Scottish Independance & Possible Huge Oil Discovery

Link below to report showing that David Cameron made an unannounced visit to the Shetland Islands.

BP may have made the discovery that the Clair Ridge oil field may hold some of the largest oil reserves in the world.
Amazing how they have asked the workers to take extended holiday on full pay until after the referendum.

A little news tit bit that could influence the referendum vote and kept well away from mainstream news.

newsnetscotland.com...

Note that I am Scottish and 50/50 on the vote at the moment.

Further information on this discovery.

yes2014.net...

originally posted by: D8ncer


Note that I am Scottish and 50/50 on the vote at the moment.

Maybe I didn't get it right but you're scottish and are 50/50 on the Independence from England?

p.s. Talk about Stockholm syndrome ...

Mmmm... wonder if it's a political ploy coming into play, or maybe they got their sums wrong? Big announcements like this on reserves are always overblown to get people to part with their money, a bit like the reserves in California that had a mad rush for Fracking licenses, and then the estimates were downsized by 95%.

I've always thought it quite funny to hear some Scots (I am too on fathers side and was born in Ayr) and the way they go on about the English "stealing" Scotland's oil, like all us English folk live in mansions as a result and we wipe our arses on £20 notes. The ordinary English person had about the same benefit from Scottish oil as the Scots did.... pretty much zero benefit, but it's a good rabble rousing talking point.

a reply to: D8ncer

Your first link says it was a secret visit , It wasn't , it may have been unannounced but not secret.

The second link is from the yes campaign so pinch of salt may be required.

I think the People of Scotland have more sense than to believe the lies and half truths of Salmond and know they're better off in the UK , I have no doubt the yes campaign will fail to win the support they need.

United we stand divided we fall.

originally posted by: Britguy
...the English "stealing" Scotland's oil, like all us English folk live in mansions as a result and we wipe our arses on £20 notes.

Well as a Welshman living on the slightly poorer SW coast of England I have to say I can only afford to use £5 notes while using the toilet in my small 2 bedroomed house, Lol

Seriously speaking though, if I was living in Scotland and it looked like a massive oil reserve has indeed been found it would certainly influence my thoughts on Yes/No.
Regardless of the final decision the people living in Scotland make, it is unlikely to affect my lifestyle down here very much, if at all. I say good luck to them either way, but if they do go their own way at least the constant whinging about all the problems of Scotland being the fault of England should come to a final end. That will be nice.

I am surprised though that Cameron hasn't played the "Russia will invade and annex Scotland if you break away" card yet!

It's all political grandstanding.

a reply to: D8ncer

Some say it was discovered in the 70's but it wasn't possible to extract it for technical reasons. Now it can be extracted and the associated pollution and destruction will be available. Sorry, I meant to say the 'riches' will be available. Look at the lies the oil industry have told in the past.

This 'discovery' is just another line they're stringing.

a reply to: Britguy

In the early 80's I hitch hiked from Scotland to London. I got a lift all the way from an interesting gentleman who told me he'd been in Aberdeen selling ocaine to the oil rig workers. Ocaine was expensive back then so the workers must have been getting a fair wage. Sounds like the money gave them the opportunity to mess up their lives. Oil money, it's a curse.

I think people tend to forget that the entire UK (as it stands) has stakes in Scottish oil. A vote for independence does not and will not invalidate that investment, so it's not simply a case that an independent Scotland would suddenly inherit the entire economic benefit of a new oilfield.

Scotland isn't in a position to buy-out the remainder of the UK either.

originally posted by: Telos

originally posted by: D8ncer


Note that I am Scottish and 50/50 on the vote at the moment.

Maybe I didn't get it right but you're scottish and are 50/50 on the Independence from England?

p.s. Talk about Stockholm syndrome ...

It's a vote on independence from the UK not just England

Didn't they find the worlds 'largest' reseve in the Falklands a few years back? What's happened to that

originally posted by: Thefarmer

originally posted by: Telos

originally posted by: D8ncer


Note that I am Scottish and 50/50 on the vote at the moment.

Maybe I didn't get it right but you're scottish and are 50/50 on the Independence from England?

p.s. Talk about Stockholm syndrome ...

