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That escalated quickly

Posted on March 09, 2016 by

escalated

(The GERS figures actually showed Scotland’s revenues in 2014/15 dropping by ONE PERCENT as a result of the oil price collapse. Non-oil revenues were UP by 3.2%.)

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  1. 09 03 16 13:43

    That escalated quickly | Speymouth
    Ignored

102 to “That escalated quickly”

  1. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Stay away from George Square then.

    Violence, salutes and much celebration will be on the menu.

  2. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    Regardless of the state of the economy Westminster britnats can always rely on their wee Scottish lapdogs to do down Scotland.

  3. Brian Forrest
    Ignored
    says:

    Unconfirmable figures…down 1%…case for Indy “shattered”… “sigh” May as well pack up and go home now, then… :'(

  4. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Does the “geog share of North Sea oil” (Severin Carrell) include the stolen share of the Scottish seas which will be subtracted from Scotland and added to England?

  5. HaggisHunter
    Ignored
    says:

    No word on how the Brit economy is doing?
    How’s that £1.6 Trillion of debt coming along?

  6. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    So the case for indy is the oil price?
    Well the oil price is going up so when do we get indy?

  7. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    The wee herald (of doom) are running with oil bad, my inbox is telling me to watch oil http://www.cityam.com/236335/brent-crude-and-wti-oil-back-above-40-as-us-supply-data-eyed

    OPEC meet 20 April to discuss slowing production, crude prices rise 25% from mid February,

    The heralds response, quick run with oils worthless, so SNP bad.

    Move along jocks nothing to see here, Jesus who dreams up that shit?

    absolutely shocking.

  8. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    “The GERS figures actually showed Scotland’s revenues in 2014/15 dropping by ONE PERCENT as a result of the oil price collapse. Non-oil revenues were UP by 3%.”

    Hush. You’re spoiling their ‘basket case economy’ meme.

  9. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Reports coming in from all over Scotland of rioting and looting in fear of the Holocaust to come

    Hospitals stocking up on aspirin and dried potato
    Powdered milk also in short supply

    England is denying it ever said it would pool and share with it’s broad shoulders, Daily Record staff in hiding for fear of retribution Political editor Davie the Bug seen boarding a flight to Venezuela

  10. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Radio 2 (Jeremy Vine show today) Yoon Loon branded SNP members/supporters of being xenophobic English haters and anti-semitic. Vine asked him to back up his accusation. He read some tweets was his answer. Morag Lenny told him, in no uncertain terms, that his comments were utterly disgraceful and that there may be legal consequences to follow.

  11. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    There you have it in living colour. 😀 LOL

    They really didn’t waste much time did they? The fact they haven’t a goddam clue as to how an independent Scotland and Scottish government would fare, or under what macro economic model doesn’t cause even an instants pause. They go straight to ‘wur awe dooooooomed’. 😀

    They’re becoming a wee bit predictable at this point.

  12. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    There’ll be a graph along any minute. 🙂

  13. Fairliered
    Ignored
    says:

    Yoon politicians and their propaganda lapdogs are so desperate to hang onto their life of corrupt cronyism that they will tell any lies they can. Good job we have you to out them, Stu.

  14. findlay farquaharson
    Ignored
    says:

    its incredible these arselickers jubilant in claiming scotland and our people are parasites, what a low level of self respect they must have

  15. yerkitbreeks
    Ignored
    says:

    I would love to think our Electorate is still pumped up and inquisitive as after the Referendum, but as I’m busy canvassing in the Borders so am getting feedback, ‘fraid this isn’t the case, and the worry is that many will once again stick with reading the banner headlines.

    Only hope is the falling sales of these “news sheets” and growth of social media

  16. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    Sam, your wish is my command 😀

    B |
    a |….. x
    a |…. x
    A |.. x
    A |. x
    D |x____________
    ^….> SNP

  17. Robert Kerr
    Ignored
    says:

    Och not to worry.

    There is always the Oil Fund to fall back on!

    SNP SNP EU

  18. Fran
    Ignored
    says:

    That was all primed last night and waiting to fill in the blanks this morning.

    You can here the groans of disappointment from the yoons that its only a 1% drop and dam the rest of the economy for improving.

  19. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Handclapping

    All bow to the Graphmaster!

  20. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Handclapping

    😀 LOL

    Ayup, just like that one.

