Salmond likens Osborne to Thatcher in sterling row

Scotland "gives a lot" to the UK and voters value "the success" of the union, the Shadow Secretary for Scotland has told Daybreak.

"The welfare state, we have built together - I think that benefits a lot of people and I think that really is where opinion is starting to settle in Scotland.

"Big debates still to be had, not complacent in any of that at all. It is a big, big decision.

"But I think it is the fundamental issues of our standards of living. If you can't tell us what kind of currency we are going to have, I think Alex Salmond is asking us to back a very, very bad idea."

Read: Salmond mocks Osborne's 'Sermon on the Pound'

Alex Salmond has hit out at George Osborne's warning that an independent Scotland could not share currency with the rest of the UK - comparing it to an infamous speech by Margaret Thatcher.

The Scottish first minister said Osborne had made a "monumental error" with what he called a "Sermon on the Pound".

The 'Sermon on the Mound' was the time Margaret Thatcher went up and gave a speech to some extent talking about the theoretical underpinning to her ideas and a lot of Scots, particularly in the Church, took great exception to it.

Really what Alex Salmond was saying was that Scotland is different and has been different since those days - that it is a modern social democratic country and really ought to rule itself.

There are those who say that Scotland couldn't survive economically. He said that is ridiculous, and he is probably right - of course it could.

Read: Salmond likens Osborne to Thatcher in sterling row

Where he was weak tonight is on the currency. He is right to say that in the event of independence, politicans in London would be wanting a currency union in theory.

But it would be on quite strict terms and Salmond is left in the position of is saying: "Westminster wouldn't be in a position to dictate [to] us, they would want the currency union".

That, of course, will not be his call.

On that, and to some extent on Europe, he is not facing up to the weaknesses of his position.

But he would say that his opponents are not facing up to the reality that Scotland could perfectly well go it alone.

Alex Salmond has compared George Osborne’s warnings over Scottish independence with Margaret Thatcher’s infamous “sermon on the mound” to Scottish Christians 25 years ago.

In her 1988 speech in Edinburgh, Thatcher was seen as using her religious convictions to justify policies to a part of the UK that largely rejected them.

The Scottish first minister said the chancellor’s decision to rule out a currency share with an independent Scotland would equally be seen as a "monumental error" in the run up to September’s referendum.

In the Westminster lecture, hosted by the New Statesman, Salmond also criticised the UK government’s “Dambusters strategy”, with the prime minister appealing for Scots to remain in the union while Osborne warned they would lose the pound.

"We were love-bombed from a distance by David Cameron, then dive-bombed at close range by George Osborne,” he said.

The Chancellor's decision to rule out sharing currency with an independent Scotland will prove to be a "monumental error", First Minister Alex Salmond will declare.

Mr Salmond is expected to say in a lecture tonight: "In the last three weeks people in Scotland have seen an array of approaches from the UK Government - what they apparently call their 'Dambusters' strategy.

"We were love-bombed from a distance by David Cameron, then dive-bombed at close range by George Osborne.

"Scotland will not be a foreign country after independence, any more than Ireland, Northern Ireland, England or Wales could ever be foreign countries to Scotland".

Read: Alex Salmond tells ITV News' Martin Geissler he is not prepared for a 'No' vote

Alex Salmond has dismissed an STV poll that shows only 32% of the Scottish public currently intend to vote for independence.

Speaking to ITV News' Martin Giessler, the Scottish first minister said individual polls are limited and that the "ground is moving" in favour of the 'Yes' campaign.

Scotland remains unlikely to vote in favour of independence in September's referendum, a new poll has suggested.

The survey by Ipsos Mori for STV News found 57% saying they would vote 'No', compared to 32% voting in favour of secession and 11% who are still undecided.

STV's polling indicated little change in the last three months.

There was some hope for independence campaigners, though: the poll results indicated those currently undecided would be more inclined to a 'Yes' vote come decision day on 18 September.