English oppose 'sharing pound' with independent Scotland

A majority of English people oppose Scotland continuing to use the pound if it votes to become independent in next month's referendum, a survey showed on Wednesday. The question of whether Scotland could keep the pound if it leaves the United Kingdom has become a defining issue in the debate ahead of the vote on September 18. First Minister Alex Salmond and his Scottish National Party (SNP) insist Scotland should have a formal, euro-style monetary union with what would remain of the United Kingdom - England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But the three main British parties reject any such arrangement. And 53 percent of respondents to a Future of England survey disagreed with Scotland keeping the pound if it goes it alone. Only 23 percent agreed that Scotland should continue to use the pound if it votes to quit the union. "It is not surprising that the majority of people in England do not support a currency union," said Jackie Baillie, a member of the Scottish parliament from the pro-union Labour opposition party. "It wouldn't work for Scotland or the rest of the UK. For us in Scotland it would mean handing over control of our economy to what would then be a foreign country."
SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon claimed an overwhelming majority of Scots believe the pound would belong to an independent Scotland just as much as the rest of the UK. "And they are right, because the pound is Scotland's currency too," she said. Salmond has said an independent Scotland would not take on its share of the UK's national debt if it could not have a formal currency union.
After a "Yes" vote for Scottish independence, London would "drop the bluff, bluster and bullying" and agree a currency union as it would be in its own interests, Sturgeon said. Alternative options that have been discussed are a new Scottish currency, continuing to use the pound unilaterally as some countries use the US dollar, or eventually joining the euro. Polls suggest the pro-independence campaign has gained support in recent weeks, though the "No" campaign retains a strong lead.