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Plan to make Scottish banknotes Legal

by mudricky | January 21, 2009 at 04:45 am

1223 views | 44 Recommendations | 12 comments

Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell is attempting to make Scottish banknotes legal in England and Wales.

Right now people can refuse to accept them.

Scottish banknotes are strange, they do not have legal status anywhere in the UK and if the bill is passed they will become legal in England and Wales but still not be legal in Scotland.

Scottish banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank all issue Scottish banknotes.

Click here to see a similar story from me writing about the legal staus in the comments section

An attempt is to be made at Westminster to make it legally binding for shops and businesses in England to accept Scottish banknotes.

At the moment traders south of the border can refuse to take such notes.

A private member's bill is being launched in the Commons by Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell.

It would require all providers of goods or services in the UK which accept Bank of England notes to take Scottish banknotes on an equal basis.

In Scotland, three banks retain the right to print their own money - the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank.

These banknotes are not backed by the force of law anywhere in the UK.

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Amy Judd

at 10:35 on January 21st, 2009

It does seem so silly as Scotland is part of the United Kingdom - they are rather pretty as well.

Sarathine

at 12:38 on January 21st, 2009

Scottish banknotes are definitely prettier. I back this.

downwithgod777

at 22:49 on January 21st, 2009

downwithgod777 has contributed a photo to this story.

Dave Keating

at 00:44 on January 22nd, 2009

interesting news! I once had a shopkeeper refuse to take a Scottish note

mudricky

at 01:41 on January 22nd, 2009

I normally get a look of disgust. :)

It's only Manchester where I've never been knocked back for using Scottish cash.

aberdeen_sandra

at 02:43 on January 22nd, 2009

Discrimination at its worst, after all legal tender is legal tender. It doesn't just affect us Scots when we go south, it gives visitors a headache trying to off-load the notes before they go home!

Darky1564 (not verified)

at 10:52 on April 2nd, 2009

You have just missed the point - they are NOT legal tender!

smallmanl

at 03:14 on January 22nd, 2009

Can't we just eject Scotland from the Union, and they can keep their blasted notes?

Mark Bermingham

at 14:01 on January 25th, 2009

Scottish notes are a part of Scotland's unique appeal to both its residents and visitors. Given the unique banking climate we are currently living in where the Westminster Government "owns" a significant proportion of a number of Scottish banks and hence shares the responsibility for their production it now seems illogical that they are not fully recognised in all parts of the Union as legal tender.

Mark Bermingham has contributed a photo to this story.

Prestwick

at 10:32 on February 2nd, 2009

This is a photo of when I first went to Scotland for University and set eyes on Scottish bank notes. They were a constant source of frustration when I came back home to England because I'd end up having arguments with London Underground who were loathe to take them!

Prestwick has contributed a photo to this story.