Currency ... one example of its many parts, all need discussed!

Let me say this first, maybe what a Scottish currency is called won't be the Scottish "Hand", maybe it won't feature Rabbie Burns, maybe its design will be something entirely different, but what is critical, is that we have a starting point for the widest possible discussion on what the issue of "currency" entails. Please don't get hung up on that one issue - even if you think it is complete rubbish - it has a purpose to serve, which will I hope become clear. There are far more important issues to discuss.

Let me use just one example of why I believe the one word "currency" hides and disguises many of the elements that such a debate requires.

One of those helping me has posted a clip on the Facebook page of an extract from the meeting I attended at YesOrkney.  In it I raise the issue of an entity called VocaLink.

I submitted a report to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this year in response to their enquiry into Retail Banking, and in that report I raised the issue of  VocaLink.

Today, the CMA issued this Press Release:

 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/competition-concerns-over-mastercardvocalink-merger

What has any of this to do with "currency"?

This - the Scottish Government have now been given powers to institute a system for some limited Welfare payments - as matters stand any payments they make will go through VocaLink.

Is there an alternative?  Not today, but what if we started a "publicly owned Scottish payments system", not just to break away from the private monopoly that is VocaLink, but to form the platform upon which an independent Scotland could transact in its own currency?

Very recently we saw a debate open up on whether a publicly owned bid could be made for our rail system - might it be even more important that we have a debate on who owns and controls our money transmission system?

I won't comment further for now on this subject - but at the very least I hope it illustrates that a debate on "currency" is far wider than whether the current design of something called the Scottish "Hand" is correct or not.

PS: Early days ... and I need a meeting to set this up - but don't be surprised if the YES Bikers have a part to play in this!