A bold statement, some might say, when, at the time of writing, a Guardian/ICM poll suggests that 49% of Scots would, indeed, prefer to turn inward and away and leave the union they have so long been part of.
With less than a week to go, and 17% of voters still sitting on the fence, many sectors throughout the UK are starting to creak under the weight of the potential uncertainties created by Scottish independence.
Arguably, the most tested area will be the UK’s finance sector, formed as it is from the ever-expanding web of rules and codes that result from a long-standing, unwritten constitution.
Such pressures became particuarly apparent last week, when Standard Life, Lloyds TSB, and RBS each announced the existence of emergency “contingency plans” which all include the southern movement of operations into England in the event of independence.
“Divided”
The arguments are as divided as the voters, for example, while Cameron claims that Scotland and England are governed “so much better together”, Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond riffs that “the growth of a strong economic power in the north of these islands that would benefit everyone”.
Ultimately, it is impossible to tell which side the coin will fall, but, regardless of the outcome, the referendum will undeniably initiate a period of change.
As Richard Leeson, chief executive at Adviser Advocate, and former sales and marketing director at Axa Wealth International, says: “The possibility of a “Yes” vote in the referendum is real; If it comes to pass, it will create uncertainty for clients and advisers, and uncertainty always brings with it opportunity.”
Here are six potential financial implications of Scottish independence.
