Danny & the Rubicon
12nd February 2014
Alastair Darling, no fan of Scottish independence has said that a currency union between Scotland and the rest of the UK (rUK) would be Scotland's best option should we vote Yes in September.
Of course, that wasn't to say that he believed it would happen, or that the rUK would agree to it. Many of us on the Yes side believe it's a no-brainer - it would be the best option for both countries, but it's far from impossible that the rUK government might decide that it's not in its best interests and so would not happen.
Newspapers such as the Guardian have today reported that a united front has been arranged by the three main parties at Westminster, and that George Osborne, Ed Balls and Danny Alexander will all state that after a Yes vote, Westminster will not agree to a currency union.
Even if you believe they are wrong, or that they are bluffing, they are perfectly entitled to make this tactical decision in the best interests of the constituents they were elected to serve. Osborne in Tatton, Balls in Morley and Outwood and Alexander in Inverness.
Wait! What? Gosh, yes, that's an un-thought-of side effect of my recent house move - Danny Alexander is now my MP. Danny! Hey Danny! I'm one of your constituents!
Now I have absolutely no problem with Danny campaigning against independence, whether as an MP, a member of the Lib Dems or a government minister. I may disagree with what he says, but none of those positions preclude him from arguing his side of the case.
But if, as the papers suggest, he is now about to put in place something which (should we vote Yes) will actively go against the best interests of his constituents (as Alastair Darling says) in order to improve the bargaining position of rUK against Scotland, then he's perilously close to crossing a line between being a representative for Inverness to being someone working against the people of Inverness.
If I were DA I'd avoid this like the plague - let Nick Clegg or someone else in the Lib Dems spout forth on this particular issue. After a Yes vote we (the Inverness electorate) expect you to be on our side Danny - don't paint yourself into a corner where you can't be.
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