Deficit details

FOR James Duncan’s edification (Letters, 2 September) I would like to confirm the figures I used (£15 billion deficit) were straight out of the GERS (SNP) hand-book and are based on the actual published data showing the net fiscal balance figures for 2013-14 – adjusted for the lower oil price.

And here’s his non-sequiter – Mr Duncan goes on to mix the servicing of the UK debt (of which Scotland would have their share) with the net fiscal deficit of Scotland which is akin to comparing apples with oranges.

Furthermore, the only person relaxed about the debt is of course Nicola Sturgeon, who actually demanded a 0.5 per cent increase in spending, to add £180bn to budgets in the next parliament while most people want the debt paid down sooner rather than later.

As I said before, the Scottish Government has blown the equivalent of an “oil fund” with its prodigious spending on extra “free” public services compared with England – you can’t spend it twice. Furthermore, most people understand you don’t need an oil fund if we remain part of the Union as it is a relatively small part of the UK, GDP (2-4 percent) as against 18 per cent GDP (historically) for Scotland.

Mr Duncan clearly believes that giving up the pound and signing up to the Euro (which is an EU joining requirement), answering to Angela Merkel and the same creditors who dealt with Greece is a better prospect than remaining in the Union – his choice but I doubt the preferred option for the majority of Scots.

Ian Lakin

Murtle Den Road

Aberdeen