  21. Peter Macbeastie
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah yes, the ever reliable BBC were trailing this last night and again this morning with the doom laden overtones already rolling in from Mordor… sorry, Pacific Quay.

    This morning they had comments from the usual wee cabal of unionists before they bothered with a comment from the SNP… I assume there was a comment from the SNP, because while I’m in the car for the unionists trying not to sound smug, and abjectly failing, I always miss the reply because I’m walking into work by then; like a lot of people, which I think is entirely the point….

    This is on top of the payment of subsidies to farmers having been sorted out with the application of funding issued by government to be reclaimed later from the Euro subsidy, applauded by the head of the NFU as exactly what they wanted the Scottish Government to do and rather pulling the fangs of the unionists in one easy move… but of course the BBC trotted out a Tory to say ‘well, it smacks of panic measures.’ Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

    I have come to the conclusion none of the unionists, or our utterly impartial broadcaster (tongue firmly inserted in cheek) understands that they’re not winning any support by constantly complaining about the Scottish Government regardless of what they do.

  22. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Yoons will love it though. Shattered independence for Scotland, oh baby.

    #SNPbad going mental on BBC England news across their tv and radio board with Sunday shopping. Daily Record clowns say Stewart Hosie trying to cut a deal over a committee slot, if backing toryboys.

  23. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    All this fuss about oil prices makes me wonder in sheer admiration how on earth do other countries manage that don’t have oil.

    Anyone who uses oil prices as an argument against Scotland being Independent is just looking for excuses, or needs to grow a pair.

  24. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    Delicious to hear the whinging from britnats complaining about SNP voting on Sunday opening. Diddums.

  25. Marie Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Jeez oh, some days I just get utterly pig sick tae the pit o’ ma stomach wi’ this flamin lot.

    What is it with these bawheidit numpties that they take great delight kicking their ain country like this. Mind you, mibbies that’s the problem, they dinnae think o it as their ain country.

    I think I’m kinda feeling like Grousebeater was the ither day, a bit doon. I get so sick of the lies and distortions and not one decent journalist anywhere to challenge them. The papers are dying and hell mend them but the biggest problem has to be the lying toads at Plantation Quay.

    All their efforts are now, quite obviously, to stop the SNP getting a majority in Holyrood. Cannae have that, aw naw. They’re the only paarty to try and look after Scotland, so that’ll no dae.

    I know all the arguments about getting there slowly, but sometimes, oh sometimes, I wish the SNP would loose both barrels on this bunch of chancers, specially the BBC.

    Sorry fur the moan, jist how I’m feeling the day.

  26. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Hope folks will excuse me if I totally ignore this unionist piece of crap and instead believe what is actually happening to Brent Oil prices instead. 😉

    http://www.livecharts.co.uk/MarketCharts/brent.php

    Since January 11th this year the price of Brent crude has steadily risen in price from a low of $29 on 11th January to its current price of $40 today. 🙂

    Now as everyone knows, or at should know by now, I am no economics expert but I think even I can see that with Brent oil price on a relatively steady rise for now then it will not be too long before this 1% drop celebrated by Messers Gardham and co will be wiped out! 😀

  27. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    There would be a £20+ Billion Oil Fund over the last 5 years (2011-16) + interest, if Osbourne was not illegally taxing the Scottish Oil sector 60/80% when the Oil price has fallen 75%. More Oil is being imported.

  28. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland subsidises England for 34 years and NOW England wants to be Independent when they obviously can’t afford it without Scotlands cash for 1 year

    England can’t afford to be Independent they’ve got a black hole that Scotland can’t fill (The now)

    Don’t you just love the screaming and the screeching in the whole of Yoondom

    The best bit is they can’t get their mitts on the Fracking money coz Team Scotland’s got them by the short and curlies

    SNP Incompetent Aye right! SNPX2

    Keep the Bastirts squirming

  29. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    “Thus, it is entirely appropriate that the Scottish Tories are planning a massive mail shot to thank all those who voted ‘No’ in September 2014 in advance of March 24 which had been ludicrously billed as ‘Scottish Independence Day’.”

    Thus! Pity about the trees involved but makes lots of UKOK sense too. Proud Scot buts did save David Cameron’s job, tory control of their Scotland region, maybe even tory UK.gov. It really was a giant red and blue tory bettertogether triumph of British toryism.

