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Janet

In article >,
says...
> What a wonderful one sided rant.

From your information it appears that the Scots should be grateful to
the English for looking after them.
>
> Scotland is a beautiful country with a rich history. Its independence, although fragmented,
until unification went back much further than the English.
>
> Regarding fiscal independence it is far from clear whether Scotland will thrive without being anchored to the UK. Many studies have been done with varied viewpoints. What is clear is that Scotland has been exploited for many years by Westminster. Before oil was discovered in the North Sea their was almost no investment in Scotland and the transportation system to the outer reaches was decimated. There is also a good argument that the oil was stolen from Scotland for
the support of the rest of the UK. If the model used in Alaska (where the state has control and income from the oil)
had been used in Scotland we would be arguing that Scotland couldn't
leave because of all the wealth they would be taking with them.

That is, of course, the reason Cameron is so terrified of a Yes vote.
It's extraordinary that anyone living in Scotland, can still be unaware
of the Crone report cover up.

"HEALEY ADMITS OIL TAX COVER-UP

The former Labour Chancellor, Denis Healey, has admitted his Government
played down the value of Scotland?s oil reserves in the 1970s because of
the threat of nationalism.

Now Lord Healey of Riddlesden, the Labour peer said tax receipts from
oil is the biggest factor behind Westminster opposition to both next
year?s and the 1979 independence referendum.

The 95-year-old also claimed the Westminster parties are ?worried stiff?
about Scots voting Yes in next year?s poll because of the valuable
income from the North Sea. Meanwhile he joined former Conservative
chancellor Nigel Lawson in backing a bid for the UK to quit the European
Union.

Lord Healey said the UK would ?suffer enormously? without the billions
of pounds of tax from North Sea oil. He said:

?I think they [Westminster politicians] are concerned about Scotland
taking the oil, I think they are worried stiff about it. I think we
would suffer enormously if the income from Scottish oil stopped but if
the Scots want it [independence], they should have it and we would just
need to adjust. But I would think Scotland could survive perfectly well,
economically, if it was independent. Yes, I would think so? with the
oil.?

In 1974 a leading Government economist, Professor Gavin McCrone, wrote a
report which stated that Scotland would have had ?embarrassingly? large
tax surpluses as a result of the North Sea oil boom. Lord Healey?s
Labour government decided to keep that document under wraps until it was
eventually released in 2005."

and that's apart from Scotland's rapid development as a world leader
in renewable energy generation.

Janet in Scotland.