Interesting article in the Guardian...
Tax revenues from Scotland almost match the country's £49.2bn a year public spending - although only if all North Sea oil and gas revenues are attributed to Edinburgh, a controversial allocation.
I've been waiting for the North Sea Oil issue to come to the fore.
A couple of problems I have with it...
1) Scotland does not own ALL the North Sea oil as things currently stand. Some of it is in English waters. So why should calculations be done based on it claiming England's oil?
2) Controversy persists about a claimed "tweaking" of the maritime border between England and Scotland in the 1960s, the border being altered in Scotland's favour. The English were not consulted. Concerns about this issue must be addressed.
3) UK resources should be shared UK-wide. Subsidies should be paid to needy localities, NOT whole nations and there is no justification for the current system of health and higher education apartheid.
4) If the UK Government gives Scotland English oil revenue, is that fair? And what happens when the oil runs out? Do we have Scots claiming that the dastardly English deceived them, fobbed them off with the revenue, then left them sitting on the cold hard ground?
In my view, the best answer is to end the UK. Pure and simple.
Unfortunately, the Scottish Raj, sheep-like English MPs and undemocratic die-hard Unionists are determined that this should NEVER happen, no matter what the people want.
Is Meikle scottish?
ReplyDeleteI've read of this "border tweaking" on Wonko's World. Don't know if it's true or not - the UK Government certainly isn't saying. What IS true is that as things stand today MOST of the North Sea gas and about 10% of the oil is in English waters. There is also talk of the Orkney Islands claiming the majority of "Scots" oil when they declare independence. Apparently many folks out there do not regard themselves, or their land, as "Scots".
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