I'll respectfully dispute those figures, in fact Scotland contributes far more to the UK economy than that, we contribute more to the UK economy than we take, why do you think they are so worried we will leave?
We produce 40% of the UK renewables target NOW and hope to provide 100% of Scotlands electricity by 2020. After that we will ship the surplus down to you and charge you for the privillage
Our economy has faired a whole lot better than Englands has recently, we have a better health service, more top universities, some of the best conditions in the world for the growing renewables market and we still have at least 40-50 yrs of oil and gas to extract. I think we'll do just fine
I'll hire a JCB and dig the ditch!
Its ok, we already started preparations to rebuild Hadrians Wall, should be finished in time for 2014
1. Overall Wealth: An independent Scotland would be ranked 6th in the OECD in terms of GDP per head, compared to the UK's sixteenth place (in 2010).
2. Oil: There is up to 24 billion barrels remaining in the North Sea. Such a figure equates to a wholesale value of some £1.5 trillion in today's prices.
3. Renewables: Scotland has around 25 percent of Europe’s potential offshore wind and tidal energy, and a tenth of Europe’s wave power potential.
4. Food & Drink: The latest food and drink export figures show exports are at an all time high of £5.4 billion, and growing.
5. Public Finances: In terms of our public finances, Scotland is better off than the UK as a whole to the tune of £510 for every man, women and child in Scotland in the most recent year (2010/11).
6. Education: Scotland has five of the top 200 universities in the world.
7. We would be in full control of ourselvea and be run by a party we want, not as it is now where we are under Tory control even tho they got about single figures in the Scottish elections. We just would NEVER vote Tory. We had a large Lib-Dem vote in ay areas but that collapsed after they joined the Conservatives in their ConDem project.
We want to leave, many English would glady let us go, our government wants to leave but your government is the only one trying to scare us into staying.
Guess we'll see what happens come 2014, a lot can happen before then so who knows what the outcome will be. Maybe the US will invade before then and steal all the oil anyway they seem to do that everywhere else.......