ALEX Salmond will tell an audience in London tonight that independence is the key to Scotland's future economic growth.
In a speech at the London School of Economics, the First Minister will claim that Scotland would thrive economically post-independence, with full fiscal control resting in Edinburgh rather than Westminster.
He's expected to tell a 400-strong audience that responsibility for taxation would allow the Scottish Government to support specific economic sectors, provide greater control over investment in the energy sector and enable borrowing powers to stimulate capital investment.
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He will also say that control of corporation tax would act as a lever to encourage investment and support extra jobs, air passenger duty would be used to encourage more direct routes, stimulating tourism, and that responsibility for monetary policies would give the Scottish Government the ability to reflect social spending.
Mr Salmond is expected to say: "Full responsibility for fiscal policy, while remaining within a common Sterling currency area, will give Scotland the maximum degree of flexibility and control of the key financial levers we need to take the decisions best suited to our own economic interests.
"Scotland is not immune from current global economic challenges. But once we are equipped with the same powers that independent countries around the world take for granted we will be very well placed to thrive economically in the years to come."
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