    Purr purr.

  30. Jack Collatin
    Ignored
    says:

    To think that I took The Herald for fifty years. It is now a disgraceful rag.
    BBC Scotland is not far behind.

    These people have no shame.

    The Winston Smiths of the SE English Establishment’s Colonial Office in the North.Are we at war with Oceana yet?

    I take it that they’ll all emigrate back to the Motherland when we attain self determination? Who’d want to live in this financial wilderness without English subsidies?

    How anyone with two serviceable brain cells can argue that Scotland would not be an economically viable successful modern nation beats me.I hope that they’re getting paid well for their treachery.

    Scotland is a wealthy nation.Of course the Unionists know this.
    Their job is apparently to peddle the big lie in headlines in the hope that the Great Unwashed, Hoi Polloi, Lumpen Proletariat believe them.
    My last hope at the Herald observed the other day that Kezia Dugdale was the best Labour leader since Dewar. Ye gods. Really? Really.
    Unforgivable.

    Roll on May.

  31. They can’t help themselves. The Unionists’ wee heads must have exploded with joy today with another chance to do down Scotland. Another headline slant on these numbers would be ‘Scotland’s Economy Not Reliant At All on Oil’

  32. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    They’re not reporters they’re propagandists. They think they’re above everyone and beyond reproach. These people sold their conscience and their souls for ‘position’ and money. Circle-jerking is all they know…sad little fucks plotting and scheming to maintain their flagging union. Pathetic.

    SNP x 2 May.

  33. ClanDonald
    Ignored
    says:

    Problem with the price of oil going up is that Scotland will see none of the benefits, it will all go to London.

    Instead we’ll face higher heating, transport, forecourt, manufacturing and distribution costs, leading to higher shopping bills. This will mean less disposable income in our pockets which will, in turn, have an impact on the retail and service sectors, probably resulting in a downturn in economic activity.

    Scotland loses if the oil price is low but still loses when the oil price is high. Another union dividend.

  34. Glamaig
    Ignored
    says:

    Its tragic that we dont have all the extensive natural resources of for instance Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Ireland, Slovakia, or even Holland, otherwise we could easily become independent like them. Its only Scotland thats cursed with this mysterious black hole, apparently.

    I wonder when the absurdity of this argument will sink in.

  35. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    Haven’t read any of the gers stuff,but even I know that if you are not in control of all the levers,it doesn’t matter what the figures say. If someone else (the Westminster Government) has control over the economy you are in then responsibility for bad figures must be shared.

  36. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Patel and her aides stunned into silence at the select committee when Chair Pete Wishart, during the conversation, suggests that Scotland should be compensated for the money used in mitigating the bedroom tax. Jings crivvens help ma boab!

    I like his style 🙂

    A good listen though.

    I got the impression throughout that the devolution powers (such as they are) have been wrung out of the WM mob who are still thrawn and reticent in their ‘co-operation’ with the SG.

    Long hard road to travel there.

  37. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Although their headlines sound suitably fear provoking, I predict this will make absolutely no difference to SNP support.

    Scots are backing the SNP for two reasons, either or both.

    Firstly, Indy. The SNP offer our ONLY chance of achieving it.

    Secondly, the SNP have a proven record of competence in office.

    The Tories are out to get Labour and LibDem BritNat voters by branding themselves The Unionists.

    The problem the SNP DO have is small leftist parties trying to poach list votes from SNP voters. If these parties stand on their manifestos, and people feel their policies are right for them, fair enough, vote for one of them. However, this line of ‘SNP list vote is a waste’ is dishonest and a disgrace.

    SNP+SNP

  38. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    So, let me get this right.

    Scotland which does not directly receive oil revenues anyway but is attributed double the black hole from last year when we did not receive oil revenues. This is because the revenues from oil which we do not receive is falling.

    Anybody see anything wrong here?

    We are expanding in the right direction. Away from Westminster.

  39. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    They’re not reporters they’re propagandists. They think they’re above everyone and beyond reproach.

    Now now. Same crews of UKOKdom would no doubt be belting out headlines like “Case for union shattered by increase in oil revenues” and “Scottish independence day boost as Scottish oil revenues increase” and “Scottish hacks seen weeping into union jacks outside Westminster, as they wait to be publicly flogged by rebel refugee leader Ruthie Babes Davidson.”

