Tesco: prices wouldn't be 16% higher in an independent Scotland

According to a leaflet distributed to households in Scotland by the Better Together campaign, Scotland could face higher food bills in the event of independence. This, they claim, is because leaving the UK would mean supermarkets could no longer spread higher transport and distribution costs across all UK consumers.

To illustrate this point, the campaign published a factsheet showing a 'random basket of shopping' to be 16% more expensive in Tesco Ireland than the same basket in Tesco UK and suggested the situation would be similar for Scots post-independence: 'you don't need to look far to see how much more expensive things could be'.

Even though the Better Together literature does not state that Tesco prices will definitely rise by any specific amount if Scotland leaves the UK, the supermarket has nevertheless said that they have no plans for a 16% rise in bills in the event of a Yes vote, and any suggestion that they would: "is not true". That is according to an email from a Tesco Customer Service representative made public on Twitter and confirmed as genuine by Tesco's press office.

So, while it is true that prices could increase post-independence, Tesco say "this is entirely speculative".