Lord Wallace takes aim at legal implications of Scottish independence

Independence debate: Scottish Government refutes Lord Wallace's claims.

The Scottish Government is being challenged to offer "credible explanations" on key legal issues in the independence debate.

Advocate General Lord Wallace, the Prime Minister's senior adviser on Scots law, is convening a forum in Edinburgh to probe the legal implications of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom.

The areas that will be addressed at the Tuesday conference include EU membership, retention of the pound sterling, and financial sector regulation.

Speaking ahead of the event, Lord Wallace said: "It is time for some assertions to be examined by independent experts and allow people to have a better understanding of the strengths of the UK and what differences independence would bring about.

"The current Scottish Government paint a picture of a separate Scotland that retains EU membership, retains sterling as our currency, retains UK banking regulations and gains a seat on the Bank of England monetary policy committee. So far they have provided no credible explanation as to how they would achieve these ambitions which, at best, depend on political negotiation with other states and international organisations.

"We need to have evidence and analysis at the heart of this debate. We are more than happy to have this subjected to scrutiny, and I would urge the Scottish Government to follow our lead by adopting an evidence-based approach and move away from mere assertion. The outcome of the independence referendum could take us on an irreversible path away from the rest of the UK. People need an accurate assessment of what it would mean for Scotland."

Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC, a former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and a former deputy first minister, will be joined by law professors and senior practising lawyers for the private meeting in Edinburgh, the Scotland Office said.

They will consider the constitutional arrangements which the Scotland Office says have been significantly modernised through devolution.

The forum will inform the programme of work announced by Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary and a Liberal Democrat MP, on what he sees as the benefits of Scotland remaining in the Union.

Lord Wallace said: "The advantages to Scotland of our existing constitutional arrangements are often taken for granted. It will be very helpful for this forum of independent legal experts to examine the current situation and highlight the issues that Scotland would need to address if people were to vote for an independent Scotland.

"The people of Scotland need to know what the implications of independence would be for Scotland. The legal and constitutional environment will shape many of the decisions that a separate Scotland would have to make."

However, the Scottish Government insisted an independent Scotland would remain part of the EU and retain the pound sterling.

A spokesman for Bruce Crawford MSP, the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for parliamentary business and government strategy, said: "Lord Wallace seems to already know what his 'independent experts' are to say, which weakens the credibility of this behind-closed-doors gathering.

"We look forward to hearing from the Advocate General on his preferred policy of further devolution - however, independence brings with it continued membership of the European Union, as a wide range of expert opinion has confirmed. And the cast-iron position is that an independent Scotland will keep the pound, as indeed Lord Wallace's colleague Michael Moore has confirmed.

"The people of Scotland need to know what the Tory-led anti-independence parties are offering instead of independence, and if they continue to offer nothing, it will only persuade more people to vote yes to an independent Scotland."

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