All these proposals have been rejected by the Soviet Government, who prefer instead to manufacture an Artificial Crisis for the purpose of gaining their own ends.

I began by saying that there is some doubt as to whether the crisis from which Britain in general and Scotland in particular are suffering is a genuine or Artificial Crisis.

I do not accuse the Prime Minister of manufacturing an Artificial Crisis.

Linked with that is the equally Artificial Crisis measure of quantitative easing, or “underfunding”, as it was known in my day.