0:00:04 > 0:00:08This could be any town centre in Scotland.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12People shopping, selling, saving.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16What we all do nearly every day of our lives.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18This is YOUR economy.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22And what you're about to choose in the Independence Referendum
0:00:22 > 0:00:25could change it for the rest of your life.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In fact, for ever.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30And it's not just about what's in your head
0:00:30 > 0:00:33and not just about what's in your heart.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Your choice is about what's in your wallet
0:00:35 > 0:00:39and the whole country's financial future.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Do you want a Scottish economy driven from Westminster?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Or do you want an independent Scotland to take charge?
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It's the question everyone has to ask themselves -
0:00:50 > 0:00:52"Would I be better or worse off?"
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'With the vote just weeks away,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'I'm meeting some very different people -
0:00:58 > 0:01:00'from those making it work...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'to people trying to GET work.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'I want to know what they think about independence
0:01:06 > 0:01:08'and their bottom line.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:12If we take away the UK government, then we don't have a customer.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13If you take that away from me,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15you're taking that away from my family.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18You're either prepared to take the risk or you're not.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24You just have to cut your cloth and, you know, get on with it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26But the heat of the argument
0:01:26 > 0:01:29can make it so hard to find out the facts.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32What currency are they going to have if they don't have a currency union?
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Just answer the question.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Name three job-creating powers.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I've told you!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I just see it as just a cockfight.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44'Scotland's workers just want plain answers to big questions -
0:01:44 > 0:01:46'about the pound,
0:01:46 > 0:01:47'your pay
0:01:47 > 0:01:48'and your property.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50'So I'm going to get the facts
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'from some of the brightest brains in the country.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Being in the euro's not a terrible idea, is it?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59It's not an option. There's a route you have to go down to get there.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01So, in terms of the borrowing powers,
0:02:01 > 0:02:02what would the difference be?
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It would be a higher cost of borrowing,
0:02:05 > 0:02:06which would have a knock-on effect
0:02:06 > 0:02:09to a higher cost to businesses and to consumers.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13When it comes to this vote, for Yes or for No,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16it's all about the question at the front of voters' minds.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18What's in it for me?
0:02:33 > 0:02:34How are you? Good to see you.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36MUSIC: "Club Foot" by Kasabian
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Slogans, statistics,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40opinions and accusations.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Two competing campaigns.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Two opposing visions of what Scotland could look like.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I could not, as Chancellor,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51recommend that we could share the pound
0:02:51 > 0:02:52with an independent Scotland.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54We've gone, in the space of just a few days,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58from David Cameron's love bombs to George Osborne's stink bombs.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01It suggests to me a panicked reaction.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Your vote will determine which path the economy will take -
0:03:05 > 0:03:09which one of two very different directions.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10I'm Laura Kuenssberg.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16And, for years, it's been my job to find out who is telling you truth.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Whether politicians or chief executives,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I've been straight about the economy.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23If it is so convincing, Chuka Umunna,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26why is Labour consistently way behind the Government
0:03:26 > 0:03:28in terms of trust on economic competence?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31This is completely different to the kind of language
0:03:31 > 0:03:33that we've heard from the Conservatives for a long time,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35not least from you.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38As far as the economy is concerned, what will you be trying to achieve?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Does business trust Labour?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Er...pass.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Well, this time, it's doubly difficult.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Not just because it's close to home for me.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But because, despite all of this stuff,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56there's so much that we just can't know.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Whether it's the currency we use,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00what the tax rates will be,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02or how much of the UK's debt
0:04:02 > 0:04:06a newly-independent Scotland would have to share.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And there's one more thing to throw into the mix -
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Scotland is getting some new economic powers
0:04:12 > 0:04:15regardless of the referendum.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So, whatever happens, things are changing.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21But who would really make you better off?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25They both claim they have an offer you just can't refuse.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Here's Better Together's.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31£1,400 UK dividend every year for the next 20 years
0:04:31 > 0:04:33for every single Scot.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And the Yes Campaign?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Well, they say the economy would grow under independence
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and put money in your pocket.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45That amounts to £1,000 for every man, woman and child.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Hang on - they can't BOTH make us better off, can they?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51In the campaign,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54we've been bombarded with claim and counterclaim,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57conflicting arguments everywhere.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00There's been so much just to keep track of
0:05:00 > 0:05:03that it's been hard to work out who's right.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Sometimes, you just need to take a deep breath.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'Meet Maxine - she does complementary therapy
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'and sells crystals in Prestwick.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19'You might not find a business like hers on every high street,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'but she runs a small business like so many others across Scotland,'
0:05:22 > 0:05:26'working hard to cover costs and turn a little profit.'
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I got in it for self-healing.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I mean, I decided that the first 40 years of my life
0:05:32 > 0:05:35was just horrendous, and decided that the next 40
0:05:35 > 0:05:38was going to be a lot better.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41And, I have to say, since I have been doing this,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44my life is... I call it heaven on earth.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It might be her haven
0:05:48 > 0:05:51but, running a small business, Maxine can't hide
0:05:51 > 0:05:55from the economic decisions she has to make every single day.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Choosing whether or not to vote for independence -
0:05:57 > 0:06:02and what that will mean for her business - has her stumped.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04My heart just cries Yes.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06But my head is just...
0:06:06 > 0:06:07But, as I say...
0:06:09 > 0:06:13..I need answers and just... There's just nothing there at the moment.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I just find this, "It'll be sorted out."
0:06:16 > 0:06:18That's like me coming in every day and somebody coming in
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and saying, "How much is that crystal?"
0:06:21 > 0:06:23"Oh, I'll get it later, I'm not quite sure at the moment,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26"I'll just get on to somebody and find out."
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It's not going to feed me, basically.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32To be honest, at the moment, um...
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I just see it as just, um...
0:06:34 > 0:06:36I'll say it - a cockfight.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38It's just one saying this, one saying that.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44Maxine feels, with so much argument, the facts are getting lost.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47She needs to know what effect Scotland becoming independent
0:06:47 > 0:06:49would have on her business -
0:06:49 > 0:06:52starting with what money she would use.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55They can't seriously expect that we'll go into the polls
0:06:55 > 0:06:58not knowing what currency we'll use.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00The pound is our currency.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It doesn't belong to the UK government.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I source all my stock from England.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08What is actually going to happen?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11You know, nobody's saying about the monetary system -
0:07:11 > 0:07:12are we going to be...?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14You know, what are we going to have? The pound? Or...?
0:07:14 > 0:07:19They're saying that we might not even be in Europe, so are we...?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22You know, there's no certainty
0:07:22 > 0:07:25in the monetary system that's going to be used.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30My purse is not going to really survive on people just saying to me,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34"Wait and see - we'll sort it out when we get there."
