This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Avatar photo

Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Part of FCDO Outreach

23rd June 2014

Scotland: the best of all lands and the best of all worlds

On 18 September, voters in Scotland will be asked “Should Scotland be an independent country?”.

The UK and Scottish Governments agree that the question is for people in Scotland to decide. The UK Government strongly believes that Scotland’s future is better staying within the United Kingdom, but it has of course pledged to respect the outcome.

As part of its commitment to a fair and decisive referendum in Scotland, the UK Government has commissioned a number of papers to evaluate the benefits of Scotland remaining in the UK, both to Scotland and the rest of the UK. Late last week, it published the fifteenth and final paper.

United Kingdom, united future: Conclusions of the Scotland analysis programme summarises the previous papers in the series and sets out the programme’s key findings on issues such as currency, businesses and jobs, the affordability of public services, personal finances, and Scotland’s place in Europe and in the world.

The paper shows that Scotland is better off as part of the UK, now and in the future.

With a strong Scottish Parliament, Scotland can make its own decisions in devolved areas, while sharing risks and resources with the other parts of the UK. The best of all worlds for the best of all lands!

More than 200 UK public institutions serve people in Scotland, underpinned by shared principles and values. If Scotland votes for independence, this will come to an end.

As part of the UK, Scotland has one of the oldest and most stable currencies in the world. It would not be possible to recreate today’s arrangements if the UK as it stands did not exist. That is why all three main political parties in the UK Parliament have ruled out sharing the Pound or the Bank of England in a formal currency union.

A great weight of evidence says that Scotland’s finances are stronger as part of the UK. Independent experts agree that the UK offers people in Scotland lower taxes and higher public spending than would be possible in an independent Scotland – an estimated £1,400 per person per year for each person in Scotland.

There would also be global implications for an independent Scotland. Currently, the people of Scotland benefit from the UK’s reach and strength on the world stage. The UK has a unique and historic role in world affairs which it uses to enhance its security and prosperity. Scotland also benefits from and contributes to the UK’s relationships with other countries, and the UK’s high profile in multilateral organisations, including NATO, the UN Security Council and the EU.

Previous Scotland Analysis papers can be found here.

About Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide…

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially.

He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group.

His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.

Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04.

As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.

Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance.

Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.

He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.

Follow Paul