No Gareth, it's true. The English have been subsidising us for over 200 years. If they withdraw the ongoing subsidy - remember oil revenue will soon cease to exist - I think Scotland could be in trouble. And I do not anticipate wholesale EU grants along the lines of those given to Ireland coming Scotland's way.
I wonder if these subsidises were before, after or during the period that the English threw us of our fertile land, so that they could stick their sheep on it. How nice of them to throw the highlanders some grain now and again so that they would not starve to death having lost their land.
Of course the oil will run out, but not for many decades, plenty of time to build a healthy sustainable economy.
I wonder if these subsThe Government spent £6,361 a head in England, compared with £8,216 in Northern Ireland, £7,597 in Scotland and £7,248 in Wales. Identifiable expenditure for England as a whole amounted to £318.6 billion, or 81 per cent of the British total, compared with £38.5 billion in Scotland (9.8 per cent), £21.4 billion in Wales (5.4 per cent) and £14 billion in Northern Ireland (3.6 per cent).
It’s interesting your figures mention Northern Ireland. Gosh look at that subsidy, if of course it is to be believed. Now what subsidy does the Republic of Ireland receive? Oh of course it doesn’t, it went independent. Who would have believed 30 years ago that Irelands economy would outstrip that of not only Northern Ireland, but Scotland as well. Of course nobody would have, you would be laughing, just as you laugth at the thought of your own country looking after it’s own affairs.
Of course going back to those figures, you notice that they exclude oil revenue. Why? That’s a massive distortion. Even assuming that taking into account the oil revenue will leave Scotland with a deficit, well the UK doesn’t have a deficit, oh wait a minute it has a multi-billion pound deficit. Yes governments borrow, governments run up debts, and Scotland in her first few years of independence will likely do the same.
True, I'm not so niave to believe everything I am told by the government, however there is the basic numbers issue. i.e. Are there enough Scots to draw tax from to pay for the running of an idependent Scotland? Oil / Gas won't last forever.
Look around you at some of the smaller nations in Europe, and in particular countries like Norway that have oil reserves. There is no reason whatsoever that Scotland cannot survive independent of England, and in fact it should flourish.
Just months ago Gordon Brown congratulated Macedonia on their newly gained independence, he wished them well, and suggested that Macedonia could have a bright economic future. Weeks later he tells Scotland that we have a basket case economy, and independence will lead to economic melt down and widespread poverty in Scotland. Is this guy for real? Hello?
No the oil won’t last forever. Scotland has decades of oil left to extract, and at current prices there is money to be made. Every oil economy in the world will eventually have to face up to a world without oil, so Scotland won’t be unquie in that matter.
What the oil gives us is a transition cushion. Nor is Scotland in the complete economic wilderness that Ireland was when it went independent. We have a proud industrial tradition, we have excellent schools, colleges and universities. We also have obvious opportunities to explore. If Scotland can lead the industrial revolution, why then can Scotland not lead the new energy market? At the moment the brakes are on, Scotland’s economic and technological ambitions are reined in, Scotland can never be allowed to be more successful than England as long as we remain within the Union.
I don't believe that it is sustainable for the English tax-payer to be expected to subsidise Norn Iron, Wales and Scotland indefinitely.rever
Well first of all they don’t. But with the government producing papers stating that they do, well exactly, English people will ask more and more, why are we subsidising these ungrateful Scots.
Political lies can always back fire. The thirty years rule is causing major problems for New Labour, as it’s plain to see we were fed lie after lie 30 years ago. These papers will come back to haunt the government time and time again in the next few months. The latest lies will create other new problems.
Another issue is, who exactly will decide when the Scot’s go independent? I would prefer that the Scots (those living and working in Scotland) decided our future. But talking of political lies, don’t be surprised if suddenly the Tory party launches an attack on Scotland weeks before the Scottish elections. The Tories are England’s natural party to rule. And indeed that is their only ideal, to rule and protect the establishment. At the moment they find themselves in the political wilderness. But they also know, dump Scotland, and automatically they are in power in England. Fearing they may never be in power again, and despite the dire economic consequences (which basically just means that England will have to give up it’s stupid posturing on the world stage) they may go for it, particularly as many believe that Scotland’s independence is only a matter of time. Better to take control of England before New Labour steals your underwear as well as your clothes!
Oh guns. We are talking about guns and cameras. Well Scotland’s independence will be great photographic opportunity (once I’ve recovered from the mother of all hangovers), I will be shooting away like crazy with my cameras. Guns, independence or no independence, hand guns will forever remain outlawed in Scotland. Anybody caught in possession of a hand gun will face a stiff custodial sentence. Such weapons have no place in a civilised society.
