For a decade or so, GERS Day has been something of an annual gloatfest for opponents of Scottish independence. The fiscal data dump would reliably show just how dependent Scotland is on cash transfers from the Treasury to fund the embryonic state created by devolution and its sizeable estate of public service provision. As a result, GERS, which stands for Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland, has become central to Scottish constitutional politics.
Anti-nationalists say it proves that independence would be financially devastating for Scotland. Nationalists dispute this. Some say independence is a matter of constitutional principle and fiscal considerations shouldn’t come into it. Some say GERS fails to take into account the new economic opportunities that would come with independence. Some say GERS is a conspiracy orchestrated by Westminster to make Scotland look poorer than it is. (GERS is compiled by the Scottish government.)
The latest GERS figures, released on Wednesday and covering the fiscal year 2022-23, record Scotland’s
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