This video is a neutral, data-based examination of whether or not Scottish independence is economically feasible. I am not interested in the politics or specific political figures involved, nor do I advocate for or against independence. This video analyzes whether an independent Scotland could realistically sustain itself economically—and what conditions would need to be met for long-term viability. Scottish independence is probably the most hot-button topic in all of Scotland, and one of the major issues facing the UK as a whole. An extremely divisive issue, emotions run deep and surface quickly when the topic of Scottish independence is discussed. I am not interested in taking sides on this issue. have one specific question, which this video seeks to answer: is Scottish independence even economically feasible, and if so, what would it have to look like in order to work? Topics covered include: Scotland’s current fiscal balance and public spending Tax revenue and structural deficit challenges Currency options (sterling, new currency, or euro) Trade relationships with the UK and EU North Sea oil and energy revenues Debt allocation after a potential UK breakup Economic transition costs and growth prospects Immigration challenges We also compare Scotland to similar small European economies to better understand what models might be applicable. The goal is simple: cut through political narratives and focus on economic reality. Video chapters: 00:00 -- Intro: Discussing Scottish Independence 03:12 -- Ground rules for discussing Scottish independence 08:05 -- Baseline: Scotland's current demography and economy 2026 11:43 -- The importance of immigrants to an independent Scotland economy 19:15 -- Scotland's strongest economic sectors 21:19 -- The importance of EU membership for an independent Scotland 23:11 -- Conclusion: is an independent Scotland economically feasible? 28:00 -- Annabelle kitty cameo 28:27 -- Scenic Scotland drive: A837 from Oykel Bridge to Loch Craggie 32:20 -- Climbing Scotland's Ben Bhraggie The bulk of this video discusses the economic feasibility of Scottish independence from a neutral perspective offered by a legally settled immigrant from America who lives in Scotland and has both Scottish and English ancestry. Other segments in this video include a brief cameo from my cat, Annabelle, as well as scenic driving through Scotland's Far North and a challenging climb up Ben Bhraggie in Golspie. Want more behind-the-scenes content? Join the AmHigh Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/TheAmericanHighlander for exclusive content and rewards. Video-specific SEO: scottish independence, scotland economy, is scotland economically viable, scotland independence economics, uk vs scotland economy, independent scotland, scotland deficit, public finance scotland, brexit scotland, geopolitics, economics explained, fiscal policy, european economies comparison, north sea oil scotland, scotland currency options, uk breakup, economic analysis, political economy, data driven analysis Video-specific AIO: Scottish independence economics is Scottish independence feasible Scotland fiscal deficit analysis independent Scotland economy model Scotland currency options independence Scotland EU membership prospects UK Scotland trade relations economic sustainability small countries Scotland public spending vs revenue North Sea oil economic impact Channel-wide SEO / AIO stuff: #AmericanExpat #ExpatLife #LivingAbroad #GenerationXLife #VlogLife #ScottishHighlands #LifeInTheHighlands #SutherlandScotland #FarNorthScotland #RemoteLiving #CountryLivingUK #FollowMyJourney #ExploreScotland #TheAmericanHighlander
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I'm in the north west of the highlands and we have a huge housing shortage. Yes we need immigration but there is just nowhere for people to go. Locals have had to leave because they are priced out of the areas they grew up in. Most of the houses that go up for sale here have ended up being airbnbs. This in turn ends up impacting local communities. I live on a street where there are six short term holiday lets. I no longer know who my neighbours are because they change from week to week. The council has now realised this is and is limiting short term licensing in certain areas. I also work in the care sector and after brexit we lost a lot of great European workers. They just went back home or moved to another EU country with more flexibility. There is a huge shortage of care workers all over. They are also not classed as highly skilled for any kind of visa but are very much the backbone of society. That's something an independent Scotland has to think about too. An aging population with not enough people to look after them. There are just certain things that have to be in place before the country is ready for independence.
