Wednesday 16 September 2015

Despite whatever the SNP say ..."In an Independent Scotland ....Oil would NOT "just be a bonus" but an essential part of any fiscal plan to fill our own spending budget deficit.



"How Scotland dodged a Bullet" , Is a  written article and facts on our lucky escape by a respected economist David Smith on how  the SNP tried to fool us  by providing deliberate over optimistic Oil revenue , deliberate over optimistic Oil price predictions per barrel and deliberate neigh impossible to achieve National business growth projections to fill Scotlands £9 billion and growing Budget spending deficit (potentially now more than £11 billion and still rising with falling Oil tax revenues).

"The Scots, of course, voted no, by 55.3% to 44.7%, to my considerable relief and I hope theirs. In doing so, they gave us a Scottish version of The Great Escape. They dodged a bullet. Had Scotland voted for independence, its economy would be in deep trouble. Nicola Sturgeon, its first minister, would not be attacking George Osborne’s austerity but announcing more of it in an effort to prop up Scotland’s chronically weak public finances."

"Why was it such a lucky escape for Scotland? The main reason, and the biggest change since the independence vote, has been for North Sea oil. The Scots were promised a future of high oil prices and rising production. The reality has been plunging prices and a crisis in the North Sea. The Scots were told that Westminster was keeping secret from them the true picture of future North Sea riches. If anything was being kept secret, it was how bad it would be.
A few numbers illustrate the point. In June the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) issued its latest long-term “fiscal sustainability” projections. As far as North Sea tax revenues are concerned, their conclusion was that it would be wise to plan for nothing from 2020 onwards. Total North Sea revenues will be just £2.1bn in the 20 years from 2020, it said, equivalent to a single year’s revenue in a bad year now.
Nor is there any sign of things getting better. Oil & Gas UK, in a report a few days ago, said that 65,000 jobs have been lost in the North Sea since 2014. Exploration is at its lowest since the 1970s and investment is plunging. Even last year, when the plunge in prices was not complete, “more was spent on UK offshore oil and gas operations than was earned on production”.
The response of the Scottish government to this has followed a well-worn path. The North Sea was only ever a “bonus” for Scotland, not the lifeline. The trouble is, at least as far as the public finances are concerned, it is not true. The latest official figures, Government Revenue and Expenditure Scotland (GERS) show that without North Sea revenue, Scotland had a Greek-style budget deficit of 12.2% of GDP in 2013-14. With that revenue, the deficit came down to 8.1% of GDP, still higher than the overall UK deficit of 5.6% of GDP.

Such is the weakness of Scotland’s public finances that it is a very long way from the balanced budget Armstrong says it would be required to follow. Allowing Scotland to borrow on the markets to give it more flexibility would, because of its fiscal weakness “and clear intention to borrow and spend more” attract the attention of the ratings agencies and possibly affect the UK’s credit rating as Scotland’s ultimate backstop.

See the whole article here 
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 Pay attention to the words  above "Greek-style budget deficit " in particular and think carefully about what the population of Greece went through some months ago, because in an Independent Scotland this potentially is the same territory that the carefree and shameless SNP is wanting to get us into,  carefree with their willingness to take on  National debts rather than cutting welfare or increasing personal income taxes to balance the books, carefree with gambling on Your, your Children and your Grandchildrens financial futures.. all for what ? Absolutely nothing but Personal political power, high salaries and the big ego's of a group of people with a Utopian ideology which only they have a desperate need to fulfill ...but to whose benefit and long term cost really ? Not mine thats for sure, the financial facts of the Scottish economy expose all Alex Salmond's and his henchmen's financial promises of riches in an post Indy world as a complete utter sham.

