The SNP’s deputy leader has admitted Scotland would face “challenging economic circumstances” as an independent country.
Angus Robertson said a Scottish state would start out life facing financial difficulties, but that Holyrood sovereignty would make it easier to meet those challenges.
His comments were pounced on by opponents, with Labour MP Ian Murray accusing the SNP of a willingness to “sacrifice jobs and public spending at the altar of their ideological obsession”.
Meanwhile, an opinion poll published on Monday revealed that two-thirds of Scots want to keep the pound in the event of secession.
Mr Robertson, who secured the depute leadership last month, said Scotland would face major economic challenges whatever its constitutional status.
But he said the Union has failed Scotland and the best strategy for an economic turnaround would be developed in Scotland.
The Moray MP told The Herald: “I’m not suggesting everything will be easy nor that everything can be fixed immediately but, to me, doing nothing is not an option and accepting the status quo, which has directly resulted in these budgetary situations, is unsustainable.”
Asked if an independent Scotland would be in a worse position economically than it faces today, he said the Union is already imposing prolonged austerity.
“We would inherit challenging economic circumstances, which is also true of the UK as a whole,” he added.
“The challenge for us all in Scotland is whether we think we are in a better position to make better decisions to deal with these challenges or leave it up to people we have not elected to make bad decisions on our behalf and drive us off the cliff in their Brexit bus. I do not accept that.”
Scotland has a £14.8bn budget deficit, which amounts to nearly 10% of the nation’s output – double that of the UK’s as a proportion of GDP.
Pro-UK supporters argue that Scotland benefits from a multi-billion pound Union dividend to offset that.
Nationalists say Westminster governments that Scots have not voted for are responsible for the financial situation.
Mr Roberston told SNP supporters at the party conference last month that Scotland is “very close to independence”.
Mr Murray, who represents Edinburgh South in Westminster, said: “Angus Robertson admits that independence would mean austerity for Scotland, but like Tory Brexiteers the SNP are willing to sacrifice jobs and public spending at the altar of their ideological obsession.”
A BMG poll for The Herald showed that 64% of Scots want to carry on using sterling following a vote for independence, compared with 24% wanting a new currency and 10% in favour of adopting the euro.