You're a brave man tackling this topic, Jason. Thankfully the necessary guidelines are clear and specific. Cards on the table, I fully support independence for Scotland. The matter of should Scotland become independent rather than could become independent are fascinating topics. I'll genuinely try and avoid politics, but it's kinda hard, so if I stray I hope you'll allow a wee bit of leeway. So, let's start. If Scotland chose to become independent it would be the wealthiest country ever to start down that path. While that should sound reassuring, it highlights what could be lost, and oppositely how much further we could go building on that position of strength. I see so much potential. However, much of the doubt on the fiscal/economic side of the debate comes from an inability to be convinced that Scotland's wealth is somehow not dependent on being part of the UK. I think those legitimate concerns can be addressed. Becoming independent won't be without its challenges, but this isn't the first time a country has become independent and we can learn from the experiences of those who've already gone through the process. There's experience out there and a willingness to share. In many ways there's an eagerness to help. this has been evidenced by the work of groups like CommonWeal, the Scottish Currency Group, and by commentators like the redoubtable Lesley Riddoch and her work on bringing the Scandic nations to our consciousness. Scotland, despite being tucked away in a Union with England for three hundred years is widely recognised and admired across the globe and that's a kind of soft power that can be utilised to help us. I'm not going to diss the figures provided. They are what we have and are as good a place as any to start. What I would say is that while they might make for grim reading we won't truly know what the position is until we are much further on the road to independence, and knowing what I know about how honest the UK state is in it's dealings around the independence issue, I doubt this is nothing less than a worst case scenario. Why would they paint a picture of anything else. BUT. We are 8% of population on 30% of land mass. We have vast natural resources and burgioning modern technologies. We are an energy powerhouse, a net exporter of energy and goods though tied to a colonial model that has failed to build, maintain and modernise our infrastructure, forcing our economy to be reliant on moving goods through the South and hamstringing economic growth with the highest energy prices in the western world in a neoliberal capitalist system designed to extract wealth into the hands of the few while ignoring the needs of the many. Oops - politics - sorry. Scotland is in a key geopolitical location guarding the North Atlantic gap. This is a critical reality and the international community would not want to see a failed or unstable state unable to fullfil its obligations in protecting our European and Western allies. They would have a vested interest in seeing Scotland thrive, Open door to EU membership,investment funding etc! , The economic data you shared is based on GERS {Government Expenditure and Revenue, Scotland} Published by Scotgov this is mainly based on information provided by the UK Govt. Much of the data contained in GERS is based on estimates. The UK Govt accounts don't contain any individual country by country reporting, although this would be quite simple to do. A version of GERS is produced for each country of the UK EXCEPT England, which seems irrational if the aim is transparency. That is a political choice, make of it what you will, but the net result is that it muddies the waters and we should keep an open mind that the stats may be more favourable to independence than shown. I'm not rubbishing them but I would ask for a modicum of scepticism as there are some obvious concerns. Based on these accounts each of the 3 countries of Scotland, Wales and N Ireland run significant deficits, vastly in excess of a population share. {In 2024, the small, independent Republic of Ireland, which has a similar population to Scotland, ran a surplus of 23Billion Euros, so is the problem with the UK and the way it manages the economy of Scotland?}. Scotland's budget is derived from the 'block grant' and Scotgov must balance its budget annually. {£45bn in 2024} UKGovt spends the balance of the £91bn 'for and on behalf of Scotland' and then continues to overspend as it wishes, allocating an imposed portion of that overspend as 'Scotland's deficit'. Scotland's govt has no input into that spending and gets no account as to how it was spent. Let's be clear; it is a deficit created solely by the UK and does not represent the spending choices or priorities of an independent Scotland's budget. It represents UK priorities and says nothing about an independent Scotland. It makes no economic sense that resource rich, energy exporting Scotland runs a deficit approaching 30% of its tax revenue when the UK deficit