We have seen a well worn pattern by the SNP now, particularly since the Independence Vote (that they have already lost..as a reminder ...seeing how they seem to have forgotten that fact.) when they fail in anything or get caught out lying they either simply try to pin the blame on Westminster or attempt to completely ignore the issue pretending it simply doesn't exist. Well they cannot blame the over-optimistic data they produced on the Independence Manifesto "Scotlands Future" on anyone at all other than themselves and its about damn time the population of Scotland woke up to the fact that the SNP simply tried to fool the nation with ridiculous promises of future wealth whereas the reality actually looks the polar opposite ...pretty bleak ahead indeed if they lead us into either FFA or Independence.
Are the SNP themselves facing up to this reality, no ...not at all, the fairly recent new SNP brainwashing attempt of "Oil is only a bonus" is supposed to placate anyone from thinking about how the budget deficit with be met, however "Oil is only a bonus" it is simply yet another SNP lie ...another stalling tactic while they attempt to hang on to power from continuing to feed the faithful with never ending hopes of another Independence Referendum (which the SNP seniors know very well they will lose again) in exchange for Votes in the Holyrood Scottish Elections in early  2016 so that they can once again hang on to personal political power for another session. Why should the SNP seniors worry about the Scottish economy ? After all in the Indy World that they seek they WILL be the new elite, the new Imperial masters we will all have work for to keep them in the style  they have become accustomed to living in, better salaries with much less political responsibility that most UK politicians have ...now i'm begining to wonder who really are the fools in this whole situation ?
But only tonight we have Salmond again preaching that if another Indy Ref were run today that it would return a YES result ,  does this man have no shame ? On what  ridiculous idea does he arrive at that conclusion or is this once again merely an another pitiful diversionary tactic to feed the unquestioning faithfull and keep them onside rather than tackle the real problems of the Scottish economy..reminds me of Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.  Isn't it really time that Scots woke up to the childish antics of the SNP and disposed of them ? http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/alex-salmond-scotland-would-vote-yes-if-another-referendum-w?utm_term=.syJq3jEEWg#.evNO9BdAD
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                       "  A yes vote would have plunged Scotland into a deep depression"

"The first anniversary of the Scottish referendum on independence seems a useful point at which to take stock of the economic issues that would be facing an independent Scotland if it had voted ‘Yes’ in the referendum. There were two key strands to the Scottish National Party’s economic strategy which indicate that a Yes vote would have resulted in austerity in an independent Scotland the likes of which has been rarely seen in a developed country and which would have plunged the country into a deep depression."

"Clearly the level of austerity facing an independent Scotland would be unprecedented and unsustainable resulting in a classic currency/ financial crisis with the Scottish economy being plunged into a deep depression that in all likelihood would be generational in length.
To put it into context – the current austerity programme pursued by the Conservative government across the UK would be seen as a picnic compared to the retrenchment of the state and the loss of tax base facing an independent Scotland. Since the government of an independent Scotland would in all probability have to monetize its debt this would add an extra layer of pain."

This full article can be read by Clicking Here








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Wednesday 2 September 2015

The SNP's major Power Fail ... its NOT Westminsters fault..


I'm not sure why this issue hasn't made much bigger news and hasn't caused outrage in Scotland  (especially with Nationalists ) considering that its shows another major SNP policy failure in not having a strong varied energy plan beyond Wind Farms that don't actually provide any energy when the wind does not blow, it looks like it will mean that in the not too distant future after Nuclear stations Torness and Hunterston close we in Scotland will have have to rely on imported energy from England for our own energy needs simply due to lack of intervention or a coherent Energy Policyfrom the SNP led Scottish Government ... hardly the measure of a "Strong Independent Country " is it ?  The full text also gives details of a host of promises made by Alex Salmond relating to Scotland's power systems that have never come to fruition.
 SNP stronger for Scotland ?  Don't make me laugh.  Typical SNP Deceipt and Duplicity.
Please all ask your SNP voting friends and aquaintances how on earth an SNP energy policy that will require's our Electricity supply needs to be imported from England is acceptable ? The SNP have sold Scotlands Power Stations and Scottish Power workers down the river and I hope people in those Working communities wake up and hold them responsible for it. This is not Westminsters fault at all , the blame  firmly and steadfastly lies with the SNP's failure to have provided a realist Electricity supply policy.
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Power giant soaks up subsidy but cuts and runs at first sight of costs, with SNP connivance, writes Brian Wilson
 I am not easily shocked these days and outrage should be saved for special occasions. However, the sound of Fergus Ewing, energy minister at Holyrood, on radio was enough to awaken…well, shock and outrage.
Consider the scenario. A multinational company which bought into a great Scottish industry has betrayed its promises, is about to prematurely close one plant with the loss of 270 quality jobs and renege on construction of another, thereby turning Scotland into a large-scale importer of a commodity of which it has long been a substantial exporter.
I can think of no previous occasion on which, in such circumstances, a Scottish minister of any political colour would not be fighting to reverse these decisions; using the levers of government to achieve that outcome; and would be taking to the airwaves only in order to challenge the morality and legitimacy of what was being done......... "

" A large part of Iberdrola’s UK customer base is in the north-west of England and north Wales, as a result of Scottish Power having bought Manweb in 1995. They also have extensive generation interests in these areas – and therein lies another aspect of this sorry tale. Iberdrola are investing in the Western Link sub-sea cable between Hunterston and Holyhead. For Scottish consumption, this was presented as a means of exporting Scottish renewables.
For other audiences, the story is reversed. The Western Link will be capable of importing 3.9 gigawatts of power into Scotland, equating to 70 per cent of maximum winter demand. With Longannet and Cockenzie closed, not to mention Hunterston and Torness thereafter, Scotland will become massively dependent on electricity produced in England from coal, gas and nuclear power. What a triumph for Scottish Nationalism.

