i-GERS: The Report to End the Union’s Biggest Economic Lie

By Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp

The GERS report simply demonstrates the damage the Union does to Scotland's economy. Our proposal, i-GERS, will demonstrate the brighter future independence brings. Let's flip the numbers in Scotland’s favour.

GERS is not Scotland’s balance sheet - it is an accounting statement of the damage done to our economy by Westminster.

Every year, the Unionist press weaponises the GERS figures to claim Scotland is too poor, too dependent, or too small to stand on its own two feet. However, that narrative is built on distortion and denial. The GERS report states clearly that it does not indicate the potential finances of an independent Scotland but truth never stopped a convenient unionist lie. It’s time to flip GERS on its head and replace the false narrative of Scotland’s supposed economic weakness with the true picture - Scotland is already a wealthy nation. 

That’s where i-GERS comes in, a new, independent, forward-looking set of national accounts showing Scotland’s finances as they would be in an independent country. It’s time we stopped handing our opponents their only economic weapon and started shaping Scotland’s future economic story ourselves, showing what more we could achieve through independence and a Wellbeing Economic Approach.

An annual act of economic self-sabotage

Let’s be honest: GERS Day has become an annual act of economic self-sabotage. Every August, the Scottish Government publishes figures that absolutely do not represent the finances of an independent Scotland, and the Unionist media immediately misrepresent them as proof that Scotland couldn’t afford self determination. 

GERS, in short, demonstrates the mess the UK has made of Scotland’s economy and yet how resilient to mismanagement Scotland's economy has in fact been. Yet every year the Scottish Government produces GERS and hands this gift to those that don't believe in Scotland, those who just want to keep Scotland down. This must stop. 

Why scrapping GERS isn’t an option

Many within the independence movement argue that the Scottish Government should stop publishing GERS altogether. I understand that frustration. But if Holyrood stopped producing it, Westminster would simply publish its own version through the Scotland Office – a report that would be even more distorted and one-sided. It’s also not enough just to say it's crap - that only works within the social media indy bubble. Undecided voters need a more strategic visionary approach to help them believe.

So instead of ditching GERS, we need to contextualise it and counterbalance it. That’s where i-GERS: Independent (Scotland) Government Expenditure and Revenue Statement comes in.

Alongside i-GERS, we could publish two other complementary reports:

1. S-GER – A clear report on the Scottish Government’s devolved revenues and expenditures, showing the sound management of Scotland’s (balanced) public finances under current limited spending and borrowing powers.
2. UK-GERS – The existing GERS data reframed to highlight that these are the UK’s accounts applied to Scotland, demonstrating how Westminster’s mismanagement inflates the supposed Scottish “deficit.”
3. i-GERS – A forward-looking report showing how an independent Scotland, with full powers over taxation, spending and investment, would perform whilst utilising a Wellbeing Economic Approach.

Publish all three together, and suddenly the economic debate changes completely. The context is clear. The illusion of Scotland’s supposed weakness disappears.

The Wellbeing Economic Approach – the foundation of i-GERS and an independent Scotland’s bright economic future

Independence isn’t just about constitutional change; it’s about economic transformation. The Wellbeing Economic Approach: already championed by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Greens, and Believe in Scotland, provides the framework for a stronger, fairer economy.

It replaces the old “growth at all costs” model with one focused on quality of life, sustainability, equality and long-term prosperity. It’s about measuring success not just in GDP, but in secure jobs, healthy communities, affordable energy, and a thriving environment.

An i-GERS report built around these principles wouldn’t just show different numbers, it would show a different future. It would prove that independence isn’t a leap into the unknown but a step towards a fairer, better-run economy.

Exposing the Union’s last economic weapon

Let’s not kid ourselves: The UK is slowly self-destructing. Westminster politicians don't want to agree to a second referendum because they know it's already lost and they have only one argument left that still lands with the public - the so-called “economic case” for the Union. But it’s based entirely on the current GERS format. The Scottish Government has to keep publishing a GERS report (as explained above), but redesign it into our three reports to change the context and their economic fearmongering collapses into dust.

By creating and promoting i-GERS, we can destroy the credibility of that argument. We can show clearly that:

• The “Scottish deficit” is largely a product of Westminster’s decisions.
• An independent Scotland would have a stronger fiscal position, thanks to control over energy, exports, and taxation.
• A Wellbeing Economic model would deliver better outcomes for people and communities than the current UK economic system.

In short, i-GERS doesn’t just correct the numbers – it reframes the entire conversation. It tells the truth about Scotland’s economy and restores confidence in our ability to govern ourselves.

From self-doubt to self-belief

We need to move the national conversation from deficit and dependency to confidence and capability. Scotland isn’t too small or too poor – it’s too rich in resources, talent, and ambition to keep being held back.

Publishing i-GERS would be a bold act of national self-belief. It would prove that Scotland’s economic story doesn’t belong to Westminster or the London media - that it belongs to us. And it would show that with independence, we can design an economy that serves people and planet, and isn't a slave to profiteering and privilege.

Let’s flip the numbers and flip the narrative

The time has come to end the annual ritual of self-defeat. GERS is the Union’s only economic weapon, and the Scottish Government hands it to them every year. However, by demanding the i-GERS approach we will create a true, independent picture of Scotland’s finances, we can transform that unionist weapon into a tool for liberation.

If you believe Scotland deserves an honest balance sheet and a better future, support our crowdfunder today. Every contribution helps us fund research, challenge myths, and spread the facts that can win independence.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp is the Chief Executive of Business for Scotland and the founder of the Believe in Scotland campaign.

This is the moment to relight the fire for Scottish independence but we need your help to do it: https://www.believeinscotland.org/crowdfunder2025