  40. Karmanaut
    Ignored
    says:

    Many of Scotland’s biggest companies are registered in England (e.g. SSE Energy and Johnny Walker.) Is that taken into account? Who knows?

    If you are a small business owner and you use one of the online registration services, they typically register you as an English company, which makes no difference at the end of the day with respect to HMRC, but would affect national figures like this.

    So, anyway, if Scotland’s revenue is down 1% from previous years, how do we get control of the economic levers to get us back to normal? Any ideas? I keep feeling that there’s, ahem, some way…

    What pisses me off is the renewed barrage of “I told you you’re too wee, too poor and too stupid to do things for yourselves.”

    Honestly, what an attitude to go through life with.

  41. fireproofjim
    Ignored
    says:

    As the UK deficit has been running at about £80 to £100 billion, then a modest deficit of £5 billion for Scotland is a much better situation.
    Off course we would do things differently and such a deficit would be easily eliminated, as others have said. But why bother? Almost all countries run deficits and it is just a matter of not letting the deficit get out of hand.
    I can’t imagine any country being so incompetent as to let their National Debt hit crazy heights like £1.7 trillion. Can you?

  42. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella says: 9 March, 2016 at 12:45 pm:

    “Does the “geog share of North Sea oil” (Severin Carrell) include the stolen share of the Scottish seas which will be subtracted from Scotland and added to England?

    Of course it does, Capella, for the very good reason that ALL 100% of the oil & gas revenue goes directly to the UK Treasury as being extracted from, Extra-Regio-Territory“, and we all know that, “Extra-Regio-Territory”, all, of course, belongs to the United Kingdom.

    We DO NOT even get the fabled, and oft mentioned, 8.4% that they claim is credited as Scotland’s per capita share of the revenue.

    That 8.4 figure is just the UK’s estimate on a per capita basis that they use to further distort the figures in such UK produced figures as are quoted in the GERS and other UK documants.

    The real truth is that the UK takes every penny of all revenues and all Scotland gets at present is the Scottish Block Grant and that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the price of a barrel of oil, a cubic mitre of gas or the price of fish at Peterhead.

    In case you had not noticed, Scotland has, as yet, no tax raising powers. So Scottish government income has no direct links to other than the Scottish Block Grant.

    The level of said grant is up to Westminster to decide and, in spite of common belief, has absolutely nothing to do with being needs based.

    Furthermore, the block grant is subject to, “Barnett Consequentials”. These can be either positive or negative and are based upon Government spending on England.

    However, that English Spending does not cover what Westminster designates as of, “National Importance”, which includes such as the, “National”, museums, galleries and arts such as London based music, theatre, ballet, opera. et al. Neither does it include such as The Greenwich Observatory nor such London infrastructure as The New London Sewerage System, The London rail & bus Terminals, The Cross-Rail system, The Olympics Stadium, The Chunnel and lots, lots more.

    Get the picture now, Capella?

  43. G H Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Unionists Hate This Weird Trick

    100% x $30 > 8.3% x $130.

  44. Broch Landers
    Ignored
    says:

    Seven days passed, and the Lord said unto Moses:

    “Go and tap out more dishonest crap with your staff that turns the Scotians’ oil into a poison so that your people, the Briti’shites, may rejoice with marginal gains on the fifth day of May.”

  45. ScottishPsyche
    Ignored
    says:

    If there is anything days like today ensure, it is that I am more resolute than ever that we should be independent.

    I have never been more sure of anything in my life.

  46. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone know if there’s any truth in the rumour that there is to be a new national daily to be produced in Scotland?

    Some whispers say it is to be politically neutral and the title is to be, “The Daily Record of Doom”.

  47. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Um, we didn’t have ANY oil when we WERE an independent nation (i.e. pre 1707). And, um, the top wealthiest countries in the world export zero or next to zero oil.

    Next…

  48. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC Politics Scotland have a lying Tory hypocrite on the programme. Scotland has rejected Tory rule for years. Totally unrepresentative propaganda.

    Brewer is a disgraceful liar.

    They are totally disgusting.

  49. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Cameron is a liar. Any deficit is a result of Tory policies. Liar, liar, liar. Stinking liar.

  50. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC Politics Scotland have a lying Tory hypocrite on the programme. Scotland has rejected Tory rule for years. Totally unrepresentative propaganda.”

