Dire warnings on the future of Scotland's economy post-independence, such as that issued by the London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) Monday morning, which forecast a deficit of at least 6.4 percent for an independent Scotland, may not have the desired effect.
"The fiscal pressures on the new government of an independent Scotland would be substantial," Douglas McWilliams, chairman of the CEBR, warned. Scotland's tax take from oil revenues is declining, they warn, and its financial services industry has struggled in recent years.
A series of extra powers were offered to the Scottish people by the U.K.'s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on Sunday, in a last-ditch effort to secure a No vote. This move may yet backfire.