Scotland's public spending deficit fell by £600m to £25.3bn last year as tax revenue rose by £6.3bn to £98.3bn. Public spending reached £123.6bn, with per-person expenditure £2,720 higher than the UK average. The GERS report attributes the gap partly to higher spending on services such as water, sewage, health and social protection.
Yes won decisively, but the result was less a settled unionist consensus than a one-sided argument about Scotland’s finances, with all nine posted contributions coming from Yes voters. Several were answering a different question altogether: whether Scotland could do better alone.
The winning case leaned heavily on public spending and the fiscal transfer. The floor’s most-respected Yes argument said “it gets more than it fair share of UK taxes”, while another pointed to GERS and Scotland’s “far higher net spend”, presenting the union as a practical support for current living standards rather than a constitutional romance.
The No side left no opinion on the page, so there was no opposing case for voters to weigh or rebut. Instead, the nearest dissent came from within Yes: “Scotland should be independant”, while another tried to recast independence around “free trade and growth” rather than continuous subsidy. The arguments were not so much colliding as passing one another.
The room’s more combative voices pushed the debate into identity and resentment, invoking “hating England”, socialism, the Strathclyde belt and migration alongside complaints about economic ignorance. One contribution described “migrants moving in” as part of the problem, giving the discussion a sharper and less fiscal tone than the result itself.
For all the certainty of the verdict, the page’s neatest summary may have been the lone reply: “That’s actually a very good question!”
“YES Without a doubt, it gets more than it fair share of UK taxes. It actually benefits more than any other part of the UK due to the Barnet formula.”
YES case · JustFactsNotBeliefs · 2 respects
Should UK politicians be required to publish their tax returns?
Governance · 1,235 votes · 83% voted Yes
Should the UK Government cover Prince Harry's security requirements whilst he is resident in the UK?
Governance · 1,170 votes · 75% voted No
Is the UK's social contract broken?
Governance · 1,204 votes · 87% voted Yes
Can ultra-wealthy people effectively represent the views of ordinary people?
Governance · 1,133 votes · 67% voted No
Should being an MP disqualify you from taking paid second jobs?
Governance · 1,126 votes · 74% voted Yes
Has DEI hiring lowered professional standards in government departments?
Governance · 1,086 votes · 79% voted Yes
Can the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) be trusted?
Governance · 967 votes · 74% voted No
Is union activism sufficient experience to become a Bank of England director?
Governance · 958 votes · 73% voted No
12 Opinions
There is a basterdisation of the question. Yes they benefit from the union. The uniom however is not uniform. Scots have larger exports with whiskey, tech and oil. The industrues however have been carved up unfairly by westminster. The question is loaded. Scotland like every other country of the commonwealth is exploited no end. Return their revenue fully the fiscal deficit would be nul and void. Even an "impartial" poll is massaging questions.
Big time !! Scots leaving in shoals, migrants moving in .what a disaster
From somebody who has spent a lot of time there, one issue is the Irish diaspora of the Strathclyde belt & Socialism. Celtic FC where IRA banners are regularly waived epitomises the problem. It’s also inter- generational - everything is seen through a prism of hating England. There is also gross ignorance of economics & the interconnected elements of the economy. Scots need to recover their confidence but also need to elect competent MSPs rather than grievance mongers.
Yes, but don't make the yes case about continuous subsidy. The yes case is about free trade and growth. The no case is relying on increased taxation paying for an expanded public sector. Sounds awful.
It's very clear in the statistics of GERS Scotland benefits from a far higher net spend that it could sustain currently. To make the change to achieve the same spending would take generations of harsh economic change.
Duh. They live at England’s expense.
YES Without a doubt, it gets more than it fair share of UK taxes. It actually benefits more than any other part of the UK due to the Barnet formula.
The question should be does the UK benefit from Scotland being a part of it.
Scotland should be independant. Have a state ran in common sense. Scots were fed a pack of lies before the referendum and could no doubt thrive as an independant country.