    Scotland, like England, is owned and run by tories.

    Its that simple.

    The tories own BBC Scotland.

    They hire professional bullshitters for their BBC, they pay them a lot of money with giant pensions, they reward them with gongs from the queen and all of it to keep control of a fractious region that they will never give up control.

  51. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Pop up Purves. LibDem liars

  52. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Another SNPbad Politics Scotland. BBC

    Brewer is a disgrace.

  53. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Fuming

  54. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone confused about the geographical share of North Sea Oil might like to look at the map on this page. 😉

    Oh and don’t you think the view from the 6th tee at St. Andrews looking out onto the English region of the North Sea is just a wonder to behold. I admit it did confuse me for a while cause I always thought my home kingdom of Fife looked out onto the Scottish region of the North Sea. Still live and learn as they say … somewhere. 😀

    http://caltonjock.com/2014/08/30/1972-the-north-sea-oil-is-scotlands-and-benefits-from-production-should-be-credited-to-the-scottish-economy-edward-heath-prime-minister/

  55. mr thms
    Ignored
    says:

    #G H Graham @ 2:54 pm

    Unionists Hate This Weird Trick

    100% x $30 > 8.3% x $130.

    According to the latest price of Brent Crude

    100% x $41 > 8.3% x $130

  56. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Just in case folks didn’t know it yet the 1% drop in 2014/2015 revenue would result in an independent Scotland having a $15 Billion black hole. No seriously we would. I know this to be fact cause that very nice Mr. Martin told me so himself! 😀

    http://capx.co/scotland-would-be-independent-this-month-with-a-15bn-black-hole/

  57. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Arbroath1320 says:
    9 March, 2016 at 3:36 pm
    Anyone confused about the geographical share of North Sea Oil might like to look at the map on this page

    Why did Bomber Bliar and Labour take so much Scottish North sea territorial waters anyway? I heard it was part of the deal if Labour “gave” Scotland Holyrood in the 90’s, England took a chunk of Scots seas. Could it be that creepy between your average SLab ears?

    Maybe someone in Pacific Quay can tell us.

  58. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone wanting to see the G.E.R.S. report for 2014/2015 can see it here. 😉

    http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0049/00495386.pdf

  59. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    Well thanks to the vagaries of being a 24/7 carer I had to sit through the Disreporting Jackie show today and had to suffer not just the SNP BAD hate show but the hate Scotland show that it has well and truly become. Imagine a whole hour of anti Scottish bile if the Scottish Six does happen. It is well beyond being just Brit Nat lies and propaganda now.

    But I hope they are feeding it with interest to the neighbours. The wailing and squealing from the Yoons is just music to my ears.

    I was reduced to stitches when the SNP ganged up against the Yoon Tories to scupper potentially the Ingerlish Sunday Opening Bill. The screeching of SNP wicked and evil from the BBC was again music to my ears. I have barely been able to stop laughing, my ribs are in agony.

    The BoE and rolling in it Liz are getting their knickers in a real twist over Brexit as well, ma poor ribs!

  60. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    I heard back in the day Heedtracker, WAY back in the day, that Blair took the section of North Sea in a secret agreement between himself and Labour’s first First Minister Donald Dewar. The whole thing was, as per usual for Labour, kept entirely shush shush! 🙂

  61. Greannach
    Ignored
    says:

    We’re DOOMED, I tell ye. Doomed.

  62. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2012/01/scotlandengland-maritime-boundaries/

    Tis all here. Freak outs like Bomber Bliar and Crash Gordon really want great things for our imperial masters. They loved Blair for it but they didn’t take to the one eyed Scottish idiot much.

  63. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    Now the unionist parties will say, “GERS are made up, anyway.”
    As the result doesn’t suit their philosophy.

  64. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    Of course the UKOK Yoons will always ignore the blindingly obvious and that is they have badly managed the North Sea Oil and Gas Resource.

    If past performance is anything to by they will badly manage the Atlantic Oil and Gas Resources as well. In fact they are so corrupt and incompetent that is given!

  65. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana says:
    9 March, 2016 at 4:00 pm
    @Heedtracker re Blair and Dewar’s thieving

    Thank you Nana. To be honest, it still not clear why Blair and Dewar would suddenly shove England’s sea territory 70 miles oop norf to Fife. They probably just saw independence coming and like the grand old Lab yoons they are, continued their scorched earth policy in their Scotland region, alongside total de-industrialisation and impoverishment of much of Scotland. Or they were just another pair of really nasty SLab wet farts, groveling to their London buddies, who plotted away to get shot of them.

