Posted by Davetherave on Tuesday, 16 January 2007 22:36:24

Scots do get more money spent per head of population than England and thats the way it should be. Scotland has the worst health record in the Europe and has acquired the shameful nickname "sick man of Europe" - clearly with a less healthy population demonstrated by the scandalous cancer and heart disease rates more money needs to be spent on the NHS there, targetted where the major problems are. Couple that with the most deprived drug-ridden areas in the whole of the UK, like Easterhouse that IDS visited, and the unique geographical obstacles to providing public services in the Highlands that just ain't experience in the SE its clear that more money will be spent in Scotland and quite right it is too.

However, Im sure you agree that public money should be targetted where it is needed most, it appears from your post that its just the fact that its going North of the border that irks you. But come on! More money is spent per head on folks in the North of England than the SE again for the same reasons - all tax revenue gets targetted, is dispersed strategically and thats only right.

Would it matter if the whole bleeding cabinet was Scottish? If so why? Scots are every bit as much British as English folk. If your are smart and work hard you are entitled to reap the benefits of that - meritocracy. So If Scots work hard and are successful they are just as entitled to run the British government as the English, Welsh or Northern Irish. It wouldn't bother me one bit if the whole cabinet was from Islington just as long as they did a decent job. Lets concentrate on what unites us, not this narrow separatist view that only divides and weakens us as a people.

By the way, if you take in to consideration the Scottish oil revenues that go straight to London, Scotland contributes more to the UK economy than it gets back.

Heres to the next 300 years of successful union!

Posted by Stjimmy on Wednesday, 17 January 2007 10:51:13

Ok if this question gets answered, then answer this as well.

When are England going to give Scotland every penny back that they took from OUR Oil Industry, i would really like to know how much of our money you have!

Posted by PJP40 on Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:02:57

'When are England going to give Scotland every penny back that they took from OUR Oil Industry, i would really like to know how much of our money you have!'

Ever heard of the Barnett formula? Scotland already makes money from England with the oil revenue included. Anyway huge subsidies are given to the oil companies to drill the oil, from the British tax payer, 90% of which are English.

Posted by Davetherave on Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:31:35

Its about time the party started living up to its name - The Conservative and Unionist party. Our party should have no place for such narrow-minded people who merely want to separate the UK because it dislikes people of a certain nationality within it. We need to challenge the nasty image of the party here in Scotland and it doesn't help having English Conservative MP's attacking the Union and generally being disparaging about Scots - it annoys me and I'm a Tory, so you can imagine how easily it alienates other Scots, especially floating voters. Its the UK Conservative Party not just the English one and it should embrace this fact.

Posted by PJP40 on Sunday, 21 January 2007 15:32:54

Davesubsea,

You have pointed out how expensive it is to run the oil industry...and as i pointed out, almost all of the subsidies given to the drilling of oil comes from England. Does your argument not just prove my point? That the cost of drilling the oil is so expensive that Scotland needs England to help pay for it? If that was not your point, what is it?!

Posted by Rueben on Sunday, 21 January 2007 15:54:24

Scottish oil is running out anyway and as many in the industry will know it has transpired that just short of 1billion barrels of oil is sitting below Dorset the same seam of shale that runs up to the North Sea, so this will shortly become good news for England im sure.

The reason Scottish petrol is dear is simple. In order for Oil to become petrol it has to be refined in England and have octane added the octane can only be added in 2 facilites worldwide being Ellesmere Port England and Texas USA.

Posted by Rueben on Sunday, 21 January 2007 16:46:27

Also England has its own Oil Fields in the North Sea such as the Viking Fileds. In fact English Oil fields are growing it is the Scottish fields that are in decline once this happens Scotland has no other natural resources to rely on except rock and heather. Scotland will always rely on England for its survival.

Posted by physics911comfan on Sunday, 21 January 2007 17:48:26

the north sea oil feilds peaked in 1999/2000 since then GB has been a net importer of oil.new discoveries are just small pockets that will make little or no differance with the big picture.globally we burn 1000 barrels per second.It seems that devolution has benefited the scots and good for them.prehaps if we had an english parliament it would benefit us .stranger things have happened

Posted by PJP40 on Sunday, 21 January 2007 18:03:28

Dave,

Where do you find out these facts from? (I ask that genuinley as i want to use some of them, sorry if it sounds nasty!) Website anywhere?

PJP

Posted by WilliamWallace83 on Wednesday, 07 March 2007 18:46:21

England has been ripping Scotland off for years, and there is only so much the Scottish people will tolerate from this. Scotland pumps in £12 billion a year from North sea oil revenues alone, but only recieves £8 billion in return from the Barnett Formula. There is a common misconception that the the oil is running out, which is false. 65% of the oil is still there, its just getting more difficult to extract. Let us not forget about Scotch Whiskies, which are another multi-billion £ industry sold all over the globe, which revenues are also taken by England and spent in England. Almost every major industry in Scotland except for tourism has to surrender its revenues to the British treasury in London. This is not acceptable any longer, and Scotland must become independent for its own good. Scotland is the naturaly wealthiest nation in north western Europe, but all our resources are taken to support an over-crowded England, which does not have the resources to sustain its self properly.

Scotland has a major advantage in that its population is only 5 million. Our resources and industries are more than enough to sustain this number and United Nations economists have projected an independent Scotland to be the worlds 5th richest nation while England falls to below the 20th richest. Should Scotland vote for independence England will not recover in our life time as it will lose countless billions from Scottish industries, and it will lose a portion of the army, navy and airforce. Since the British navy's most advanced war ships are built on the river Clyde, some people would argue this would entitle Scotland to claim the newest and most advanced vessels in the navy.

Most people in England seem to think it is acceptable for Britians wealth to be spent in London and southern England. Scotland does not generally recognise its self as British and therefore does not accept London as the hub of the UK economy.

English politicians are responsible for making Britain the land of high taxes and giving us the name of "Rip Off Britain". Britain is currently a difficult and expensive place to live, so you can just imagine how much more difficult life will be for people in England if Scotland does vote for independence.

England has not treated Scotland as an equall partner in the Union, and the Scottish people have been subject to insults and racism from England over a long period of time. When Scotland refuses to support England in football as we saw during the world cup last year, racism towards the Scots is plainly visible. Im sure anyone who has visited the Andy Murray website will see just how England behaves when other British nations try to assert their own national identity, which is not English.

The Conservative party are very much opposed to a Scottish prime minister, but they greatly fear Scottish independence because they know the damage it will cause to the English economy.

The Union between Scotland and England is finished, and i care very little that England will suffer economically without Scottish resources. Its time we go seperate ways so Scotland can become the rich nation it should be, and England can learn a painfull lesson it should have learned a long time ago.