Sunday 26 July 2009

Scotland's Oil Fund - New Discussion



Later this week John Swinney will publish a discussion paper on the issue of an oil fund to create a "lasting legacy" of wealth. He will point to Norway and Alaska to argue that Britain has wasted its earnings so far.

When the paper is published at the opening of an Aberdeen University centre for research into energy economics, the Scottish Government will recommend tax revenues be set aside to help stabilise the economy and help the transition of lower use of carbon fuels.

Mr Swinney said: "Adjusted for inflation, some £230bn pounds of tax revenie has come directly from Scottish territorial waters over the past 30 years.

Including a geographical share of North Sea revenues, Scotland has been in current budget surplus for three years.

The Treasury's own projections show the North Sea will remain a major source of tax revenue for years to come. The UK government has wasted the resources from the North Sea but there are hundreds of billions worth of reserves still to be recovered and we may only be at the halfway point in terms of revenues."

The SNP's critics say setting money aside for the future would cause large deficits in funding public services. A labour spokesman said: "Even on the most generous assessment, there have only been nine years in the last 27 when Scotland's finances were in surplus - and none since 1988.

"North Sea oil production has been steadily decreasing for the last 5 years. The reality is that oil is a commodity finite in supply and volatile in price."

I seem to remember that mantra from labour at least 10 years ago - saying the oil was running out.

John Swinney says Scotland has been in current budget surplus for three years. Labour says no budget surplus since 1988. I know who I believe.

Reference: BBC

20 comments:

Clarinda said...

But Subrosa, Labour are correct, north sea oil is running out - running out straight into the Treasury coffers to run out again into misguided policies etc.?
I wish John Swinney the greatest success to pool the oil and run it back into Scotland!

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

Meanwhile on the Times Online, or is it The Sunday Times Online, but certainly their wee Scotland News feature that well known and unbiased commentator of things Scottish politic has interrupted her holiday to dash off a piece of bilge against the SNP Springburn candidate.

She really is a bit of work this one hurrying back probably by way on t'internet to pen this vitriol. I suppose that Ian Massie's piece last Sunday was too disequilibrate for her or her masters.

Ever wonder why people are buying fewer newspapers and why we have reached the insane situation where some spokespeople for the same estate are saying they need "government" (1984speak for you and I) subsidies to maintain "our" free press?

I don't think that the Rupert Murdoch media monster is asking but I am sure they get their quid pro quo else ways.

That goodness for the blogosphere including yourself SubR.

Next thing they'll be trying to knobble the blogospehere, exposing bloggers' identities calling for legal control over their activities, applying English draconian libel laws and shutting them down?

Don't you just love "our" guardians of "our" liberties.

A pox on them "Vive la Revolution" of the blogoshere.

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to seeing this Subrosa.

GBBG, agreed, Jenny Hujl is a raging anti-nationalist that has really shown her true bigoted sectarian colours today.

A snapshot of the full nastiness with with the unionist view nationalism. For them it's ideological not political and they will 'do whatever it takes' to succeed.

The SNP should never fall into this trap of 'c' conservative thought process and media manipulation.

It's truly disgusting and anyone in Scotland with a half a brain should find her article abhorrent.

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

Oops I forgot for those of you with stomach this Sunday here is a link the the Hjul's piece.

http://tinyurl.com/mcc3um

Maybe Moridura should do a(nother) piece on here.

Her photograph on her piece has me genuinely puzzled. Is that an attempt at a La Giaconda smile or an outright smirk?

Does anyone know who she really is?

Clarinda said...

GBBG - I reckon it's a soor ploom giving her that grimace. What an extremely unpleasant piece and the article is pretty awful too.

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

but where is the soor ploom?

Anonymous said...

Isn't Jenny aka Mrs Alan Cochrane?

The self proclaimed 'dark hearted unionist'?

Her entrenched and fundamentalist hatred of scottish nationalism spills over into her contempt for Scotland itself.

She's a real nasty piece of work whom regularly berates Scotland, having failed to grasp the earthquake that has happened and how perceptions of autonomy have changed.

subrosa said...