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So it really IS "The economy, stupid," as they say?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It really is, it's right across the board.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44When you actually think about it and you come down,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46money actually... It does make the world go around.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I mean, we can't live without it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53She's got a couple of big questions she just wants answered,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57so she can come to a decision on how she'll vote.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00There's no point in just arguing about the pound.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04If it's not going to be the pound, what is it going to be?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The second thing that I would want to know about would be the Plan B.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13Because, when I put that mark or that tick on that paper that day,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I'm not just putting that tick for me,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18I'm actually putting that for generations to come.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I'm going to try to find some answers
0:08:24 > 0:08:26to help Maxine make up her mind.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30She's like so many businesspeople in Scotland -
0:08:30 > 0:08:33ordinary folk who've taken risks, started something up
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and put their own money to work,
0:08:35 > 0:08:41ultimately benefiting us all, as that hard graft drives the economy.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Most of us work for private companies
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and the vast, vast majority of them
0:08:47 > 0:08:50are small or medium-sized businesses,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52the kind you probably haven't really heard of.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56But you're probably familiar with their way of starting the day.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Sizzling sausage and bacon rolls -
0:08:59 > 0:09:02the perfect breakfast for hungry workmen.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04There you go. See you later. Thank you.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06MUSIC: "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
0:09:06 > 0:09:07And there are plenty of them here
0:09:07 > 0:09:10in the middle of this industrial estate in Glasgow,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12which means there must be plenty of work.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And that's something George has noticed -
0:09:15 > 0:09:17the man who sells them their grub every morning.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20There's more units opening up.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Loads of units were opening up for years.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25All opening up, but nobody purchasing them.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Now? They're beginning to fill up now, you know?
0:09:28 > 0:09:30So it's a lot better now for me.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'And he's not the only one.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'After a tough recession, Scotland's economy
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'has been recovering better than many other parts of the UK.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'So, at the moment, things seem to be going well.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44'But the question is,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'would an independent Scotland have it as good?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'Round the corner, there's a firm that's more than a century old.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54'Ian runs Shearer Candles,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'which has now been in his family's hands for three generations.'
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So it's really part of Glasgow's industrial heritage?
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Absolutely! Yes, absolutely.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07These days, he sells what's made on this Glasgow factory floor
0:10:07 > 0:10:09right round the world,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and to the big-name supermarkets in the UK.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15But he's worried about the difficulties
0:10:15 > 0:10:17an independent Scotland might bring.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The idea of Scotland being its own independent nation
0:10:22 > 0:10:24is very attractive.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26But, if it's going to cost us...
0:10:27 > 0:10:29..it doesn't stack up.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30Now, there are those that have said,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"Actually, we're going to be better off."
0:10:33 > 0:10:35But I don't see how.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36Where is it coming from?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And so let's take, then, the costs that you worry about
0:10:39 > 0:10:42that might change, here, for your business.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46What might they be and what are the things you're concerned about?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48You start to look at, as an independent country,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50what we're going to have to pay.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Well, firstly, there's the start-up costs.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Now, you can maybe set that off against,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58"It's a nice idea,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01"Scotland independent, able to do its own thing,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04"and the start-up costs could just be swallowed."
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But then you look at the ongoing costs.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09There'll be less money,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13less disposable income for all the consumers, so...
0:11:13 > 0:11:17It's being spent on government departments and so on and so forth
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and it's not available to spend on our product, candles.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28'Ian says he's likely to vote No
0:11:28 > 0:11:30'because of what he feels he might have to deal with
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'if independence comes.'
0:11:33 > 0:11:34What's in it for you?
0:11:34 > 0:11:38A lot of hard work if the vote goes Yes...
0:11:40 > 0:11:42..er, for-for no economic gain.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Scotland's still going to be Scotland.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02But many of our small businesses
0:12:02 > 0:12:05are a long way from an industrial estate,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08making a living from our heritage and history.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Welcome to Loch Ewe Distillery,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16the smallest and the most unique distillery you'll ever come across.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21John and Frances run a small hotel and distillery in the Highlands.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26You never stop thinking about your business
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and making sure that your bills are paid,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33making sure there's money coming in, you're satisfying the Government.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It's really quite intense.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39In fact, it's been so tough they've had to shed
0:12:39 > 0:12:43all but one of their 15 staff in recent years.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47But, despite the challenges, they've managed to hang on.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49And they feel political choices
0:12:49 > 0:12:53made by the Scottish Government have really helped.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Since the SNP have come into power,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59it's definitely helped me in my business.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03They believe one of the reasons they've survived
0:13:03 > 0:13:05is the way the Scottish Government
0:13:05 > 0:13:08has lowered business rates for some small firms.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Because we've now streamlined
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and the business is a little bit different now,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19it's taken us into that bracket and it's been a great help for us.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Tourists brought a whopping £1.7 billion
0:13:26 > 0:13:28to Scotland last year.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It's an important chunk of the economy.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32And the Scottish Government says,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35if there's a vote for independence, it'll help that along
0:13:35 > 0:13:39with a tax cut for airlines and passengers.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Well, it's going to bring more people in.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45The likes of... Our local airport here would be Inverness.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48So, if there was a different passenger duty,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51possibly there would be more flights into Inverness.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55And that could mean more business for their hotel.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59But, for John and Frances, the referendum is about perspective.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00They're more than willing
0:14:00 > 0:14:04to put up with any short-term disruption for a long-term benefit.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I suppose you could say that, er...
0:14:09 > 0:14:12When we went to decimalisation, everybody kept saying,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15"We want to keep the pounds, shillings and pennies."
0:14:15 > 0:14:19It's just... We've got to accept change.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22You're either prepared to take the risk or you're not.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23There are set up-costs.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26There's set-up costs if you go and buy and a new house
0:14:26 > 0:14:29or there's set-up costs in everything in life that you do -
0:14:29 > 0:14:31you just have to...
0:14:31 > 0:14:36cut your cloth and, you know, get on with it and work around it.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40The people I've met are trying hard
0:14:40 > 0:14:43to make their small businesses succeed.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48They're grafting, putting in the hours to make their sums stack up.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But, when it comes to independence, they don't have the numbers yet.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53No-one does.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And nowhere is that uncertainty being felt more
0:14:59 > 0:15:03than in the place that brings in so much of Scotland's income.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I'm right in the middle of Edinburgh's financial district,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15where moving money right around the world is big, big business.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20And it doesn't like uncertainty.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Yet, at the moment, that's all there is
0:15:22 > 0:15:25because the biggest factors that would shape the economy
0:15:25 > 0:15:30in an independent Scotland - currency, exchange rates, taxation -
0:15:30 > 0:15:33would all be up for negotiation.
0:15:33 > 0:15:39And that negotiation will only even happen IF there is a Yes vote.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42All of this is creating nervousness in places like this -
0:15:42 > 0:15:46a place where it's feared jobs could be on the line.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48From a sprawling base outside the city,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50one firm more than any other
0:15:50 > 0:15:54symbolizes the size and importance of the financial sector.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58RBS still employs 3,000 people,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01just here at its main site in Edinburgh,
0:16:01 > 0:16:02and it's vast -
0:16:02 > 0:16:06it even has its own supermarket, its own dry cleaner and hairdresser.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07But while most of the people
0:16:07 > 0:16:10coming to work here this morning are Scottish,
0:16:10 > 0:16:15just like with its rivals, most of their customers are not.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Why does THAT matter?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Well, their customers are mostly in England.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And European laws say companies have to be based
0:16:24 > 0:16:26where most of their customers are.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30In other words, they could be forced to move.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32But, as usual, there's an argument.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Supporters of independence say
0:16:34 > 0:16:38because a company's headquarters can just be a registered address,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42there'd be no need to shift the actual jobs anywhere.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46But even the biggest firms are split over whether they'll stay
0:16:46 > 0:16:48or whether they would move.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53But there's another important reason why financial firms
0:16:53 > 0:16:57may think very carefully about where they're based.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02It's who can they turn to for help if the worst were to happen?
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Who would bail them out if things went badly wrong?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And at the moment, that's the Bank Of England,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16so banks and their customers may feel safer
0:17:16 > 0:17:18with that line of financial defence.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21But the ultimate question
0:17:21 > 0:17:24is what money an independent Scotland would use.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Whether or not it gets to keep the pound, sterling,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31with that all-important Bank of England backing.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35And, on this one, there is a COLOSSAL row.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39The pound isn't an asset to be divided up between the two countries
0:17:39 > 0:17:43after a break-up as if it were a CD collection.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The pound is our currency.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It doesn't belong to George Osborne or the UK Government.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55If Scotland walks away from the UK, it walks away from the UK pound.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58It's as much Scotland's as England's.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01So this is why I describe George Osborne's intervention
0:18:01 > 0:18:04as bluff, bluster and bullying.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Only one of them can be right.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And whoever that is determines
0:18:08 > 0:18:11the destiny of the Scottish financial services industry
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and its future role in our economy.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20From the biggest issues to the smallest details,
0:18:20 > 0:18:25we've all got questions about how an independent Scotland would work.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28So I've come to meet two of Scotland's best -
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and, importantly, NEUTRAL - economic brains
0:18:31 > 0:18:33to help get some things clear.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And we start with the big question -
0:18:36 > 0:18:41a currency union - would it matter if we're in...or out?
0:18:41 > 0:18:44If we're inside it, we get the benefit of the Bank of England,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46the banking sector and financial services
0:18:46 > 0:18:49get them as their lender of last resort
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and a lot of what we're currently doing stays roughly similar.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53If we're not inside that tent,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55then we've got no control of monetary policy,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58we don't have the Bank of England as our lender of last resort.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00So we'd have to have a reserve set aside,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04which in itself would suggest either higher taxes or lower spending
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to be able to accommodate that currently.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11But if an independent Scotland did keep the pound
0:19:11 > 0:19:13without having control over interest rates
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and being part of the Bank of England,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19is that really economic independence?
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Well, it's not. As Jo said, you lose control of your monetary policy
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and your banks are in a difficult position
0:19:26 > 0:19:30because, as Jo says, there's no equivalent of the Bank of England
0:19:30 > 0:19:33to whom they can run if they're short of money.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35If we couldn't keep the pound,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38being in the euro's not a terrible idea, is it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's not an option. Partly because there's a...
0:19:41 > 0:19:44There's a route that you have to go down to get there
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and so Scotland would have to have its own currency for a while
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and it would have to obey certain rules for a while.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Scotland would be some way away from those rules.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The euro is a long way from the Scottish Government's mind.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Its plans are based solely on the pound sterling.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04But no matter what it uses,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07an Independent Scotland would go to the financial markets
0:20:07 > 0:20:12to borrow money, just like lots of countries do at the moment.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16And that comes back to all of us in interest rates.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Would they be much different from now?
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Would it be the same as the UK?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Probably not, the evidence would suggest probably not.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24So it would be a higher cost of borrowing,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26which would have a knock-on effect of higher costs
0:20:26 > 0:20:28to businesses and to consumers.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So what would that mean, then, for Joe Public
0:20:31 > 0:20:32if, under independence,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35it's likely borrowing for the government would cost more?
0:20:35 > 0:20:36What would that mean to you and me?
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Well, two sides, I suppose -
0:20:38 > 0:20:41one, we maybe end up paying more for our loans and for our mortgages,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44but potentially, receive a bit more for our deposits,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47because Scottish banks would want to make it attractive for us
0:20:47 > 0:20:49to deposit our money with them.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Those are the big issues.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56But what about the particular concerns of our workers?
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Frances and John have a hotel in the Highlands.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Air Passenger Duty is a really big deal for them.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Frances and John think Air Passenger Duty
0:21:06 > 0:21:08actually keeps people away right now.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10So how big an opportunity is it
0:21:10 > 0:21:13for an independent Scotland to change that?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I think, for an independent Scotland,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18probably it will be wanting to promote "Brand Scotland" more
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and seeking to expand the tourist industry
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and, probably, a reduction in Air Passenger Duty
0:21:25 > 0:21:29would do it no harm because it would generate more tax revenue
0:21:29 > 0:21:31than they would lose.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Our economists have also given me some answers for Maxine,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37our complimentary therapist.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41So I'm going back to see if I can help her find a way
0:21:41 > 0:21:43through the economic fog.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44- Maxine!- Laura!
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Come on in - lovely to see you.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- How you doing? - Not bad. Good journey?
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Yes, very good, and we've been working very hard on your behalf.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Oh, fantastic.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So we've got some experts' answers
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and the Scottish government's answers.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- I look forward to hearing them - come on in.- Thank you.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Shall we have a look and see if you're satisfied
0:22:02 > 0:22:04that they make anything any easier?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06OK - just press play on the first clip.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07On the first one.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- ON VIDEO:- Maxine has a small business in Prestwick
0:22:09 > 0:22:11and does a lot of business with England.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Now, she's worried about how disruptive it might have to be,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18if she ran her business in two different currency zones.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20How much of a big deal do you think it really would be?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25It's not unusual for small companies close to borders -
0:22:25 > 0:22:28for example, the Northern Irish-Irish border,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32for small companies to deal in more than one currency.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35You do have to pay a bit extra
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and, after a while, I guess she'd just have to learn
0:22:38 > 0:22:40how to absorb those costs.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42That make you feel any better?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Not really. A small business - I am a small business -
0:22:45 > 0:22:51but, you know, to absorb any cost will have an impact on profit.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Anything that I do have to absorb
0:22:54 > 0:22:56will have to actually go on to the customer.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Um...that's fact, basically.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'Maxine also wanted to know if our experts thought
0:23:04 > 0:23:08'the Scottish government have a Plan B for the currency -
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'one of the biggest questions of the whole debate'
0:23:10 > 0:23:16Well, it's not clear, and kind of, in negotiating strategy terms,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19probably, the Scottish government are making the right move,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22because if they said what their Plan B was,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25that would open up a new front of argument.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26What do you make of that?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30If they had come back and said that they had a Plan B,
0:23:30 > 0:23:35basically, I don't know if I would have that much trust in them.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40So I really just wanted to gauge what they'd come back and say,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and really, they've given me the answer I thought.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Now, as we sit here, talking about all of this,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49you've got a lot to decide -
0:23:49 > 0:23:51you've got a lot to decide, the way you're going to vote,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54you've got a lot to decide, the impact it might have on your business...
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I've got another one for you - I hate to say it,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02but I'm actually thinking of selling the house now.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And that's a very big decision.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Well, it's a big decision just now and one yet again, I'm not sure -
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Do I put the house on the market
0:24:09 > 0:24:13before we have the vote for independence?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Do I wait until after?
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Yet again, house prices, how will it affect that?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21So I don't know if you can answer that one for me.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23We've come back with some answers,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25but you're sending me away with a whole lot of new homework.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Well, looks like it, I'm afraid, so...
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Right, Maxine, we'll do our very best.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32That would be good because that one would be one
0:24:32 > 0:24:35that would definitely affect me right now.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Maxine's worried about selling and buying a house.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But in many ways, that's a luxury,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48considering over half a million people in Scotland
0:24:48 > 0:24:51live in social housing.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52That's paid for
0:24:52 > 0:24:55by the entire economy with our taxes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05Gowkthrapple Estate is in the 5% of poorest places in Scotland.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I've come to meet Stella -
0:25:07 > 0:25:09a young woman who relies on benefits,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12including for her place to live.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14But that hasn't been straightforward.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18She's felt the impact of the Coalition's cuts to benefits,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21in particular the Spare Room Subsidy -
0:25:21 > 0:25:24'more commonly known as the bedroom tax.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:27So this was your building.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Yeah, I used to live over there in a two-bedroom house
0:25:30 > 0:25:34but cos there was just me, I couldn't afford the bedroom tax,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35so I moved over there.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- You had to move? You had no choice? - I had to move, yeah.- OK.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- But you literally just went across the road.- Just over the road, yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44She's not the only member of her family to live on the estate,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46or be living on benefits.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- So this is you. - Yeah, this is my flat here,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51but actually, my sister lives up the stairs.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Your sister's in the same block? - Yeah.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Shall we go and see if she's in?
0:25:55 > 0:25:56It's great.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02I hope she's in.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Hi.- Hello.- This is Natalie.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Natalie, nice to meet you - I'm Laura.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Can we come in and have a chat?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- Yeah, course, yeah.- Thank you.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Both sisters do volunteer work on the estate
0:26:16 > 0:26:18because they simply can't find jobs.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Natalie's been searching for a year
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and Stella's been out of work for three.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26They say they've sent hundreds of applications to employers,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29but nowadays, they don't even get replies.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I don't think a lot of people understand -
0:26:31 > 0:26:34it feels like, really, you feel quite worthless,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36like, you are at the bottom of the line
0:26:36 > 0:26:37and that everybody else higher than you
0:26:37 > 0:26:40is just looking down on you.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44But I don't really know that they really understand the situation.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Unless you're in it,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48unless you are actually on Job Seeker's
0:26:48 > 0:26:49or have been on Job Seeker's,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52it's really hard to understand, like, what we do to make it,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55try and find a job and we keep getting turned down.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58People will message us, asking if we're coming out and everything.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Obviously, we can't, because we're on the Job Seeker's,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04we don't get enough money to have luxuries like that.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So, it's...like, the minimum luxury would be, like,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10if we bought ourselves like a can of deodorant or something.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13How much do you rely on each other?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- I rely on Stella probably more than she relies on me.- Probably.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19You say you do pretty much everything together,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21but you disagree on the big question
0:27:21 > 0:27:23that everyone's having to make their mind up about.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Which we didn't know about until recently.- Yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27I'm definitely staying with No,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29but she's definitely staying with Yes.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Stella has been persuaded
0:27:32 > 0:27:36by one of the Scottish government's biggest promises -
0:27:36 > 0:27:40ending the so-called bedroom tax under independence.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I didn't have enough money to pay for the bedroom tax,
0:27:44 > 0:27:49and then they start...they start to take it off your rent,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52so you're in rent arrears, which makes you worry even more,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56cos you think you're going to get evicted, and...
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Yeah, it's a lot of stress.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I think the bedroom tax, losing the bedroom tax
0:28:02 > 0:28:04will be good for a lot of people.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07What is it you worry about?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09The big companies - I'm definitely worried about
0:28:09 > 0:28:13losing all those big companies, because it will mean less...
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Well, I think it'll mean less jobs
0:28:15 > 0:28:18for us and for other people on the dole.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20And if there's less jobs,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22then obviously, there's less opportunities,
0:28:22 > 0:28:23less opportunities to get experience
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and we don't want to lose any more opportunities.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29But the current government has taken quite a lot away
0:28:29 > 0:28:32from people like yourself on benefits.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35They also moved people in council houses
0:28:35 > 0:28:39when they had one extra bedroom, like your sister.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Isn't it strange that you want to support the system
0:28:42 > 0:28:44that's actually taken quite a lot away from your family?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47That's really true, but I think...
0:28:47 > 0:28:50That would be one thing that I would probably agree with,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53to get that changed, because it has affected my sister a lot.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57But I think there's so much change that's going to happen,
0:28:57 > 0:28:58that's what scares me.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01So it's not worth, in your view, it's not worth voting Yes
0:29:01 > 0:29:03just to get rid of the so-called bedroom tax?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05No, just for one thing, no - definitely not.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09In fact, the Scottish government has already been acting
0:29:09 > 0:29:11to cancel out its effects.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14But the so-called tax has been such a sore point
0:29:14 > 0:29:18that for many, it's come to sum up the fundamental differences
0:29:18 > 0:29:22in attitudes to welfare between many Scottish voters
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and the current Westminster government.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27What's the advantage that you see?
