Sturgeon’s humiliating climbdown as she finally admits Scots WILL have to pay pensions

Nicola Sturgeon loses it in BBC interview after interruption

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Last week, the SNP leader in Westminster Ian Blackford said “absolutely nothing” would change about the payment of the state pension if Scotland becomes independent. He claimed “that commitment to continue to pay pensions rests with the UK Government”.

In a bid to reassure pensioners, Mr Blackford compared Scotland separating from the UK to a British expat living in a foreign country but would continue to claim the state pension.

His proposals would mean English, Welsh and Northern Irish workers paying their taxes to fund the state pension in a separate country, the Telegraph reported.

This would cost Scotland around £8.5million each year.

His views were backed by the SNP Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes.

The SNP doubled down on the claim this week and stated Scots “would be entitled to the pension contributions they had made to the UK system”.

This is despite the state pension being funded by the UK’s current tax revenues rather than any retirement pot built up by Scots during their working lives.

However, on Wednesday, the Scottish First Minister finally admitted on “an ongoing basis it will be for the Scottish Government to fund Scottish pensions”.

She continued to argue the state pension would be included in divorce negotiations with the UK Government over “historic assets and liabilities”.

Asked by BBC Scotland if she accepted there was no UK state pension pot to share out, she said: “Of course, it is for a Scottish Government to be responsible for the payment of pensions but the historic liabilities and assets around pensions, as around other things, will be a matter of negotiation at the point of independence.”

She conceded it is “the case” that the state pension is paid out of current UK tax revenue but cited a report by economists stating the issue would “become a matter for wider negotiations around the division of assets and liabilities in general”.

Her climbdown has been blasted by opposition parties who claim she is “tying herself in knots” over the issue.

Donald Cameron, the Scottish Tories’ Shadow Constitution Secretary, said: “Nicola Sturgeon is tying herself in knots over this issue.

DON’T MISS 
Now Nicola Sturgeon demands MORE cash from Britain [INSIGHT] 
Sturgeon will LOSE Indyref2 if SNP sticks to EU plan – own SNP ally [REVEAL] 
SNP ‘risking recovery’ with parking plan to ‘hollow cities’ [COMMENT]

“She clearly knows – as does everyone else – that Ian Blackford’s claim that the UK would be responsible for paying pensions in an independent Scotland was absurd.

“But the First Minister is reluctant to completely hang him out to dry so she is left dancing on the head of a pin.”

He added: “The SNP knows the economic case for independence has never been weaker, which explains their deception over this.”

Guy Opperman, the current pensions minister, accused the SNP of “misleading” Scots.

He said working people in the remainder of the UK “should not pay for a foreign country’s pension liabilities”.

Despite Scotland voting to remain part of the UK in 2014, Ms Sturgeon has continued to push for a second referendum and will decide on a timetable for another vote shortly.

The SNP previously relied on intervention before the referendum by Steve Webb, the then-UK pensions minister.

Mr Webb said people who had “accumulated rights” would be entitled to current levels of state pension in an independent Scotland.

However, he corrected his error at the time and wrote to MPs saying it would be up to the independent Scottish government to fund its state pensions.

Source: Read Full Article