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1. Myth: Our global relationships won鈥檛 change

Fact: Scotland would be a new country. We wouldn鈥檛 inherit all the international deals the UK has struck over many years, decades, and even centuries (everything from extradition and trade treaties to the International Declaration Prohibiting the Discharge of Projectiles and Explosives from Balloons). So we鈥檇 have to start from scratch, negotiating to join everything from the UN to Nato.

Source: Scotland analysis: devolution and the implications of Scottish independence, February 2013

2. Myth: We鈥檒l still play the National Lottery and share much-loved national institutions with the UK

Fact: It鈥檚 called the National Lottery 鈥� not the International Lottery. You can鈥檛 buy a ticket in France, so why would it run in an independent Scotland? The same goes for everything from the Met Office to the benefits system. We鈥檇 have to spend millions setting up new institutions.

Source: Scotland analysis: devolution and the implications of Scottish independence, February 2013

3. Myth: We鈥檒l be an EU member (and inherit the same terms and conditions that the UK currently enjoys)

Fact: We鈥檇 have to apply as a new state and negotiate entry 鈥� it鈥檚 hard to imagine it would be an easy process (look at how long it took Croatia to join - almost eight years), and even harder to imagine that we鈥檇 be given advantageous terms (like the UK rebate or opt-outs, including from the Euro).

Source: Scotland analysis: EU and international issues, January 2014

4. Myth: We鈥檒l keep the UK pound

Fact: Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems have all made clear if we leave the UK we鈥檒l also leave the UK pound. A currency union would not work for Scotland or the rest of the UK 鈥� it will not happen.

Sources: Scotland analysis: currency and monetary policy, April 2013, Scotland analysis: assessment of a sterling currency union, February 2014

5. Myth: We wouldn鈥檛 have to bailout our banks 鈥� international investors bailed them out before

Fact: During the last crisis the UK taxpayer shelled out 拢66 billion to bail out the banks 鈥� more than 拢1,000 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Including guarantees, UK taxpayers gave more than 拢320 billion of support to Royal Bank of Scotland alone. Could we really afford these sorts of sums on our own?

Source: Scotland analysis: financial services and banking, May 2013

6. Myth: The answers are in the independence white paper and it all adds up

Fact: The white paper does not answer the key questions. Many of the independence plans, for example on currency and EU membership, are in the hands of foreign governments who would be acting in the interests of their own citizens ahead of Scotland鈥檚. And the white paper does not add up - the plans to cut taxes and extend childcare need 拢1.6 billion of additional funding.

Source: Unfunded commitments in 鈥淪cotland鈥檚 future鈥� HM Treasury, December 2013

7. Myth: There would be tax cuts and more spending in an independent Scotland

Fact: Scotland spent 拢12 billion more than it raised in taxes last year (that鈥檚 from the Scottish Government鈥檚 own figures, including North Sea revenues). So it鈥檚 hard to see how we鈥檇 be able cut corporation tax and air passenger duty on one hand but still spend more on benefits and create an oil fund on the other.

Source: (GERS), Scottish Government; March 2014

8. Myth: Westminster won鈥檛 devolve more powers

Fact: More powers were devolved in the Scotland Act 2012 (the largest devolution of tax powers in the UK鈥檚 history). As a result we now set even more of our own laws, from motorway speed limits to regulating air weapons. Plus, all 3 main UK parties have promised more powers will be devolved in future.

Source:

9. Myth: You can鈥檛 trust unionists, they鈥檙e just negative

Fact: The union has been a huge success story (from joint sporting glory to the amazing scientific collaborations that created Dolly the sheep!) for more than 300 years 鈥� that鈥檚 why the rest of the UK doesn鈥檛 want us to leave.

10. Myth: Remaining North Sea oil and gas is worth 拢1.5 trillion - and at least 拢6.8 billion in Scottish tax revenues in first year of independence

Fact: The Scottish Government assumes that oil and gas can be produced at zero costs (so rigs and pipelines can be built and run for free, and oil workers don鈥檛 need to be paid), despite the remaining oil being further off-shore and deeper under the ocean, so it costs more to extract. Over the last 2 years, taxes from the North Sea have been 拢3 billion below the Scottish Government鈥檚 most pessimistic forecast 鈥� that鈥檚 the same as our entire education budget.

Sources: , Scottish Government, March 2013, Statistics of Government revenues from UK oil and gas production, HMRC, April 2014

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