Afternoon Clarinda, aye you're right there. I do admire John Swinney's tenacity in this matter, he deserves to win eventually.

subrosa said...

You don't happen to be speaking about Jenny surely Billy? I haven't read the Times as yet.

Auch you're very kind, thanks for the compliment. I won't say I'm not flattered :)

That's already happening Billy, haven't you noticed? The 'big boys' manage to control by technology and networking but the little individual bloggers are sitting ducks.

subrosa said...

Me too Wardog. I'm sure it will be a very structured and well researched report.

I'm not sure I want to read Ms Huji's scribblings now. Owing to the dreichness of the day I was proposing a little 'me' time and I don't fancy spending it pulling my hair out.

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

I suppose that was a marriage made in "Heaven."

At least they should have something to share over the breakfast table; a plate of scrambled bile and rancid nationalist kippers served with a soupçon of unionist bitter coffee.

A bit too Wee Free for me.

I wonder if she is in Tuscany for her hols? What happens in Tuscany stays in Tuscany. So I am told.

subrosa said...

Yes she is Wardog. I didn't want to mention that as I had no wish to be called names. But I can say Alan Cochrane is a rare species of Dundonian. Unionists like him are few and far between in Dundee thank goodness.

subrosa said...

Did someone say she was drafting an article on freemasonry for next wee's publication?

I do hope she does her research as throughly and can, of course, name names.

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

If she is doing one on Freemasonry then she will not be talking about Dr John Reid Jim Murphy, Helen Liddell (E Star)Brian Wilson etc etc.

Or were you just being cynical SubR. I thought that was my genre?

subrosa said...

Cynicism is like love Billy, the more it's shared the stronger it grows.

Or something like that ...

Great Big Billygoat Gruff said...

I live in hope or maybe in Tuscany

Allan said...

The one thing New Labour are correct about is that North Sea oil is running out, when it runs out is the $64000 question.

However to blame New Labour alone for wasting Oil revenues is missing the point. The Conservitives wasted oil revenues by using it to fund tax cuts for the rich, and to create the Lazy Poor underclasses which are a cancer on each and every town and city in Scotland.

The Sunset Times isn't the only organ with a bee in its bonnet about Mr Kerr, the Sunday Herald has a nothing piece about him today, last week's piece about his contempt for the collage in his (prospective) constituancy (and his membership of Opus Dei) was way more newsworthy.

subrosa said...

Hello Allan. You're right of course about the tories. The evidence is Dromhair and the released documentation from these times.

You're speaking about the 'benefit culture' I refer to in the post about drugs. We now have a methadone culture in its infancy.

sm753 said...

"John Swinney says Scotland has been in current budget surplus for three years. Labour says no budget surplus since 1988. I know who I believe."

Look.

You're sitting at a keyboard with an internet connection.

You have a brain.

You don't have to "believe" anyone or anything.

You can check it out yourself.

https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/appendices/Appendix8.htm

http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/files/Scotland%20and%20Oil%20-%20Background%20paper.pdf

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/18101733/0

You can do your own sums.

You can note, as I did (http://nat-mythbusting.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-scotland-office-oil-paper_21.html) contains a couple of bloopers, but that the overall conclusion of a cumulative deficit - despite oil - remains valid.

You can note that Swinney's claim of a surplus relies on ignoring capital spending.

Try that one at the bank.

"I know it looks like I exceeded my overdraft, but I used it for capital spending so it doesn't count."

And if there's no surplus, it's impossible to create an "oil fund" without cutting ongoing spending.

And the only thing "Diomhair" is evidence of is that the makers of the programme were either incompetent or liars.

It's rather difficult to sustain an accusation of "Scots not being told" about the extent of oil when the facts were announced in the Commons - oil production forecasts in 1973, tax revenue forecasts in 1975.

http://nat-mythbusting.blogspot.com/2009/03/diomhair-bbc-alba-repeats-nat-lies.html

Unless you're suggesting Jim Sillars was complicit in "concealing" the content of the answer he was given?

subrosa said...

sm753, thanks for the links.

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