Author: Dr Craig Dalzell

Dr Craig Dalzell is the Head of Policy & Research at the “think and do tank” Common Weal. His background is in laser physics but through a strange series of events after the 2014 independence referendum he found himself in the world of politics, economics and statistics. He has been a Fellow of the RSA since 2018. As well as his work with Common Weal, he also maintains his personal blog at thecommongreen.scot.

 

Paper 4:

Banking

In Setting up a Scottish Banking System, the fourth paper in the Scottish Independence Convention’s Transition series, finance expert Peter Ryan presents the case for banking reforms in the transition period leading to independence and explains the processes needed to set this up.

Author: Peter Ryan

Peter Ryan is married and lives in Ayr. He has worked in financial services for over 30 years. He has contributed to payment policy both in the UK and the European Union working with the European Banking Authority on real time Euro payments and Open Banking. His support for Scottish independence came from the injustice of the vote to leave the European Union and a desire to leave a better world for his children.

 

Paper 5:

Taxation

In the fifth SIC Transition Paper – Tax Policy for an Independent Scotland – political economist, chartered accountant and tax specialist Richard Murphy describes the steps Scotland will need to take during the independence transition period and after in order to set up a strong and fair tax system. His reasoning is as follows: “If Scotland is to have a modern, functioning, controlled and effective economy then having a strong, upheld, respected and enforced tax system is critical. Only a strong and fair tax system can ensure that a future independent government will be able to effectively deliver its chosen policies.”

Author: Richard Murphy

Richard Murphy is a chartered accountant and political economist. After a career as senior partner of a firm of accountants, he changed direction in 2003 when he co-founded the Tax Justice Network and became its research director. In 2008 he co-authored the Green New Deal. In 2013 he co-founded the Fair Tax Mark, and in 2019 he co-founded the Corporate Accountability Network. He created the concept of country-by-country reporting which is used to identify tax abuse by multinational corporations. This is now a legal requirement in more than 70 countries. From 2015 until 2020 he was Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City, University of London. He is now Visiting Professor of Accounting at The University of Sheffield and Visiting Professor of Sustainability at Anglia Ruskin University. Richard has co-authored a number of books including The Joy of Tax. It blogs frequently at http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ and tweets @RichardJMUrphy.

 

Paper 6:

Currency

In a follow-up to his paper on a Scottish Banking System (SIC Transition Paper No.6) Peter Ryan highlights the processes and potential timescales to establish a new independent Scottish currency. These key steps would include:

• A Scottish Currency Bill drawn up prior to the independence referendum, which would establish a Scottish currency initially equivalent to the UK pound;
• Introduce Scottish coins and notes in stages to allow the public to adjust to them;
• Establish a Central Bank of Scotland at the start of the transition period, which would issue notes and coins in the new currency – those banks currently issuing Scottish Sterling notes would no longer be able to issue Scottish banknotes;
• Over the course of the transition period commercial banks wanting to operate in Scotland would apply for a Scottish banking licence and would begin converting existing accounts from sterling to the new Scottish currency;
• At the end of the transition the new Scottish currency would detach from Sterling and be a free-floating, independent currency.

Author: Peter Ryan

Peter Ryan is married and lives in Ayr. He has worked in financial services for over 30 years. He has contributed to payment policy both in the UK and the European Union working with the European Banking Authority on real time Euro payments and Open Banking. His support for Scottish independence came from the injustice of the vote to leave the European Union and a desire to leave a better world for his children.

 

Paper 7:

Joining EFTA and the EU

In the seventh paper in the Scottish Independence Convention Transition series, “Europe is our Oyster: Scotland’s Accession to EFTA, EEA and/or the EU”, Peter Sellar, a private practice lawyer who advises on European (EU) law, recounts that he often hears people living in Scotland saying, “I would vote for independence if I knew we’d get back into the EU”. “Understandably”, he writes, “they clamour for some certainty in that regard”. In this paper he allays doubts and also explains, with great attention to detail, that the EU is not the only possible European option for an independent Scotland. Two other options are available and the paper sets out the pros and cons for joining either the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or the EU.

Author: Peter Sellar

Peter is a practising EU lawyer. He has a Masters in European Community Law from the College of Europe, Bruges and in his time has worked as a lawyer in private practice in Brussels, at the Scottish bar as an advocate, in-house in financial services and at the Court of Justice of the European Union. 

Peter is very happy indeed to have been asked to provide his views on Scotland in Europe, in particular for an apolitical body like the Scottish Independence Convention that is seeking facts, not spin.

 

 

Scottish Independence Convention welcome contributions from authors who have in-depth knowledge about creating the necessary building blocks for constructing an independent Scotland.  If you wish to contribute, please contact info@theconvention.scot.