Read the full article here
http://www.scotsman.com/news/brian-wilson-energy-switch-shames-scotland-1-3865703

Brian Wilson closes with the statement  . ".....workers in Fife and East Lothian, along with the wider Scottish economic interest, are being sacrificed in return for yet another bogus point of grievance, while Iberdrola laugh all the way to the bank.
What’s Spanish for: “What a bunch of patsies”?
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As the Scottish People should be well used to by now .....rather than taking full due responsibility for this happening themselves the SNP are trying to make the most of yet another invented point of grievance by blaming the UK Government's Carbon policy connection charges to the Grid for the closure of Longannet.
However this is simply another big lie because the SNP is clearly recorded as stating that after the last General Election it would press the UK to adopt even stricter SNP Climate change policy targets than the RUK actually  has itself  so once again can seen to be merely trying to pass the blame for its very own failures in Government.
Worst of all is the ridiculous situation where this failure actually means that Scotland in the future will actually be reliant on importing Electricity from England at the same time as the SNP continues to try engineer its own maniputive clandestine escape from what it likes to call the "emperial powers"  that it will actually have to rely on for its own energy supplies due to its own incompetant failures in Government ....don't Nationalist voters have anything so say on that or does the SNP Cults following now merely bow and acquiesce to their  SNP false idols ?
Perhaps the Proclaimers need to re-write  the words " Longannet No More, Cockenzie No more"  into the lyrics of "Letter from America " before SNP voters start to wake up to how the  SNP are directly to blame for killing off  once proud Scottish Industrial Infrastructure through its acquiescence to "Big Business" ?

SEE this LINK for the SNP statement on how it wanted the UK government to adopt the SNP's even more stringent Powers Station destroying Carbon targets.
 http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2404798/snp-would-press-uk-to-adopt-scotlands-carbon-targets  
The UK could adopt a new set of climate targets in line with Scotland's current emissions and clean energy goals targets, if the SNP holds the balance of power during the next parliament.
The nationalist party today published its manifesto, which promises to use its influence on a future UK government to ensure the rest of the country matches and supports Scotland's goal of cutting CO2 emissions 42 per cent on 1990 levels by the end of the decade, en route to an 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
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How the SNP's Green Policies Sealed Longannets fate : In a brazen-necked performance in the Scottish Parliament, SNP Energy Minister Fergus Ewing (pictured) told us that the closure was principally due to National Grid’s transmission charging regime, which penalised Scottish producers.... See.... http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpolitics/articles.html?read_full=12796&article=www.thinkscotland.org  
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SNP’s hypocrisy on Longannet closure ‘shameless’.  "Scotland’s energy minister has been criticised for his “hypocrisy” over why the Longannet power station in Fife is set to close.
“It was utterly predictable that the SNP would rush to blame Westminster for the closure of a Scottish power station.
“But the fact is the high transmission costs the Scottish Government are citing are partly driven by its own obsession for expensive and unreliable wind energy.  See.....
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2015/08/snps-hypocrisy-on-longannet-closure-shameless/
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The SNP of course also campaigned as being "Anti-Fracking" in the Independence Referendum whilst at the very same time behind the Scottish Nations  backs was telling the Big companies involved it wasn't actually against Fracking at all.
"The Scottish Government has given assurances that it is "not against fracking", according to the boss of a firm which runs Scotland's largest petrochemical plant."
See the full story here :
http://news.stv.tv/stirling-central/1324755-ineos-chief-scottish-government-is-not-against-fracking/

The SNP were also  negiotiating behind the Nations backs with the Company (Cluff Resources) behind another potentially dangerous and unproven energy plan ...Coal Bed Gasification which involves setting  fire to the underground Coal beds under the River Forth area with unknown and untested consequences .  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/environmentalists-warn-scottish-government-being-6161282

While a "moratorum" has been put in place for Fracking in the meantime due to the Political backlashes and fallout of being seen to have been double dealing by the SNP, a moratorium is only a temporary postphonement NOT a permanent ban in place yet at all.

When are voters going to wake up to the fact the SNP hasn't been honest and upfront with its energy planning by going against obvious widespread Public opinion and having discussions on these projects with "Big Business" behind the Nations backs ?
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