said that officials at Britain’s treasury had been caught leaking information to the news media before a market-sensitive announcement, and he described their actions as a “matter of extraordinary gravity.”
Addressing international and domestic news media and his supporters in Edinburgh, Mr. Salmond said that Scots were “on the cusp of making history.” With the outcome of next week’s referendum hard to predict from the latest opinion polls, the news of the bank’s possible move underlined the highly charged nature of the debate over the likely impact of independence on important sectors of the Scottish economy.
“The eyes of the world are upon Scotland,” he said. “And what the world is seeing is an articulate, peaceful, energized debate.” The Royal Bank of Scotland announced Thursday that it is making contingency plans to move its legal incorporation to England in the event of a “yes” vote. In addition, Lloyds Banking Group said it had made arrangements to establish “new legal entities” in England should voters in Scotland decide to sever ties with Britain
On Thursday the economy was again at the top of the agenda following news that the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Banking Group are making contingency plans to move its registered office to England in the event of a yes vote. That decision was motivated by uncertainty over what currency an independent Scotland would use because the three main British political parties have all rejected a currency union if Scots vote to break away. Late Wednesday the treasury confirmed the forthcoming announcement to some British news media by email, though officials said privately that they did so only in response to inquiries about reports in the newspaper The Sun. There was no official comment from the treasury on Thursday, and the Cabinet Office, which is responsible for the civil service, said it had not yet received any letter requesting an inquiry from Mr. Salmond.
Mr. Salmond said the parties were bluffing, attacked the “bullying and intimidation” of London politicians, and declared that Scots had moved beyond “these warnings and scaremongerings.” The banks’ contingency plans have been prompted by uncertainty over what currency an independent Scotland would use. All three main British political parties have rejected the idea of a currency union if Scots vote to break away, though Mr. Salmond contends that they are bluffing.
He also went on the offensive over the possible bank relocations, citing BBC reports from Wednesday night in which unnamed sources at the Treasury, Britain’s finance ministry, were quoted as confirming discussions on the contingency plans. On Thursday he stepped up his attack on London politicians, accusing them of “bullying and intimidation” and demanding an official inquiry into the actions of officials who, he said, are “not allowed to brief market sensitive information.”
Officials are “not allowed to brief market-sensitive information,” said Mr. Salmond. He described the issue as a “matter of extraordinary gravity” and demanded an official inquiry into the leak. At the same time Mr. Salmond played down the significance of a move by the Royal Bank of Scotland as largely technical, pointing to an internal letter from the bank in which it said that the changes would have no effect on employment or operations in Scotland.
Nonetheless, Mr. Salmond described that the change envisioned by RBS as largely technical, pointing to an internal letter from the bank in which it said that the changes would have no effect on employment or operations. Nonetheless, the bank’s announcement, and similar statements of concern from other well-known businesses and financial institutions, may check some of the momentum that has seemed to be gathering behind supporters of independence. On Thursday morning, Charlie Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis, a retailing group, told the BBC that there would be “economic consequences to a ‘yes’ vote.”
On Wednesday, the leaders of the three main Westminster parties made visits to Scotland and appealed to Scots to keep the United Kingdom together. They have promised greater powers of self-determination for Scotland if it rejects independence. “It does cost more money to trade in parts of Scotland, and therefore those hard costs, in the event of a ‘yes’ vote, are more likely to be passed on,” he said.
Opponents of independence highlighted economic concerns, and Jackie Baillie, a member of the Scottish Parliament representing the Labour Party, argued that breaking the union “would mean higher prices for families in Scotland.”
Mr. Salmond appealed to voters to ignore such warnings, telling Scots that they are “on the cusp of making history” and adding that “the eyes of the world are upon Scotland.”
In one testy set of exchanges, he accused the BBC’s political editor, Nick Robinson, of heckling him after Mr. Robinson challenged him several times to answer questions about the economic impact of independence.
Scottish supporters of the opposition Labour Party are thought to be crucial to the outcome of the vote on Sept. 18, and that party’s leader, Ed Miliband, spoke in Scotland for the second consecutive day on Thursday, in Glasgow. Independence would entail “huge risks,” he said, including “risks to jobs, the economy and the National Health Service.”
The day before, the leaders of Britain’s three main governing parties visited Scotland and appealed to Scots to keep the United Kingdom together. They have promised greater powers of self-determination for Scotland if a majority of voters reject independence.
Mr. Salmond retorted that, since 1945, 142 countries have chosen independence and not one has ever asked to give it up.Mr. Salmond retorted that, since 1945, 142 countries have chosen independence and not one has ever asked to give it up.