Reminder: this video is about the economic feasibility of Scottish independence. I am not interested in the politics of the situation, and as someone with both Scottish and English ancestry I've done my best to present this issue as neutrally and impartially as possible. I think there are significant pros and cons to either outcome. If the primary topic isn't of interest to you, make sure to check out the other chapters in this video, especially the Ben Bhraggie climb! Edited to include: so far I've only had to ban a few people since this video launched, but the majority of the offences have been from rabid pro-independence voices who object to me using GERS as the economic baseline for this video, despite GERS being a report prepared by the Scottish government which is run by a separatist party. I'm the first to admit GERS isn't absolutely flawless -- Richard Murphy did a video about GERS' flaws not too long ago -- but I do object to pro-independence people insulting me in my comments section and calling me pro-unionist because I refuse to believe in some arbitrary fairytale numbers they pulled out of thin air that makes Scotland's economic situation look better than it really is. I deal in factual reality. The factual reality is that yes, Scottish independence IS economically feasible, albeit at extreme cost and with some critical pivot points on currency, immigration, and EU membership. Let me say this again for the people in the back: IN THIS VIDEO I AM COMPLETELY NEUTRAL ON THE TOPIC OF SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE. This video does not advocate for or against it. I'm simply analyzing the economics to see if it could even work. Differences of opinion are fine, but do not presume to insult me or tell me I have to go do "real" research when I worked my ass off researching this subject in depth in order to make this video. You will find I'm very happy to slam the door in your face if you do. Thankyew
The Act of Union 1707 was between 2 Kingdoms - not 4 countries!
Thank you for being a new Scot since 2014 I have had & continue to have 💯 faith in our ability to be independent yes it may not be easy but will be worth it in the long term
Thanks for an extremely well thought out & reasoned assessment of the situation. Another area of friction is the continuing cultural divergence between Scotland and England, witness the huge gains by Reform south of the border yet they only made small gains in Scotland and most of those in the border counties themselves. The Scots are not embracing Farage's vision for the UK.
You did it Jason!! Perseverance, dedication, the will, the want - you've got it all! Keep up the good work
Outstanding knocked it out of the ballpark with Pertinent Intel thank you 🎉
The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland have gone a good 25 years of Ireland using the Euro, and NI using the Pound. Nobody died in this process.
As a US citizen I am not nearly informed enough to help with this decision. I do suggest that every Scottish voter watch this video and does whatever additional research they need to. In order to make the best decision for the future of Scotland. Because whatever is decided it will definitely affect the future of the entire country. This is a decision that must be made without emotion and with a clear head. I hope whatever is decided will lead to whatever is best for Scotland.
Thank you Jason for another informative video. You approach some very tough subjects with clarity and finesse. Good to see Darling Princess Annabelle too!
Jasons knowlege is amazing! I remember participating in a logistics project for my Msc in Advanced Manufacturing systems and technology degree in 1991 and it concluded that a physical border between Scotland and England would create daily traffic ques from Carlisles M6 down to Birmingham and from Gretna up the M74 to Glasgow thus deterring lots of future business investments in both countries! (That was based on an average time of 2 mins passing through customs control at the border)
Well that was refreshing. You explained in my eyes basically the pro's and the con's for an Independant or not Scotland. You gave a clear concise explanation , to which i have never gotten from Mps over the years. Well done to you. Annabelle , well is just Annabelle lol. And what a view from the top of Ben Bhraggie, well done you doing that. Have a great weekend all 🙂
Jason, I've watched you from the very beginning and you've grown into one brave creator to dip your toe into the ancient pond of Scottish (economic) independence. Absolutely a great summary of the pros and cons. Congrats on accomplishing your hike...what a fabulous view!
Hard decisions need to review the details; positive and negative. Love to move to Scotland, it is my favorite place to visit.