0:29:27 > 0:29:29I thinks it's more of a change -
0:29:29 > 0:29:32like, it's not good right now,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35so obviously something needs to change.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40So I think independence, it would give us more...more power,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42like, it would give us more of a say
0:29:42 > 0:29:44to what we already have,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46cos I don't feel like we have a say at the moment.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48They'd be able to change things
0:29:48 > 0:29:51without having to go through everywhere else first.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The Westminster government has been attacked
0:29:54 > 0:29:57for how it's tried to cut back on benefits.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01But the bill is huge and keeping up spending would be a challenge
0:30:01 > 0:30:03for any new Scottish government.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09But imagine having a home here -
0:30:09 > 0:30:14not in the poorest, but one of the richest parts of Scotland,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18a place where prosperity is there for all to see.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Aberdeen has some of the most expensive property
0:30:21 > 0:30:23in the whole of the UK.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26In fact, the market is the hottest outside London.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Plenty of people with plenty of money to spend.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Because for 40 years,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Aberdeen has drawn wealth from black gold.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's the oil capital of Scotland and the UK.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50You know, we've all heard again and again
0:30:50 > 0:30:55that an independent Scotland would have to rely on money from oil.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Because the income from that industry
0:30:57 > 0:31:02would help determine Scotland's potential wealth in a big way.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05And although there's debate about the numbers,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08the income doesn't feel like it's waning in Aberdeen.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10Down here in the docks,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12you can see the scale of this industry -
0:31:12 > 0:31:17you can almost feel the wealth and the power
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and it's giving new opportunities to a whole new generation.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And you find them in exclusive cocktail bars -
0:31:27 > 0:31:31the playground of a new, wealthy breed of smart young things
0:31:31 > 0:31:33making their way in an industry
0:31:33 > 0:31:36where, if you've got the right mix of skills,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38there's still a lot of opportunity.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Rory Davin is a chemical engineer.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44He and his colleague Andy Cowan
0:31:44 > 0:31:47work together at a big-name oil company.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51I've seen some change -
0:31:51 > 0:31:55people, sort of, more reluctant to spend in recent months,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57certainly some of the big contractors,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59such as Wood Group and AMEC,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01have made some wage cuts to contractor salaries.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05So you have seen a slight change in the industry,
0:32:05 > 0:32:06but I think, on a whole,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09there's still a positive, buoyant atmosphere around Aberdeen
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and people still willing to invest.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14But I think, going forward, there might be a bit more reluctance
0:32:14 > 0:32:18with Scotland going...the potential for Scotland to go independent.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Andy, you practically sit next to each other in the office,
0:32:21 > 0:32:22what do you make of that?
0:32:22 > 0:32:25A lot of what Rory says is... there's a lot of truth in it,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27but you know, the amount of investment
0:32:27 > 0:32:30that's in the North Sea at the moment is at a 30-year high.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Now, there wouldn't be that level of creation of new infrastructures
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and, you know,
0:32:36 > 0:32:37that type of investment
0:32:37 > 0:32:40if there wasn't a bit of confidence in the long-term future.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Yes, there's going to be hiccups along the way.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Yes, there will be things that will get thrown in that we never saw,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49but, yeah, I would say that the confidence in the industry
0:32:49 > 0:32:52just now is fairly high and it's quite a buoyant place to be.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55There's lots of dispute about the potential numbers in the future -
0:32:55 > 0:32:59what the tax take might be next year, year after,
0:32:59 > 0:33:012020s, 2030s.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02There's no agreement on that.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07What there is agreement on is that productivity has been going down
0:33:07 > 0:33:09and down quite significantly.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Is that not something that worries you?
0:33:11 > 0:33:16There's graphs available where you can see the production rates from the early '80s are huge,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19you know - just, like, mind-boggling figures of oil and gas
0:33:19 > 0:33:21that was being produced through the Fortes Field, etc.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And I don't think we're ever going to see
0:33:24 > 0:33:26that level of production ever again.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30You know - maybe, potentially, we may go back up the way,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34but I think, you know, the trend is that it's going to go down the way.
0:33:34 > 0:33:35But I think you've got to have
0:33:35 > 0:33:37a level of confidence in the extraction process,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39how much we can still get out of the ground -
0:33:39 > 0:33:42they reckon, from some of the reports,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45that there's as much oil to be taken as has already been taken.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47That's what I would say -
0:33:47 > 0:33:51the likes of basing a Yes vote on the fact
0:33:51 > 0:33:53that you've got the oil reserves in the North Sea
0:33:53 > 0:33:54sort of falls down a bit
0:33:54 > 0:33:56because there's places like Brazil, Angola,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59where you can get more challenging oil but for a cheaper rate
0:33:59 > 0:34:03and therefore, your return in investment is a lot more secure.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07So to what extent do the boys think
0:34:07 > 0:34:11an independent Scotland's finances should rest on oil profits?
0:34:12 > 0:34:17As reserves deplete over time, I think that...that income source
0:34:17 > 0:34:19will start to dwindle with it
0:34:19 > 0:34:24and will they have enough supporting industries to help maintain
0:34:24 > 0:34:26a healthy Scotland for all citizens involved?
0:34:26 > 0:34:27I don't know.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30It's not like if you took away the oil and gas, all of a sudden,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Scotland's going to fall on its backside.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34I think that's completely wrong.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36You know, there's plenty of strengths that Scotland has
0:34:36 > 0:34:38to stand on its own two feet
0:34:38 > 0:34:41and I think that that's where maybe I'm a bit more of an optimist -
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I'm not saying that Rory's a pessimist.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I might have to sit next to him at work and listen to him every day,
0:34:46 > 0:34:48but, no, he's a fairly optimistic guy as well.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52But I certainly think that, you know, I certainly try to look
0:34:52 > 0:34:53to the positives of the argument.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Just in the last few days,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00arguments over how much North Sea oil is left have grown.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Sir Ian Wood, one of the most influential figures in the industry,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07says there's not nearly as much as the Scottish government thinks.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Other experts agree with them, though -
0:35:09 > 0:35:11that huge amounts remain
0:35:11 > 0:35:15and new investments could reap significant rewards.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18We all know, though, no matter how much of it remains to be found,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22oil and gas under the North Sea can't last for ever.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25The Scottish government believes green energy
0:35:25 > 0:35:26could help take its place,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29providing significant numbers of new jobs.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34The industry says it already provides work for 11,000 people.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36From farms to remote villages,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39lots of small wind turbines are doing their bit
0:35:39 > 0:35:42as well as the big ones we see on our hills.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Owen's firm makes turbines for those smaller buyers.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And it's his lucky job to check they're working.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52There's nothing more I like better than the smell of cows
0:35:52 > 0:35:54and agricultural equipment.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57We'll have a quick look at the control systems as well,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00check the logs on them, make sure there's been no errors on them.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Three years ago, Owen lost his job in London
0:36:03 > 0:36:06in the upheaval of the property crash.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08He took a gamble and decided to come home,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12betting on an industry he thinks will keep him in work
0:36:12 > 0:36:14for years to come.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Sustainability -
0:36:16 > 0:36:18it's a horrible buzz word,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22but I mean that in the sense that it's a sustainable industry.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25It's become accepted, it's not "hippies" -
0:36:25 > 0:36:28it's people understanding
0:36:28 > 0:36:31that they need to hedge against rising energy prices.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34And to do that, it's having your own power station.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Despite being a clean source of electricity,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44wind turbines aren't to everyone's taste.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45In England, the Conservatives say
0:36:45 > 0:36:49they'd cut industry support for turbines on land
0:36:49 > 0:36:51if they win the next general election.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54The Scottish government has very different ideas.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56One of the big problems that we have
0:36:56 > 0:36:59is getting these machines through planning.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01I think because the Scottish government
0:37:01 > 0:37:05is so much more favourable towards renewables, you know,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07that does filter down into the guidelines
0:37:07 > 0:37:10to the local councils.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Now, should we go independent,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16I would expect to see an increase in that.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21I would expect to see planning laws, planning regulations,
0:37:21 > 0:37:23relaxed to the extent that, you know,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26this is just considered another piece of capital equipment
0:37:26 > 0:37:30for...users, for end users.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35Relaxing those rules would significantly help the industry.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38But independence could mean the renewables business
0:37:38 > 0:37:40loses something else.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Right now, the sums for this industry only really stack up
0:37:44 > 0:37:46because of heavy subsidies -
0:37:46 > 0:37:49cash that's paid out by you and me.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Where does that come from?
