Bailout claims

The recent news about the joint bailout of the Belgian-based Dexia Bank by the governments of France, Belgium and Luxembourg completely undermines those scaremongering London-based politicians such as Michael Moore who claim that an independent Scotland alone would have had to shoulder the entire bailout costs of RBS and HBOS in the event of a collapse occurring in an independent Scotland.

Professor John Kay (12 October) underlines the falseness of claims by Moore and his cronies, by stating it is “morally and legally” wrong to say that, because banks are headquartered in Scotland, an independent Scotland would have been liable for the entire bailout, including for example paying off foreign institutions who made loans to ABN Amro.

Furthermore, citing the banking crisis as an argument to demonstrate the impossibility of Scottish independence is wrong.

It is about time that Michael Moore and other politicians who have made such claims withdraw them and apologise.

Ian Grant

Ashburnham Gardens

South Queensferry