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The SNP wants Scotland to have what other countries take for granted – the freedom to decide what kind of society we want to live in and how we want to interact with the world around us. In other words, normality.
As individuals, we value our own independence. We accept that it is entirely natural to make our own decisions, to earn and spend our own money, and to take responsibility for our own lives. Why should we settle for anything less for our country?
As a nation, we accept the independence of other countries as normal. We do not think it strange that the people of Norway and Denmark run their own affairs. We would not expect the people of Ireland or Sweden to ask another nation to take decisions for them because they didn’t feel up to the job. Why should the people of Scotland be any different?
Most of us also want our communities to have more independence. We want to have a greater say in deciding how our public services should be funded and delivered, we want to participate in decisions which affect the environment around us and we want to contribute more to the communities we live in. That too is normal - but it won't happen unless we start by taking control of our country and taking decisions for ourselves.
If you read the above you'd think that Scotland was an occupied nation rather than an overrepresented part of a democracy. Additionally, I don't see how the case made above is anymore relevant to Scottish Indepence than say, Yorkshire independence, Lancastrian independence, Cornish independence etc...
Anway, it's this bit that I'm more interested in:
Independence would give us full control of energy policy – and bring home Scotland’s share of North Sea oil and gas revenues.
More than 90 per cent of the UK’s oil revenues come from the Scottish sector of the Continental Shelf. So it really is Scotland’s oil.
Over the past thirty years over 35 billion barrels have been extracted from the UK sector of the North Sea, producing a cash windfall for the UK government of over £200 billion. There is plenty of potential left in the North Sea, with as much as half of the oil yet to come and new opportunities opening up for the oil industry to the north and west of Scotland.
As an independent country Scotland could follow the example of Norway and invest a share of our future oil revenues in a fund to benefit future generations. By investing just part of our oil wealth, Scotland could have an Oil Fund worth billions within a decade.
In addition to oil, we have vast renewable energy potential. Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe’s wind and tidal capacity and 10 per cent of its wave power. There are huge, untapped opportunities for offshore energy production and for clean carbon technologies like carbon capture. The SNP is determined to harness this potential and turn it into a successful and sustainable industry.
Oil and renewables - along with a set of pro-Scottish business policies – can help transform Scottish prospects over the next 30 years. They are far too important to be left to London. It is time to move on so Scotland’s precious natural resources can help fuel our nation’s future prosperity.
More than 90 per cent of the UK’s oil revenues come from the Scottish sector of the Continental Shelf. So it really is Scotland’s oil.
Over the past thirty years over 35 billion barrels have been extracted from the UK sector of the North Sea, producing a cash windfall for the UK government of over £200 billion. There is plenty of potential left in the North Sea, with as much as half of the oil yet to come and new opportunities opening up for the oil industry to the north and west of Scotland.
As an independent country Scotland could follow the example of Norway and invest a share of our future oil revenues in a fund to benefit future generations. By investing just part of our oil wealth, Scotland could have an Oil Fund worth billions within a decade.
In addition to oil, we have vast renewable energy potential. Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe’s wind and tidal capacity and 10 per cent of its wave power. There are huge, untapped opportunities for offshore energy production and for clean carbon technologies like carbon capture. The SNP is determined to harness this potential and turn it into a successful and sustainable industry.
Oil and renewables - along with a set of pro-Scottish business policies – can help transform Scottish prospects over the next 30 years. They are far too important to be left to London. It is time to move on so Scotland’s precious natural resources can help fuel our nation’s future prosperity.
Of course, I wouldn't dare accuse Scottish independence to be all about oil, but it does play an interesting role in any potential divorce.
I am interested in the partition of the Czech Republic and Slovakia when they demerged. The split of assets was based on relative populations regardless of physical location of said assets. So the way you could argue it, based on historic international precedent, is that Scotland's population of 5 million, about 8-9% of the UK total get 8-9% of the oil, not 90%.
I'm wondering if the nationalists are selling themselves short by not using this argument. They could forget the oil and go after 8-9% of the net wealth of the nation. Maybe they thought of this and realised that the UK is actually in debt and so they don't really want to split the liabilities too.
The other option for the anti-independence is of course to prattle on about how the break-up of Yugoslavia was so terrible. I still don't understand the relevance. Is England about to go on the rampage and ethnically cleanse Scots, Welshmen and Yorkshiremen who look a bit foreign?
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