Secret plan to deprive Scotland of oil fields

[Albion 69]

"Documents detailing secret government plans in the 1970s to prevent Scotland laying claim to North Sea oil have been seen by The Times. They show the extraordinary lengths to which civil servants were prepared to go to head off devolution, which was seen then as inevitably leading to independence.
The proposals included suggesting to Labour ministers, for whom devolution was a manifesto commitment, that progress towards a referendum should be delayed, in the hope that enthusiasm north of the Border would wane.
Treasury officials also advised that the boundaries of Scotland's coastal waters should be redrawn and a new sector created to “neutralise” Scotland's claim to North Sea oil – a step that was taken.
The documents – letters, memorandums and briefing papers from the Public Record Offices at Kew and in Edinburgh – show that some civil servants were alarmed by the threat that devolution posed to North Sea oil revenues, which were servicing Britain's external debt.....
One paper, by Graham Kear, under-secretary at the Department of Energy, suggested that the Northern Isles might be hived off from Scotland. He wrote: “If Scotland and the Orkney and Shetland Islands are both regarded as states, separate from the rest of the United Kingdom, median lines can be drawn to divide the United Kingdom Continental Shelf between Orkney & Shetland/Scotland and between Scotland/England.”
One way of doing this, according to civil servants advising Anthony Crosland, the Environment Secretary, would be to realign the subsea border between Scotland and England, so that it ran northeast instead of east.
Mr Kear's doubts were shared by his political boss, Tony Benn, the Energy Secretary, who wrote to Ted Short, the deputy leader: “There is general agreement that energy policy – its formulation and execution – should be a function reserved to the UK Government.”

Secret plan to deprive independent Scotland of North Sea oil fields - Times Online

I bet Alec Samond will have some fun with this story and interesting to see Tony Benn involved , the darling of the left... not quite as principled as he likes to suggest

[B4UVOTEREADMCCRONEREPORT]

6,000 MILES OF SCOTTISH SEA THAT WESTMINSTER MADE ENGLISH IN 1999

Scottish North Sea Oil Revenues Reserves History Maps Scotland's Oil Rigs Economy News Gavin McCrone Reports Scottish Independence Referendum Marine Boundaries

In 1999 Westminster moved Scotland's Marine Boundaries from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Carnoustie. Illegally making 6000 miles of Scotland's waters English.

When you play golf at St Andrews and look way out to sea, you are looking at English Waters according to the treacherous Westminster powers that be.

There is a shocking fact that few people in Scotland or elsewhere know which is just as disgraceful as the 30 year Westminster administration and deceit over Scotland’s oil. This is the as-yet unexplained and secret action by Westminster Order in 1999 to move Scotland’s marine boundary from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Carnoustie. To this day this lost Scotland 6,000 square miles of the North Sea, nodded through at the time by the feckless and treacherous Lib/Lab arm of Westminster based in Holyrood.

Scottish Democracy Political Injustices Scotlands Mc Crone Deprivation Report oil refineries 1979 2005 Devolution Referendum



If you are disgusted at this information - post this poster in your Local Golf Club.

http://www.oilofscotland.org/Westmin...ne_borders.pdf

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THIS WILL BE THE STORY IN NEXT WEEK'S TIMES

1979 Devolution Referendum - 52% said YES Westminster said NO

On 1 March 1979 the People were asked this question? 'Do you want the provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 to be put into effect ? ' Scotland voted in favor of devolution by 52% to 48%

However, after the Referendum had taken place SDP, MP George Cunningham had proposed that 40 % of the electorate must vote Yes, thus effectively counting abstainers as No voters. 32.9% of the electorate had voted Yes.

Had the same conditions been imposed on the 1975 EEC referendum, Scotland would have left the EEC.

The Act was repealed the following month (March 1979) despite Scottish MP's voting 43 to 19 against repeal.



The sense of betrayal that the Scottish electorate felt was unrecoverable for the Labour Party and a vote of no confidence in Callaghan's Labour government 27 days later was carried by one vote. The Labour Government collapsed and Margaret Thatcher swept to power where the Conservatives remained until 1997 despite having virtually no support in Scotland.

For more on The LONDON LABOUR PARTY visit

Scottish Labour Party MPs Scotland Scottish Labour Party MSP's allow Westminster to rip off Scotland, dump nuclear waste in Scotland, steal Scotland's Sea

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[Patrioticman]

What about the national debt and Scotlands share
774 billion and growing every day for the UK
It works out by population and pecentage that Scotland now owes £65.675.354.225 and growing
The Nats talk about independence they are not in the real world even oil will not bail this out.

