‘Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond says a recent attack by the British government on the currency of an independent Scotland has backfired north of the border.

Addressing business leaders in the Scottish city of Aberdeen on Monday, Salmond said attempts to dictate the terms of the debate is damaging the democratic process of a planned independence referendum later this year.

“Phone-ins, newspaper polls taken after the chancellor’s [George Osborne] statement indicated his diktat had backfired badly,” he said.

Last week, Osborne ruled out the possibility of a currency union with the rest of the UK if Scots vote for independence in the upcoming referendum.’

Read more: UK’s stance on currency union backfired: Scotland