  66. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    I have decided not to watch Britannic TV Aberdeen this evening, ma poor ribs cant take anymore torture.

  67. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Our ability to raise revenue is only matched by the two most prosperous regions in England. That just about says it all.

    The whole thing is a con game.

  68. mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    You either have confidence in Scotland and its people,or you don’t.

  69. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Karmanaut says: 9 March, 2016 at 2:44 pm:

    “Many of Scotland’s biggest companies are registered in England (e.g. SSE Energy and Johnny Walker.) Is that taken into account? Who knows?”

    {Puts hand up}“Please Sir! Please Sir! I Know! I Know!

    No Sir it isn’t taken into account. Even if it was taken into account it wouldn’t matter a jot and here’s why.

    All revenue is collected by the Customs & Excise as UK Treasury Revenue. Every penny is thus the property of the UK Treasury. In case you had not noticed none of the other UK countries, or UK Kingdoms, have tax raising powers as yet.

    So all these statistical claims are only as a result of the UK Government compiling and using the statistics to suit their own ends. Much of these statistic, indeed most of them, are guesswork and speculation.

    It is of no real consequence to the Treasury if an export leaves the UK from an oil rig in the North Sea off the Shetlands or from Southampton via a cross Channel ferry or even in a road tanker through the Chunnel. It remains a UK earning export.

    Thus all those statistics, mainly compiled by the ONS, (Office of National Statistics):-

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/

    Are only for statistical use and they are so complex and misleading that a reasonably compartment person can prove just about anything by judicial choosing of the statistics from their website.

    “If you are a small business owner and you use one of the online registration services, they typically register you as an English company, which makes no difference at the end of the day with respect to HMRC, but would affect national figures like this.”

    Correct and last time I looked, (about two minutes ago), the cheapest registration could be done for £5.00, (Aye! That’s only a fiver).

    https://www.theformationscompany.com/5-pound-formation?gclid=CNmqjfb7s8sCFQ-3Gwod-HAM2g

    Many of these are no more than an accomodation address and a phone and letter forwarding address with a PO Box number.

    “Honestly, what an attitude to go through life with.”

    I hobbled out to my gate a wee while back and, just by chance, (well actually he crossed over the Great North Road to speak to me), came a Yooner of my aquaintance who couldn’t wait to crow, “Scotland’s Economy down again”.

    Now he knows I have hearing problems so he was rather loud – so I cupped my hand to my ear and he yelled it again even louder, (of course my problem has nothing to do with volume as it is frequency dependent).

    Anyway, when I got him close enough, I yelled at him, “Oh! Is that Right! How much is it down by”?

    The Err! Err! started immediately as I had guessed he hadn’t a bloody clue. So I said, “It’s up by something like 3.2% on my computer reports”.

    I left it for a few seconds then began, “Oh! Wait! I believe it said that the low oil prices had pulled the Scottish economy down by 1% but that the overall non-oil economy was up by 3.2%.

    There were very blank looks before I added, “No that it maiters a wee puckle ‘cos aa the revenue frae Scotland gans tae the UK Treasury. Did ye no ken Scotland disna hae tax raising powers yit? Yon Westminster gadgies wull say onythin tak mak fowk like you feel bad aboot bein Scottish.

    (Now remember he had been crowing about how Scotland’s economy was down and gave quite a different impression than feeling bad about being Scottish).

    I added pointedly, “Ye wir feelin afu bad aboot Scotland’s economy bein doon weren’t ye”?

    He said no more and just walked back across the road. How I didn’t burst out laughing I’ll never know.

  70. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    You’ve got to laugh at Ian Murray
    Even though Labour and the SNP are voting the same way for the same reason Murray still manages to get a SNP Baad in along with Lob Dims and Tories giving him handers

    I thought if we had EVEL it was up to the Speaker of the house to decide what was pertinent to the question anyway
    And if that’s the case how can the SNP be poking their noses in to English affairs as that wee snot Costa put it if the question was deemed British by Bercow

    Sounds less like the English Parliament to me and more like the Anguish Parliament

    Wonder what our lot have to do to get expelled

    Alex’ll know! Heh Heh

  71. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    Call me Dave. Seen your avatar a few times.