[Balthazar]

LOL I love it when Scotsmen get all hot and bothered about Englishmen nicking their boodle.

[B4UVOTEREADMCCRONEREPORT]

what about the national debt and scotlands share
774 billion and growing every day for the uk
it works out by population and pecentage that scotland now owes £65.675.354.225 and growing
the nats talk about independence they are not in the real world even oil will not bail this out.

it would take 5 years of oil and gas revenues that scotland does not currently get to clear scotland's national debt.

Then when the green revolution starts and scotland supplies 1/4 of europe green energy billions from green energy will sort out scotland

what is england going to use to clear its debt ? Revenues from afghanistans oil ???

Scottish North Sea Oil Revenues Reserves Scottish Independence Referendum History Maps Scotland's Oil Rigs Economy News Gavin McCrone Reports Marine Boundaries

[Patrioticman]

first of all Sscotland alreay gets more from the taxpayer than it should.
34 billin a year for 5.2 million people
this is over 6 million pounds per head and with out the funds that pay for other services this is enormous.
You are so gready it is unreal
You do not live in the real world
SNP are not patriots but Nationalists
All you Nats are selfish and gready and never mention what you owe to the tax payers of the UK.

[LA]

This Scottish North Sea oil crap really pisses me so.
The Scottish have no claim to that oil as it is British oil!

Whats more is the Scottish think they can go independent. News break for you.
OIL DOES NOT LAST FOREVER

You pump that oil to fund your country, give it 20 years and you will run out
Then you have two choices - Scrounge of England again, or off the EU.

[B4UVOTEREADMCCRONEREPORT]

This Scottish North Sea oil crap really pisses me so.
The Scottish have no claim to that oil as it is British oil!

Whats more is the Scottish think they can go independent. News break for you.
OIL DOES NOT LAST FOREVER

You pump that oil to fund your country, give it 20 years and you will run out
Then you have two choices - Scrounge of England again, or off the EU.

In 20 years Scotland could use its oil revenues of nearly £1.2 trillion

To become debt free of it share (£65 Billion) of Westminsters £749 Billion Debt in 5 years.

Start the Green Revolution by turning Scotland's wind, water and wave power into enough clean energy to power a quarter of Europe. Green Energy will be a bigger Scottish revenue maker than oil and gas has been.

Scottish Independence would

End Westminsters Wars - because they could not afford them without the pocket money they extract from Scotland. £13 Billion a year or £2300 for each Scottish Resident.

Get rid of Trident Submarines that have now leaked untreated nuclear waste into the loch at Faslane three times. Experts say if Faslane was a Nuclear Power Station it would be shut down.

It costs every citizen in the United Kingdom £234 each to be in the European Union

It costs every Scottish Citizen £2300 to be in the United Kingdom Union

It would cost Scotland at the most £3.3 Million a Day to be in the EU not the £40 Million a day it costs the UK

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE LIES
Scottish North Sea Oil Revenues Reserves Scottish Independence Referendum History Maps Scotland's Oil Rigs Economy News Gavin McCrone Reports Marine Boundaries FOR THE FACTS

[LA]

In 20 years Scotland could use its oil revenues of nearly £1.2 trillion

To become debt free of it share (£65 Billion) of Westminsters £749 Billion Debt in 5 years.

Start the Green Revolution by turning Scotland's wind, water and wave power into enough clean energy to power a quarter of Europe. Green Energy will be a bigger Scottish revenue maker than oil and gas has been.

OIL IS NOT RENEWABLE
If you use oil as your main source of financial stability, within 20 years your country would begin to fall apart.

It costs every citizen in the United Kingdom £234 each to be in the European Union

You only out by around £900-£1000 per person, I forgive you.

It costs every Scottish Citizen £2300 to be in the United Kingdom Union

Do you have Government figures for this?

Don't give me a link to your rubbish propaganda website.

It would cost Scotland at the most £3.3 Million a Day to be in the EU not the £40 Million a day it costs the UK

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE LIES
Scottish North Sea Oil Revenues Reserves Scottish Independence Referendum History Maps Scotland's Oil Rigs Economy News Gavin McCrone Reports Marine Boundaries FOR THE FACTS

Facts... Propaganda... I can see where you get confused

[Patrioticman]

First all a fact Scotland nationalist always take the figure for any tax revenue for the whole of the UK
If Scotland were independent this would not be so.
Any country who are independent cannot tax another country
all exports are duty free so all the figures quoted would be a lot lower.
Fact oil is not Scotlands it belongs to all the people of the UK at the present time.Until such time it could or might change,It is not just about oil it is more important than that .
Fact again the SNP waste tax payers money on a national converstaion this should be paid for by the party and not the taxpayer.
This is not a governent matter.
If the SNP are so sure of the facts about how they could run a independent Scotland all they need is a good honest accountant with no political interference to produce a true forecast balance sheet for all to see.This should be published for all to see not just online.
Just input output and balance is all is needed
Then a seperate document to how all services and the like would be shared but this would need both sides points to be fair to all.
So simple but will they no because they know they are wrong and would be found out for what there real sinister ideals are.
All they say is the figures are available but they are not balanced for all to see and they know that.
Honesty would be a very good start we are all decieved by politicians every day.

[Alba]

First all a fact Scotland nationalist always take the figure for any tax revenue for the whole of the UK
If Scotland were independent this would not be so.
Any country who are independent cannot tax another country
all exports are duty free so all the figures quoted would be a lot lower.
Fact oil is not Scotlands it belongs to all the people of the UK at the present time.

Spoken like a Brit Nat who doesn't understand national economics.

[LA]

Spoken like a Brit Nat who doesn't understand national economics.

Spoken like a true Scottish Nationalist who doesn't understand that Scotland cannot be truly independent.

[Alba]

Spoken like a true Scottish Nationalist who doesn't understand that Scotland cannot be truly independent.

Prove it.

[LA]

Prove it.

When the Treasury respond to my [sixth] Freedom of Information request, I can give you the exact details.

[albannach]

[QUOTE=Liberal Authoritarian;86434]

When the Treasury respond to my [sixth] Freedom of Information request, I can give you the exact details.

[Streetwalker]

I cant see problem here.The jocks want to go it alone,the English want the jocks to go it alone,even the EU want the jocks to go it alone.The only people that dont it seems are the jocks in Westminster.

[LA]

I cant see problem here.The jocks want to go it alone,the English want the jocks to go it alone,even the EU want the jocks to go it alone.The only people that dont it seems are the jocks in Westminster.

That is because the Scottish MPs recognise that England pays huge bills to keep Scotland's public services alive. They don't want to threaten that.

I would be happy to watch Scotland go independent, because I know they cannot survive. They will have to come back into the Union or leech off the European Union.

[Alba]

That is because the Scottish MPs recognise that England pays huge bills to keep Scotland's public services alive. They don't want to threaten that.

I would be happy to watch Scotland go independent, because I know they cannot survive. They will have to come back into the Union or leech off the European Union.

Scotland is currently the only part of the UK operating on a budget surplus.

Your £170 Billion debt is something you don't seem to recognise as being the opposite from paying our 'huge bills'.

You've been posting this stuff for ages, think a little bit more...

[LA]

Scotland is currently the only part of the UK operating on a budget surplus.

Your £170 Billion debt is something you don't seem to recognise as being the opposite from paying our 'huge bills'.

You've been posting this stuff for ages, think a little bit more...

Scotland operates a surplus. That is not argument against Scotland receiving English tax money. It is an argument which says the SNP can spend money more effectively than the Labour Government can.

I fully agree that Labour have screwed up. Also remember that in 2005 England voted for a Conservative Government - Labour are in power in the UK because of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

[Alba]

Scotland operates a surplus. That is not argument against Scotland receiving English tax money. It is an argument which says the SNP can spend money more effectively than the Labour Government can.

I fully agree that Labour have screwed up. Also remember that in 2005 England voted for a Conservative Government - Labour are in power in the UK because of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

In the interests of fairness, Brown is simply enacting Thatcherite policies and D Cam isn't offering any great policy changes.

[LA]

In the interests of fairness, Brown is simply enacting Thatcherite policies and D Cam isn't offering any great policy changes.

Cameron is a teletubby. He is nothing in comparison to Thatcher. Love her or hate her, she certainly got the job done, she was certainly a woman of conviction, and you knew where you stood.

[Alba]

Cameron is a teletubby. He is nothing in comparison to Thatcher. Love her or hate her, she certainly got the job done, she was certainly a woman of conviction, and you knew where you stood.

Thatcher was an idiot. Conviction doesn't mean bug all. All politicians have conviction and it changes with the political weather as did she.

