A poll for Prospect Scotland found that 75% of Scottish voters would vote for independence if they felt that the economic plan for an independent Scotland meant we would be better off.
It’s is a simple economic fact that Scotland has an embarrassment of economic advantages over the rest of the UK and indeed over almost all the other smaller independent northern European nations that an independent Scotland would be benchmarked against. Just look at Scotland’s natural wealth. The UK Government’s own figures show that with 8.4% of the UK population Scotland possesses between 20% and 34% of the UK’s natural wealth dependent on the price of oil.
Looking to the future we possess 26% of the UK’s renewable energy generation – 90% if it’s hydropower capacity – and a mind-boggling 10% of Europe’s wave power potential, 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resources and 25% of its tidal-energy resources. Before the Westminster Government harmed our economy with its next-to-no-deal Brexit, Scotland also exported £17,456 of goods per head, more than twice the UK’s goods exports of only £8648 per head.
Of course, that isn’t all Scotland contributes to the UK. We produce double our population share of the UK’s food – about 16.1% – including about 70% of the UK’s fish landings which are now threatened by the mess Westminster has made of Brexit. So why are some Scots voters still worried about our economy? To be frank, they are being lied to by Westminster politicians. Those politicians need to keep Scotland’s economy within the UK as, without our energy resources, oil and gas (regardless of the oil price) and massive trade surpluses effectively subsidising and supporting the rest of the UK, its economy would struggle.
Pretty much the only argument for the Union is contained in the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) annual report, which those politicians suggests proves that Scotland has a higher budget deficit than in England.
Open Minds on Independence #2: