Scottish independence: Carney says Bank of England has contingency plan if Scots vote yes
Tha Bank of England is ready for the consequences of a Scottish yes vote and will not abandon the nation, its governor Mark Carney has said.
Scottish first minister (and figurehead of the "Yes" campaign), Alex Salmond, has shown his determination to stick with the pound, despite the three main Westminster parties indicating they would refuse to sign such an agreement.
There have been fears that capital would be moved south of the border if Scots were to vote for independence, and Carney's comments will have helped to relieve such worries. The governor emphasised that the Bank would continue to stand behind Scotland until any transition had been completed.
Using the pound without an agreement would leave Scotland without a lender of last resort, leading to fears of instability. Analysts are split as to weather the fears are well founded, but Panama and Ecuador have both survived long-term usage of the US dollar.