She did manage to break the unions causing most people in Britain to be on a weak footing in employer protection.

She didn't get the job done very well :

Millions of unemployed created because she wanted to cut away the deadwood.

While she was cutting the deadwood away and creating a huge number of people claiming benefits and not paying taxes (as well as creating a culture of familial unemployment as the norm) America, Japan and Germany were pouring billions into making their industries more efficient. All of these were right wing countries but Thatcher was too dumb to see the need for investment.

The glory days of Thatcher resulted in race riots, inefficient industries, publicly owned industries sold of ridiculously cheaply and North sea oil used to balance the budget instead of for investment.

SZhe also allowed building regulations to be mostly relaxed so that gits like Barrett and Wimpy could build any old crappy house any old way they wanted.

Her introduction of managers into the health service improved nothing and still doesn't.

France seels to manage awfully well without the managers.

It goes on and on and on.

You knew where you stood alright.

[LA]

Thatcher was an idiot.

Ignorant comment.

She did manage to break the unions causing most people in Britain to be on a weak footing in employer protection.

Two things

1.'Margaret Thatcher didn't destroy unions, it was globalisation', claims professor - Telegraph

2. If she did break them up, then thank God. They were holding the country to ransom and tore apart previous governments. That is unacceptable.

While she was cutting the deadwood away and creating a huge number of people claiming benefits and not paying taxes (as well as creating a culture of familial unemployment as the norm) America, Japan and Germany were pouring billions into making their industries more efficient. All of these were right wing countries but Thatcher was too dumb to see the need for investment.

So when Thatcher was privatising almost everything, people from across the world didn't come to see how it was done?

Everything Thatcher done was about business efficiency and business in general.

The glory days of Thatcher resulted in race riots, inefficient industries, publicly owned industries sold of ridiculously cheaply and North sea oil used to balance the budget instead of for investment.

No the glory days of Thatcher resulted in the privatisation of inefficient industries.

[Alba]

Yes the unions were too strong but she went too far and took your rights away from you as an individual in the workplace.

As I said, she should have put money into new technologies and re-tooling rather than create a huge number of unemployed being paid a fortune to be unemployed.

She created social division and it still hasn't healed.

Privatization : BT was sold off for nothing and who made the behind the scenes profit, one has to wonder?

And a point, some industries should remain in government hands : electricity, gas, petrol, water, medicine, the police, the prison service, the army.

Big business is interested in maximum profits and will make them if left unchecked.

[LA]

She created social division and it still hasn't healed.

Made much worse under Labour

Big business is interested in maximum profits and will make them if left unchecked.

big business is interested in maximising profits which means it must ensure good customer service and low costs.

Nationalised industries do not have this incentive.

[Alba]

Made much worse under Labour

I have to take your word for that since I live abroad but it sounds about right judging by the stabbings. An important reason why I live abroad (having kids of my own).

big business is interested in maximising profits which means it must ensure good customer service and low costs.

Nationalised industries do not have this incentive.

Agreed but only if the competition is fair. How many people offer you a choice of supply of : water, electricity, gas. For a long time until the technology completely changed we were at the mercy of BT's macabre machinations.

[LA]

I have to take your word for that since I live abroad but it sounds about right judging by the stabbings. An important reason why I live abroad (having kids of my own).

I don't blame you.

Agreed but only if the competition is fair. How many people offer you a choice of supply of : water, electricity, gas. For a long time until the technology completely changed we were at the mercy of BT's macabre machinations.

I agree that there needs to be competition. An easy way to have competition is to get rid of state monopolies, get rid of nationalised industries, low taxes and low regulation, to ensure companies of any size can survive.

Though to be fair, if I was forced to concede a nationalised industry, it would be the Energy and Water sector.

[Alba]

You see, we do agree on lots. It's just the independence thing that's in the way.

An honest question : Would you like to have England as your country.

[LA]

You see, we do agree on lots. It's just the independence thing that's in the way.

An honest question : Would you like to have England as your country.

Though I know England could be an independent country, I would rather keep it within the United Kingdom.

Also take into account that if England left, so would Wales and Northern Ireland [due to the technicality of England holding sovereignty over them]

[Alba]

Well, you of course address my point that people don't like losing territory.

[LA]

Well, you of course address my point that people don't like losing territory.

The United Kingdom has worked for hundreds of years, why break it up?
It is in Scotlands best interest to remain.

[Alba]

Because nationhood is about more than just numerical figures and commercial interests.