The economics (and financial cost) of Scottish independence: with Prof. Sir John Curtice (Strathclyde), Prof. Sir John Kay and Prof. Jim Gallagher (Glasgow/St Andrews)

Why you should watch: Post-Brexit, support for independence in Scotland has notched up to around 50%, and the SNP's strong showing in the recent Holyrood elections must tempt Nicola Sturgeon to press for Indyref2 - whatever Westminster might think. But, as she recently admitted to Andrew Marr, the SNP hasn't done any up-to-date work on the cost of independence - or on the key economic and financial issues. These include fiscal policy (the deficit has clearly gone through the roof during Covid, but what is the underlying position?), the currency, financial regulation, trade, industrial policy and the feasibility of rejoining the EU post-independence. Keeping the debate fluffy and focused on identity may be good politics, but it is important that voters should be better informed if they are to take such a momentous decision.

Moderators: Andrew Hilton (Director, CSFI) & Jane Fuller (Co-director, CSFI)

Panellists:

Sir John Curtice is Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, and a senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research. He is also a member of the IPPR's Policy Advisory Council, and is a well-known commentator on electoral behaviour.

Sir John Kay is a Fellow of St John's College, Oxford, and a prolific author - most recently (with Paul Collier) of 'Greed is Dead'. He was a columnist at the FT for 20 years, and is one of the UK's leading economic commentators. He is a former professor at the London Business School, a former director of the IFS and of the Said Business School, and the founder of London Economics. He was also the author of an important report on UK equity markets.

Jim Gallagher is a Visiting Professor at Glasgow University's School of Law and an Honorary Professor at St Andrews. He was, for many years, a senior civil servant - head of the Scottish Justice Department, private secretary to two Secretaries of State for Scotland, and adviser to Gordon Brown on constitutional and devolution issues.

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Produced/Edited by Alex Treptow