Analysis: How a Row over Defence Spending Shapes Scotland's Independence Debate

Explained: Scotland's GERS controversy

GERS, which stands for ‘government expenditure and revenue Scotland’, is usually published at this time every year.

Analysis: How a row over defence spending shapes Scotland's independence debate

A row over the price tag attached to defence spending has become a political battleground which shapes the debate on independence.

Independence, GERS and how not to have a debate - Sceptical Scot

With the dust settled on another GERS bun fight, what next? For the uninitiated, GERS is the annual ‘Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland’ publication by the Scottish Government. This year it has figures up to 2024-25. In effect, it tells us what Scotland’s fiscal balance – government revenues less public expenditure – is under current constitutional conditions. And at present it doesn’t paint a pretty picture, with a fiscal deficit of £2…