Independence, The Times and Brian Inkster
11 September 2014
Brian Inkster was quoted today in The Times in an article about the practical outcome of a 'yes' vote in the Independence Referendum entitled ‘Ten years to work out laws, treaties and negotiations’.
Brian was one of several solicitors, from both Scotland and England, that featured in the article that stated: "Just like the Queen, the leading law firms north and south of the border are strictly neutral over the Scottish referendum. But as the experts who will be charged with the practical consequences of a possible ‘Yes’ vote they are ideally placed to map out what the future holds if Alex Salmond triumphs next week".
The article suggests that in the event of a 'Yes' vote there could "be eighteen months of deep uncertainty as attempts are made to preserve the status quo to keep ordinary commercial life going. After that there will be five years of building new institutions as Scottish versions of existing UK regulatory bodies. And then there will be ten years of working out what the new laws mean and testing them out in court." This, of course, will keep the lawyers in London and Edinburgh "busy enough for at least a decade” .
Brian Inkster commented that “there is a prevailing ‘wait and see’ attitude among clients... But if the vote is Yes then it will still leave years of uncertainty ahead.”
The article went on to look at the carve up of maritime boundaries, responsibility for decommissioning redundant off-shore facilities, pensions and currency. It finished up stating: "Future generations may revere this generation of Scots for the huge sacrifices they made for their independence. But nobody ever said building a new country would be easy".
Read the full article at The Times (subscription): ‘Ten years to work out laws, treaties and negotiations’.
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