Quote Originally Posted by Col
Had a quick look http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publicati.../06/22160331/0 and even with allocating geographic revenue share of oil the Jocks would be in deficit by £3 billion their report concludes. It is possible for them to massively reduce defence spend to offset lost U.K. finance contribution.

A total of about £55 billion is the revenue in 2009 but there is a decline in recent years. Oil price increase does equate to quite a dramatic revenue rise and this offsets on land revenue reduction.

Expenditure/head looks to be about 11.5% higher than U.K. average and this would have to be reduced.

In conclusion without North Sea revenue the Jocks will be fooooookin skint ;D and would be another future bail out bandit for the EU.

Problem with Salmond is he cannot see this although he has achieved much in his role as Premier Big Gob....where's all the pies weee Alex :-*

Is the pub open ????? ;D
Col, although the devolved government in Holyrood has the power to prioritise spending it is in effect administrators of the ‘Block grant’ allocated by the treasury at Westminster. The Scottish government has to manage the economy at present within the restraints of the devolved agreement. If Scotland broke free from the shackles of Westminster it is unlikely that the independent government would adopt right wing fiscal policies similar to that of the current UK government. The taxation system etc etc would probably change (for better or worse?) and therefore it is wrong to assume that growth, investment etc (increase or reduce?) would remain the same as it is now.

I know it’s completely different circumstances, but before apartheid was abolished in South Africa, the white rulers of the day peddled the same economic scaremongering. I personally believe that the battle for Scottish independence will be won or lost first and foremost on ideological grounds and not on the economic arguments.

As a matter of interest, of the 69 Scottish constituencies represented at Westminster, Labour occupy 41 seats and the Tories 1. No wonder Labour are ‘Quaking in their boots’ at this historic SNP result. In electoral terms they have a lot to lose, but in contrast, the Tories would be the big winners if independence came to fruition.

Hopefully see you Wednesday night as long as Alex Salmond aint ate all dem lovely burgers.
;D