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Believe it or not, it's a part of YOUR electricity bill.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58In fact, government figures show that last year,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00renewable energy in Scotland
0:38:00 > 0:38:05was given over £560 million in subsidies.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09In an independent Scotland, there would be fewer bill payers
0:38:09 > 0:38:11and fewer taxpayers.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15So would the country be equally prepared or able
0:38:15 > 0:38:17to pay the industry's way?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Some people would say that we're chasing the subsidies,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22and to a certain extent, that is true.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26At the moment, we need those subsidies
0:38:26 > 0:38:28to make the finances add up.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Eventually, we'll have the technology
0:38:32 > 0:38:36and the manufacturing processes down so that, as I say,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39the levelised cost of electricity is truly competitive
0:38:39 > 0:38:43with buying it from a coal-powered power station or a nuclear station.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48As far as the independence question for us,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51obviously, the Scottish government is again very progressive
0:38:51 > 0:38:56with its green promises and certainly a focus on renewables.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59As a whole, the UK government
0:38:59 > 0:39:01perhaps could have done a little bit more.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06The future for the industry in Scotland,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10the jobs it can create, the size it could achieve,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13could be very different, depending which way you vote.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16How much can workers like Owen,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19who work already in renewable technology,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22how much could they rely on subsidies that go to that industry
0:39:22 > 0:39:26from the UK government staying under an independent Scotland?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28There's a huge dependence
0:39:28 > 0:39:35on the average electricity bill payer
0:39:35 > 0:39:38in Birmingham, in Manchester, in Liverpool,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40many of whom are arguing at the minute
0:39:40 > 0:39:42that utility bills are too high.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45We currently see 60 million-plus people
0:39:45 > 0:39:47being able to support that.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49We'd been reliant on 5 to 5.5 million people.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53That does significantly increase the individual's household bills,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56so again, it comes down to political choices.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00So, for the moment, it still comes back to oil.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04But remember, the workers we met had very different views
0:40:04 > 0:40:06on its importance.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10People always talk about the oil industry and what can come
0:40:10 > 0:40:14out of the North Sea in terms of the independence debate.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17How much is this really about what happens to the oil money?
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I think oil is...
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Oil seems to be the critical factor in deciding whether or not,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25financially, we could go it alone. Certainly short-term.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28If Scotland became independent,
0:40:28 > 0:40:33then its kind of terms of trade would vary quite a lot with
0:40:33 > 0:40:36the price of oil because, relative to its size.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Now, oil would become a much, much more important export
0:40:40 > 0:40:42than it has been in the past.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44And with so many variables,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46is it possible to say, categorically,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50whether or not the oil industry would do better off or worse off
0:40:50 > 0:40:52under an independent Scotland?
0:40:52 > 0:40:56It's very difficult to say, it seems to me, because
0:40:56 > 0:41:00if the amount of oil actually being produced in the North Sea
0:41:00 > 0:41:04gradually declines, it's still the case it seems to me that
0:41:04 > 0:41:09Aberdeen can continue to be one of the major centres of expertise
0:41:09 > 0:41:13for oil, exploration and development in the world,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15without a shadow of a doubt.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25But it's not just Aberdeen where Scotland's engineering might
0:41:25 > 0:41:27is bringing in money.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Money from Her Majesty's forces
0:41:30 > 0:41:33to build vast vessels like this.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37The fortunes of this industry are felt everywhere
0:41:37 > 0:41:39in this part of the world.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41And this is where it happens -
0:41:41 > 0:41:45thousands of jobs, billions of pounds being spent,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49British ships being built with Scottish hands.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52In the past, now and into the future,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55it's vital for the Scottish economy.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57And after centuries of tradition,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01this is what their work looks like in 2014 -
0:42:01 > 0:42:04an engineering marvel.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08This summer, the Queen Elizabeth II aircraft carrier was named
0:42:08 > 0:42:11in a ceremony filled with pride for the men and women
0:42:11 > 0:42:14that built her in Scotland's shipyards.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Men like Craig, a dock worker in Govan.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Been in there 16 years,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23probably built at least six or seven ships now since then,
0:42:23 > 0:42:29ranging from the last destroyers through to offshore patrol vessels.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34You can always say, yes, it's a UK ship,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36but it's Scottish-built, it's Clyde-built,
0:42:36 > 0:42:41and it's important that we keep that phrase, Clyde-built.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47But Craig is deeply sceptical about the chances of that happening
0:42:47 > 0:42:49if Scotland becomes independent.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53In the past, he's spoken up for Better Together.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55If there's a Yes vote, the yards will stay open for a while
0:42:55 > 0:42:59until contracts are sorted out between the two governments.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I don't know how long that will take,
0:43:01 > 0:43:08but what I do know is, that, in the future, I won't be working there.
0:43:08 > 0:43:15One way or another, because the UK government is our customer,
0:43:15 > 0:43:19and if we take away the UK government, by coming separate,
0:43:19 > 0:43:21then we don't have a customer.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- DAVID CAMERON: - Under this government,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26we'll have aircraft carriers, type 45 destroyers,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28the new frigates, the hunter-killer submarines.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30And there's something else they should know -
0:43:30 > 0:43:32if there was an independent Scotland,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34we wouldn't have any warships at all.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37But Alex Salmond begs to differ.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- ALEX SALMOND:- You can build the best warships in Scotstoun and Govan
0:43:41 > 0:43:44with the best facilities as British Aerospace have indicated last year.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47INTERVIEWER: But after a Yes vote, they'd be in a separate country.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Yeah, but it's the best place to build.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53And Alex Salmond says an independent Scottish government
0:43:53 > 0:43:55would be building ships.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58The White Paper commits to building four frigates -
0:43:58 > 0:44:01all destined for Scottish shipyards.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04But Craig has doubts.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06In reality, that's short term.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08That's only four to five years' build.
0:44:08 > 0:44:13So, once again, we'd be relying on the government to give us something
0:44:13 > 0:44:18else, and commercial shipping, that's just not going to happen.
0:44:18 > 0:44:19Why?