You did it! Yeah. Another beautiful video of beautiful Scotland. I thought you did an excellent job of pointing out very important facts concerning possible independence. 😊 Hello Annabelle and Christine ❤
A good thing about the independence debate when there was a vote last time was that there was a prospectus and plan put forward in a published white paper. It was a vision for how to become independent and the Snp government (which would have been in power initially) - remember they will disband in event of independence - thier plan for setting up the beginnings of it. This meant there was tangible things to look at and debate. The date was set about 2 years in advance so it was something that had time to be thought and discussed. It made a lot of people become politically aware and engaged as the final year leadinv to the vote commenced. Brexit vote was a completely different matter, it was called with 6 weeks to run, the incumbent government- cameron was opposed to it, he wanted it done fast because he was ahead in polls at the time meaning two main groups formed in favour of it with no plan for carrying it through snd no single vision for the initiation so it became a - it can be all things to all people concerned and contradictions were there but because not written down it was pushed aside. The teo groups also had no way deliver anything as they were not in power. The vote was called to save the conservative party from facturing as it had a sizeable eurosceptic majority who were becoming vocal and starting to defect to UKIP - the leave EU party. The brexit debate got quite ugly, the Scotland independence one did too as there is idiots on the extremes but largely it was a positive for the majority i found, it was like an awakening politically for many and i remember Joanne lamont on day after the vote saying- remember a lot of people are hurting today, please be humble about winning the stay in uk, there was effort to cone back together civilly. The good thing about Scotland is most people are favourable to immigration and open to it. Its one reason i think independence is still in peoples minds because they see Uk trajectory with demonisation of immigration as damaging our country and its going to get more extreme. I don’t think being open to immigration will be hard sell to Scots- especially if its like Eu arrangement when it opens freedoms up to young people to live else where in Europe freely, we could go back to living in france or italy for a year or two- as we said, we lost freedom to live work and fall in love in European neighbours countries. Yeah the last of then oil and gas will likely need recovering independence which will be needed in short term, the white paper last time was putting forward a vision like Norway- plan was to get a wealth fund started from oil revenues. The economics are really trick because the whole foundation will change and it look very different comparing- now in uk to year 1 to year 10 and so on. Also, currently uk in deficit and debt, proportional share be taken in exchange for proportional assets so its really a big thing. I don’t believe there will be another vote in 5 years. Uk government has to grant permission and they say no. Few years ago the Scottish government we t to court saying it was originally formed as union of equal partners so Scottish government should be equally right to vote on withdrawal from the union but supremecourt say Scottish government has no right to hold vote on independence as it affects UK and therefor Uk government has to grant permission. I don’t see it happening personally. Anyway good on you bringing it up, its a political charged thing for sure. Nice one on Ben Braggie, thats a fairly steep hike up there! Its heavy going. I recommend you the nearby Struie hill, i think that is great to see a summer sunset from and Also fyrish near Alness. Both are easier climbs imo and have great views, Struie is my favourite.
Thank you for moving to Scotland! I am glad you like it here. I think we can solve every problem we face after leaving the UK (like you said we need these solutions mapped out before it happens). RE: Defecit, that is based on GERS which is an estimate that is missing out a lot of taxes generated in Scotland. GERS is often critisised as being inaccurate. GERS was also created by England in the 90's to make Scotland look incapable of being independent/normal. If anything GERS makes Scotland look unfeasable whilst it is still INSIDE the UK. RE: Border, it is likely we will be part of the common travel area (like Ireland - UK), so moving around should be easy (we can still visit our English pals no problem). Trade Goods not as easy (Copy Norway, join EFTA + EEA). RE: Paying UK debt, the uk borrowed that money, it is their responsibility. However it might be fair to agree to pay some of it if we get to keep military hardware, infrastucture in return etc... FINALLY - I like your rules on the comments! Enjoy Scotland my friend!
Economically leaving the EU meant many of my husbands colleagues and community projects lost funding. Independence is a thorny issue. I am ambivilent but I get the emotional tug - the economics have been sliced and diced and I'm still really not sure it's feasible even if much of the information we get is biased. ...still. And it's at least as scary a proposition as brexit- if not more so. But I am not an economist, I have to make my descisions based on info from experts and cross my fingers.
🙏🙏 praying it's much better for all of us but it is looking doubtful. All we can do is pray for the best outcome 🙏🙏 Much love to all of you❤️❤️❤️❤️