Since the figures always record a huge deficit for Scotland and substantially higher public spending per head than England, critics of independence like to rub their opponents’ noses in Gers. Touting the publication, the Scotland Office said the fact that Scots receive £2,720 more in public spending per capita than the UK average ‘demonstrates the direct financial benefits for people in Scotland of being part of a strong United Kingdom’. Should, for instance, a future Reform government decide to equalise public spending per head across the UK, or redraw it in such a way that it favoured Yorkshire and Manchester over Scotland and Northern Ireland, what would remain of the arguments for unity?