0:44:19 > 0:44:23Because competitors round the world can do it much, much more cheaply.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27So, for Craig, it's a stark economic choice
0:44:27 > 0:44:29and one that comes right to his front door.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34As a working man, all I want to do is go to work the next day.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36I want to pay my bills.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37I want to have a car.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39I want to have a holiday, once a year.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42I don't ask for much, because I know my position,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44and that's all I'll ask for.
0:44:44 > 0:44:45If you take that away from me,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48you're taking that away from my family.
0:44:48 > 0:44:54And if the Scottish government believe that they can...
0:44:54 > 0:44:59keep me to the standard that I've been used to for all these years,
0:44:59 > 0:45:03then good luck to them, but I don't think they can.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11But how much protection is really had by staying in the Union?
0:45:11 > 0:45:13When it comes to Scottish defence jobs,
0:45:13 > 0:45:19simply being part of the UK has been no guarantee of anything.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22MoD cuts have hit hard in Scotland.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Something the community of Leuchars in Fife knows all too well.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Kevin, what are all these stickers then?
0:45:29 > 0:45:33These are the stickers left by the various Squadrons
0:45:33 > 0:45:37and divisions that have been stationed here throughout the years.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Wow. So, this is like the history of Leuchars then?
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Yes, you could say that.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Kevin Gilchrist comes from an RAF family
0:45:44 > 0:45:46and an RAF town.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50Leuchars WAS the proud home of a Typhoon Squadron.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52But three years ago,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56it was decided that it would no longer function as an RAF base.
0:45:56 > 0:45:57The community,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00whose identity and economy was built round the base,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03has been left reeling.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05So far, the effects have been
0:46:05 > 0:46:09a sort of general depressant on the economy locally.
0:46:09 > 0:46:14On the whole, it's just drained a sort of an amount of life
0:46:14 > 0:46:15from the economy.
0:46:15 > 0:46:20I think it will probably be the death of the place.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24The plan is that an army unit returning from Germany
0:46:24 > 0:46:25will move in to Leuchars.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28But they'd be far fewer in number
0:46:28 > 0:46:31and nothing is secure for ever when it comes to the military,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35especially when it comes to defence in Scotland.
0:46:35 > 0:46:42People feel betrayed by this administration, this government.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47It just wasn't at all what people were expecting, I don't think,
0:46:47 > 0:46:49they weren't expecting the cuts to be this deep,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52to be so ill-explained.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56Unionists would say the way the military's protected,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59the way places like this should be protected is only if the UK
0:46:59 > 0:47:02stays together, but can you trust that message?
0:47:02 > 0:47:05I fundamentally don't think you can.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08I think if people are going to vote no,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11as an attempt to safeguard communities like Leuchars,
0:47:11 > 0:47:17they're going to be in for a shock if a No vote is delivered.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23These closures are part of an ideological stance
0:47:23 > 0:47:26by the current government that's looking to close down
0:47:26 > 0:47:32and cut public spending to the maximum amount and that attitude
0:47:32 > 0:47:38will continue regardless of whether or not we vote for independence.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42And he doesn't believe the Scottish government would be able to
0:47:42 > 0:47:47support the defence industry and the local jobs it brings.
0:47:47 > 0:47:48As someone from a military family,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52I have to say there's very little in it for me.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54An independent Scotland would be unable to provide
0:47:54 > 0:47:57the kind of jobs, the kind of infrastructure
0:47:57 > 0:48:00and the kind of support that the United Kingdom traditionally has.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02I think either way,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06we're going to end up getting lost and forgotten about.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13But how much do the economies of Scottish towns REALLY rely
0:48:13 > 0:48:15on the military bases within them?
0:48:15 > 0:48:19One of Scotland's biggest and most controversial military assets
0:48:19 > 0:48:23is here at the Faslane naval base, just outside Helensburgh.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27It's the home of Trident, the nuclear submarine.
0:48:27 > 0:48:31Graeme McCormick is a solicitor who lives on the edge of Helensburgh.
0:48:31 > 0:48:36He's an SNP member who wants to see the subs out of Scottish waters
0:48:36 > 0:48:39but not just because they're nuclear weapons.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43He's concerned at the long-term economic effect
0:48:43 > 0:48:45the base has had on the town.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49The base is not really part of the community,
0:48:49 > 0:48:55it's apart from the community in so far as the service personnel
0:48:55 > 0:48:57never really need to leave the base.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00There is a small shopping mall.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04There are sports facilities, there are leisure facilities,
0:49:04 > 0:49:08generally very well subsidised.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13While some traders say the base helps them,
0:49:13 > 0:49:17Graeme says it's created a deeper problem in the area,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19reflected in its house prices,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23which aren't recovering as well as the rest of Scotland.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28There is a feeling that Helensburgh and Lomond
0:49:28 > 0:49:31is not as an attractive place to come and live
0:49:31 > 0:49:33because of the nuclear element.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35There are some people who are not keen to live in an area
0:49:35 > 0:49:41which has such a large concentration of nuclear weapons.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43The Scottish government says with independence,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46they'd chuck the nuclear weapons out
0:49:46 > 0:49:50and make Faslane the headquarters of a new Scottish defence force.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Graeme believes that would rejuvenate the area.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56There will be people that will have real decision-making power,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58there will be good jobs,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01influential people who will live here
0:50:01 > 0:50:04and as a result of that,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07we will also have service personnel
0:50:07 > 0:50:09who will live and work in the community.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11If we have conventional forces here,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14living and working in this community, then immediately,
0:50:14 > 0:50:19we have a tremendous boost to this economy and we can drive it forward.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23We need young people, we need young vibrant families
0:50:23 > 0:50:26to come and live and work in this community,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29otherwise the community will just descend
0:50:29 > 0:50:32into a glorified, eventide home.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34It's as simple as that.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43And that's a problem facing all of Scotland, not just Helensburgh.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47We have an ageing population, and there aren't enough young people
0:50:47 > 0:50:51to cover the cost of caring for our elderly in the coming years.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Under independence, the Scottish Government says
0:50:54 > 0:50:58it would keep all of the protections pensioners currently enjoy
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and introduce some more.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03But it's likely pensions would also be the biggest
0:51:03 > 0:51:06chunk of the benefits bill.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Could an independent Scotland afford pensions at the current levels?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12It's political choice. I mean, to say it's not affordable suggests
0:51:12 > 0:51:17that the £60 billion that Scotland would effectively control
0:51:17 > 0:51:20isn't enough to fund pensions, but clearly it is.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24But the implication is, if you're funding pensions at that level,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26there are implications for areas
0:51:26 > 0:51:28where you're not then going to be able to afford that,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30so, it isn't, in itself, unaffordable,
0:51:30 > 0:51:33it's what you're doing with the rest of the money.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37And that's where an independent Scotland's borrowing would
0:51:37 > 0:51:40come in again - think of it as the country's credit card.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42And just as for the rest of us,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45the question is how much you should use it.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50I mean certainly borrowing more to invest is attractive
0:51:50 > 0:51:53and it partly comes down to what kind of story the government
0:51:53 > 0:51:57of the day could tell the markets about how it was borrowing,
0:51:57 > 0:51:58what it was using it for,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01how it was going to pay its debt down over time,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03to get them comfortable that this wasn't profligate spending
0:52:03 > 0:52:06just to fund annual running costs,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09so there is a way of being able to explain that story but it needs
0:52:09 > 0:52:13to be a very, very clearly defined story with very clearly defined
0:52:13 > 0:52:17sets of fiscal rules, which we don't yet, which we don't yet have.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21The Scottish Government says it would borrow billions of pounds,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25in part to reverse some of the cutbacks of recent years,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28years that have been so difficult for Natalie and Stella.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Natalie's worried about an independent Scotland
0:52:32 > 0:52:36because she thinks big companies might be more likely to leave,
0:52:36 > 0:52:37and she's looking for work.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39Is that a realistic fear?
