Scotland is sitting on a gold mine.

The Scottish National Party wants Scottish oil to help the Scottish people.

In The Herald letters column, 20 May 2008, Scotland’s missing oil revenues ) Alex Orr writes:

"The call by the SNP government for control over North Sea oil and gas revenues, investing these for the future wealth and success of our nation, ties in nicely with the independent report recently published by Grant Thornton (May 19).

"This indicates that an independent Scotland would have a £4.4bn budget surplus (at a conservative estimate), making it the third richest nation in the European Union in terms of wealth per head.

"Scotland is sitting on a gold mine and this situation can only improve, with the price of oil more than doubling since 2005 to $120 a barrel and many oil analysts believing the cost will rise soon to $150 a barrel and could reach $200 a barrel by 2010.

"It is economic lunacy for us to continue a situation which binds us to a UK economy that is effectively bust, and where Westminster's financial black hole is being filled with Scotland's oil.

"After generations of sending North Sea revenues to Westminster, it is vital that Scotland has access to, and benefits from, our own resources.

"It cannot be right that we have fuel poverty and soaring road fuel prices amid this energy plenty, and the transfer of oil and gas resources to the Scottish Parliament, so that we can invest in Scotland's long-term economic interests, is simple common sense."

Nigel Dewar Gibb writes:

"No Scottish politician (meaning Labour, Conservative, Liberal) has ever seen fit to apologise for the shocking misuse of North Sea oil revenue when seeking re-election.

"Instead of helping Scotland's population, as was their responsibility and, indeed, our right, it was used initially to pay off the UK's debts, then unemployment costs during the Thatcher era and now to fund an illegal war.

"Perhaps more disgracefully, many senior Scottish Cabinet Ministers (Labour, Conservative) actually colluded in the deception of their own people by pretending that the oil "boom" would be short-lived and not worth much at all.

"All strength to John Swinney (Scottish National Party) in his attempt to have a meeting with the Chancellor, Alistair Darling (Labour), to discuss this matter now in the light of the ever-increasing oil price and its benefits to Westminster.

"Should he be unsuccessful in the outcome, I trust his Edinburgh constituents will take note of this situation come the next Westminster election."

According to : http://www.freescotland.com/virtind.html:

"In 1999, after an absence of 292 years, Scotland regained her Parliament. It has very limited powers and responsibilities, with major policy (taxation, economy, transport, defence, foreign policy, broadcasting) still decided by Westminster - but it is a Parliament nonetheless."

Scotland now needs independence.

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Countries with oil often get cheated of their wealth.

On 30 march 1977, London government minister Edmund Dell wrote a briefing document for the UK Cabinet about North Sea oil. (Salmond claims ‘proof of oil cash deceit’)

This document has now been made public under the 30-year rule.

Dell stated:

"The great majority of the profit (from North sea oil) would accrue to Scotland, and would represent almost a doubling of the Scottish GDP."

Jim Callaghan's Labour Cabinet in London decided to create a specific region called the UK Continental Shelf to hide the fact that most of the oil revenues should go to Scotland.

Scotland's First minister Alex Salmond says this is "proof positive of Westminster deceit" over Scotland's oil wealth."

Salmond continued: "As recent official figures show, an independent Scotland would move up the EU league table from 10th to 3rd in wealth per head, with our North Sea oil and gas resources included in Scotland's accounts.

"This is the reality that the London-based parties have been desperate to suppress for decades, but the truth is now out."

Salmond said that with oil prices at a record high, and huge reserves remaining, we must "make sure that Scottish control and opportunity replace the Westminster chicanery of yesteryear".

Salmond pointed to Norway's Oil Fund which is now worth £177bn, securing the benefits of their oil wealth "virtually for ever".

Salmond added: "If we are to enjoy the same benefits from our oil as Norway, then we must make our own future as an independent nation, and learn the lessons of Westminster's deceit."

The top three nations in terms of Gross Domestic Product per capita could be Luxembourg, Ireland and Scotland.


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