It's a vote on independence from the UK not just England

Oh semantics...And what is UK without England?

a reply to: Telos

Its not in anyway semantics. Scotland is part of the uk (for now) it is not a colony of England. I am pro yes but implying that Scotland is oppressed does nothing for the debate.

a reply to: KingIcarus

What is at issue is the tax revenues. Is Scotland is independent these will go to Scotland. Any other revenues will go to the license holders same as at the moment.

I have spoken to a lot of people about independence. You would not believe some of the reasons they come out with to support their views...perhaps at the end of the day we get the governments we deserve.

Of course the idea of more oil...if true...would sway more of us to vote for independence. For me it makes absolutely no difference. We have heard all the negatives, strangely enough they aren't so bad, most of it is fear mongering and lies. The truth is we won't be worse off and more than likely will fare better.

Better together is the mantra. I wish someone would tell me how they have come to that conclusion. There is no one to vote for in Westminster even if there were nothing will change. All the corrupt institutions are entrenched and in power. We here on ATS like to rail against our corrupt governments. We are a small nation with a once in a lifetime chance to do something about it. Yet the people will throw it away.

Some, I think may be put off by Salmond and his lacklustre vision but this is only a stepping stone and elections will follow.

Those English who say better together should be saying...go for it, run for the hills brother. I say to them give us your support, help us break free and if we struggle then help us some more. We might become something you can follow.

Darling and Salmond are on TV tonight that should be fun...I'm sure Salmond will make toast of Darling but it might be interesting to see if they bring something new to the table. Somehow I doubt it.

a reply to: midicon

DI think you are right Darling has his strengths but debating is not among them. I think the biggest danger for Salmond is appearing to beat up on the slow kid.

a reply to: Telos
I've wondered if we should have a name change if the people in Scotland vote yes.
'The United Kingdom of England Wales & Northern Ireland' or 'The United Kingdom of Southern Britain & Northern Ireland' perhaps?
The 'Great Britain' bit solely refers to the whole island, and if Scotland goes their own way it seems strange for our nations name to not reflect that...or am I just being a bit of a geek now lol

oil?
scot quaida should be showing up to throw some babies down on the cold hard floor any minute now


hope they don't discover any opium fields in the hill country

a reply to: grainofsand

If i remember correctly it would just need to be united kingdom of England and northern Ireland as within the name wales is considered a principality of England. Not saying that is the correct state of affairs just going along with your name geekdom.

originally posted by: Telos

originally posted by: D8ncer


Note that I am Scottish and 50/50 on the vote at the moment.

Maybe I didn't get it right but you're scottish and are 50/50 on the Independence from England?

p.s. Talk about Stockholm syndrome ...

The fact you think the referendum has anything to do with "independence from England" shows you don't truly understand what it is about or anything about the constitutional make up of the United Kingdom...

originally posted by: ScepticScot
a reply to: KingIcarus

What is at issue is the tax revenues. Is Scotland is independent these will go to Scotland. Any other revenues will go to the license holders same as at the moment.

This isn't strictly true, apparently. The tax revenue from license holders is the result of the UK as a whole making North Sea oil attractive and viable to oil companies. All parts of the Union have invested in this and a revenue agreement will have to be reached over it.

Scotland will obviously get the lion's share as the oil is/will be in Scottish territory, but Scotland doesn't own the oil industry outright. The same can be said for tax revenues for Scottish banks operating in the rest of the UK - Scotland will be entitled to a fair bit of tax generated in the nu-UK. In any event, the MoD could well object to drilling in that new area for Trident reasons. Scotland would struggle to go ahead anyhow given they'd be relying on Union forces for defence.

Anyhow, Salmond faces some serious challenges. He's been ducking several key arguments, and he'll be under huge pressure to comment on them in detail. For instance...

Currency union - completely ruled out by Tories/Labour/Lib Dems. This is impossible without their support.

Automatic EU Membership - seemingly ruled out by the EU with little indication of there being any wriggle room.

MoD continuing to build Navy ships on the Clyde - the UK has never built a combat ship outside of the UK, and giving Scotland preferable contracts would be a violation of anti-competitive EU rules. I understand Scotland doesn't need to be a EU member for that to be the case either.