0:52:39 > 0:52:42I think to suggest that big companies will move
0:52:42 > 0:52:43lock, stock and barrel is just...
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It just doesn't seem feasible.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48And at the moment, Scotland has got a very good track record
0:52:48 > 0:52:50in managing inward investment.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Stella had to move house because of the so-called bedroom tax.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57How straightforward would it be to get rid of that?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Because the Scottish government have said that they would.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Is it straightforward?
0:53:02 > 0:53:04I don't think it's too difficult.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05I mean you can see...
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Actually what the logic of it all was that
0:53:09 > 0:53:11you should try to avoid situations
0:53:11 > 0:53:15where people are under-occupying their houses.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Of course, the way it's been implemented has
0:53:17 > 0:53:22really left a lot of people very upset, understandably so.
0:53:22 > 0:53:27But overall, the cost is not all that great.
0:53:27 > 0:53:32And talking of houses, there's one more job I have to do.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34I'm back with Maxine
0:53:34 > 0:53:37who couldn't decide whether or not to sell her house.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42You asked us to try and find out what the timing
0:53:42 > 0:53:46of the referendum might mean for you buying or selling this place.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48- Let's have a listen to what they had to say.- OK.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Well, there's so much uncertainty.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53If we have a Yes vote, you know,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56there's so much to be negotiated that she could wait a long time
0:53:56 > 0:53:59before she could see the ground being totally clear.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02So, if she desperately wants to sell the house, she's got it,
0:54:02 > 0:54:05I would suggest now rather than wait.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Yeah, you know the fundamental value of the house to her is not
0:54:08 > 0:54:11going to change depending on what the constitutional arrangement is,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14so if she really feels she wants to buy this house,
0:54:14 > 0:54:16I would still go for it,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20as long as she feels that she's got the capacity to pay for the house
0:54:20 > 0:54:24and that she doesn't do anything that might cause her to end up
0:54:24 > 0:54:29with debts in the wrong currency, I would just go for it.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Well, I find that actually quite scary.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34He's saying go on with it on the condition...
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Oh, my goodness.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Sounds as if I might be moving into the shed for a little while.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40THEY LAUGH
0:54:40 > 0:54:44As long as I don't get into debt into what currency.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47I find that actually...
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I find that the scariest answer,
0:54:49 > 0:54:52although it's come across as the most casual answer,
0:54:52 > 0:54:57you know, it's...go ahead but...
0:54:57 > 0:54:59but be it on your own head kind of thing.
0:54:59 > 0:55:05Well, as I say, that is something that I feel as if...
0:55:05 > 0:55:08I'll need to think about a heck of a lot more.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12The people I've met each have their own hopes
0:55:12 > 0:55:16and fears about what an independent Scotland could mean.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21How YOU make ends meet will help you decide how to vote.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25It's a balance of risk and reward on both sides.
0:55:25 > 0:55:31And remember a No vote does NOT mean sticking with the status quo.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36It's important to realise, in any case,
0:55:36 > 0:55:40the way Scotland's economy is run is changing.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43The parliament will soon be able to raise more tax
0:55:43 > 0:55:47and borrow its own money - more control.
0:55:47 > 0:55:52The flip side is a cut in the grant from the rest of the UK
0:55:52 > 0:55:54but whichever way the referendum goes,
0:55:54 > 0:55:59the balance of economic power is already shifting.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Shifting toward Holyrood
0:56:01 > 0:56:04and shifting toward the Scottish people
0:56:04 > 0:56:07as more economic control is handed over.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11The question for you is whether that's enough.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15We're not getting all the answers from our politicians.
0:56:15 > 0:56:20So what advice would our experts give on how to make up your mind?
0:56:20 > 0:56:21People have to judge -
0:56:21 > 0:56:23who do you think the winners and losers are going to be?
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Where do you think the safety net is?
0:56:26 > 0:56:28And how do you compensate the losers?
0:56:28 > 0:56:30And if you can answer that and feel comfortable with that
0:56:30 > 0:56:33then that will tell you what your vote would be.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38And as you prepare to go to the polls,
0:56:38 > 0:56:42it's worth paying close attention to the details of the offers
0:56:42 > 0:56:44both sides are making to you.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49People could try their best to understand the arguments
0:56:49 > 0:56:53that are being made on both sides,
0:56:53 > 0:57:00and try to sort out those that are, clearly, a little bit
0:57:00 > 0:57:05imaginative, let's say, from those that are grounded in reality.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Then, you know, it seems to me
0:57:07 > 0:57:11that that's the best course of action that people can take.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15We've tried to help Maxine to do that - to answer some of her
0:57:15 > 0:57:18questions about the economics of an independent Scotland.
0:57:18 > 0:57:23So now it's time to see if SHE can answer the biggest question of all.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26Have you decided which way you're going to vote yet?
0:57:26 > 0:57:27In one answer, no.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30I'm still waiting to be convinced, to be honest.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Do you think you will be able to decide?
0:57:33 > 0:57:36On the day, I'm going to have to.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40There's two boxes in there - a yes and a no -
0:57:40 > 0:57:43and I am going to very much vote,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46so, yes, I am going to decide.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49But to be honest with you, I think it'll to be down to the wire.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53It will be down to on the day and to see who convinces me.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55And if you haven't got faith in them,
0:57:55 > 0:57:58- you've always got crystals. - I've always got my crystals.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00THEY LAUGH
0:58:00 > 0:58:07Perhaps more than at any time of our lives, this vote really does matter.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09We can't ignore it.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12There are questions about how an independent Scotland would
0:58:12 > 0:58:15make ends meet that we just can't answer yet.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18So whether you're thinking about your bank balance, your job,
0:58:18 > 0:58:23your pension or the whole country's future potential prosperity -
0:58:23 > 0:58:27whether it's yes or whether it's no, you have to consider
0:58:27 > 0:58:30what's really in it for you?