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Scotland's Deputy First Minister has accused the UK Government of trying to bully her country into voting against independence by refusing to let them keep the pound.

Nicola Sturgeon said reports that Chancellor George Osborne would reject any deal that would allow Scotland to leave the UK and continue a currency union were a campaign tactic ahead of September's independence referendum.

The Tory Chancellor has already said it is "unlikely" that the rest of the UK would agree to a currency union.

A report last year from the Treasury said: "In the event of Scottish independence, the economic rationale for the continuing UK to enter a formal sterling union with another state is not clear."

It is now being reported Mr Osborne will go further than that and rule out any such arrangement if there is a Yes vote in the referendum.

It comes after David Cameron said yesterday that Mr Osborne would be "discussing this later in the week".

The Prime Minister said it "would be very difficult to justify a currency union post-independence" and added: "I think it's important we set out these arguments in a very clear and rational way.

"It's a very important issue for people in Scotland to understand that this is an argument we are going to make on the basis of economic evidence and advice, not on any a priori views."

Ms Sturgeon hit back at claims that Mr Osborne, his Labour shadow Ed Balls and Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander are all set to rule out a currency union with an independent Scotland.

"People won't take kindly on the Westminster establishment ganging up to bully Scotland in the decision we're being asked to take on the referendum," the Deputy First Minister told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme.

She claimed this showed the "Westminster establishment trying to gang up on Scotland because they see it in the polls that they are losing the argument" over Scotland's future.

Ms Sturgeon also said it would be "absurd" for UK politicians to reject a currency union, saying this stance would damage businesses south of the border and impact on UK debt levels.

The Scottish Government has set out plans to retain the pound if people vote for independence, creating a "sterling zone" with the rest of the UK.

Ms Sturgeon said today that ruling out a deal on currency would be "an absurd position for any Westminster government to be in", adding: "This is a position that makes no sense. It is a tactical position for the purposes of a campaign in which their whole approach is to stir up fear and uncertainty.

"We have set out a reasonable case that we, Scotland, should continue to use our pound, because it is our pound as much as anybody else's.

"For all of the reasons I have set out, the position that a UK government would turn its back on a currency union doesn't bear scrutiny. It would be a move that would be completely against the interests not just of Scotland but the rest of the UK.

"It's a campaign manoeuvre, it's posturing, it's a tactic, and what they say now on currency will be very different to what they say after Scotland votes Yes."

Mr Cameron's official spokesman confirmed that the Chancellor will make a speech on the independence debate tomorrow, but declined to say whether Mr Osborne would rule out the possibility of currency union.

Asked whether the official policy was shifting to a position that Scotland would not be able to keep the pound, the PM's spokesman said: "The position is as the Government has been setting out in terms of the analysis paper that's been previously published."

Responding to Ms Sturgeon's complaints of bullying, Mr Cameron's spokesman told a daily Westminster media briefing: "It is not the first time I have found the Scottish Government's approach rather puzzling. I doubt it will be the last between now and September.

"It is the Scottish Government that wants to leave the United Kingdom. What the Prime Minister and others are doing is making - and will continue to make - the strong positive case why we are better together."