    I prefer this picture taken at the same location

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97731450/nicola.jpg

    feel free.

  72. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    What they don’t want to tell us is this (from GERS):

    In 2014-15, the Scottish onshore current budget balance improved by 0.8 percentage points, whilst the UK improved by 0.9 percentage points.

    This is onshore, just a 0.1% drop copmpared to the UK.

    There would have been a corresponding drop in oil-related onshore activity. Which means I think that if oil could be totally excluded from 2013-14 and 2014-15, there would have been a RISE in comparative onshore revenues and GDP.

    Which means if this is the bottom of the oil drop, next year’s GERS should be looking good. For instance the food and drink sector at around 11% of our GDP is expecting a 20% increase i.e. 2% of overall figures.

    So we’re getting the bad news out of the way now when there’s no referendum on the cards. Next year may well be different! Oil being a volatile resource will no longer be a problem, nor will it represent between 15% and 20% of our GDP as the Unionist loved to warn us.

  73. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    These “Ger” figures are a fiction, there is no way they want Scotland to know how much they steal from it. The treasury, deliberately hides away real figures, and when anyone tries to unfurl them they are so covered up we would never get to the bottom of them.
    Very deliberate theft.

    It is time the SNP insist on a full and proper audit of Scotland’s real GDP, and they should be creating hell in Westminster if we are refused, but real experts would need to be brought in to find all the hidden ploys they use.

    They would be spitting mad, for fear of the truth getting out, they would do anything to avoid that happening.

  74. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    I won’t archive just in case anyone feels like commenting.

    Is it not amazing how ‘journalists’ use doom and gloom headings about Scotland. The rest of the UK must be awfully well, don’t you know.

    https://www.rt.com/uk/335029-scotland-sturgeon-independence-economic/

  75. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @jimnarlene

    Ayup, they are laying it on with a trowel this year. 🙂

    ‘Course it has nothing to do with what would have occurred this month had there been a yes vote. They are so desperate to paint the bleakest picture possible.

    How and ever here is a newsflash. The GERS figures are not a true and complete accounting of Scotland’s finances and even if they were, the Scottish government is NOT responsible for the economic levers of the UK. So following the union arguments own logic. If Scotland is in a financial crapper, just what is the UK government going to do about rectifying the car crash they created?

    In their own time then.

  76. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    mealer says:

    “You either have confidence in Scotland and its people,or you don’t.”

    … and that is what it all boils down to for all Scots. You either have faith that all decisions about how Scotland is run, are on balance better taken by fellow Scots in Holyrood …. or, you believe WM running Scotland as part of the UK is better.

    Some Scots will always choose the latter, sadly. However, IMO they are now a minority.

    We are a resources rich small country in Western Europe, our success is only limited by what we make it for ourselves, if we so choose. It isn’t a bean counting exercise using last year’s beans.

    For English Imperialists, it’s a different story. This revolves around prestige and status as much as colonial access to Scotland’s wealth.

  77. Scott Borthwick
    Ignored
    says:

    Karmanaut says:
    9 March, 2016 at 2:44 pm

    “Many of Scotland’s biggest companies are registered in England (e.g. SSE Energy and Johnny Walker.) Is that taken into account? Who knows?

    If you are a small business owner and you use one of the online registration services, they typically register you as an English company, which makes no difference at the end of the day with respect to HMRC, but would affect national figures like this.”

    Not quite. If your registered office is in Scotland, and small business owners’ would be unless they are using an English or Welsh registered office service, you will be registered at Companies House in Edinburgh. Your company number will be prefixed SC.

    SSE is a group of six companies. Three are registered in England and Wales; three are registered in Scotland. Admittedly, the three more lucrative ones are registered in E&W.
    https://www.sse.co.uk/about-us/legal/trading-as-statement#item1

    Johnnie Walker is part of Diageo, which is another story entirely. However, they do divest themselves of assets from time to time. David Prior bought Bladnoch just last year. I believe that is now registered in Scotland.

  78. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    Had the rare misfortune to catch the last part of Politics Scotland show this afternoon where three Scottish unionist Westminster politicians (two of whom do not represent Scottish constituencies) attacked the SNP representative on GERS when Sunday Trading was supposed to be topic up for discussion.

    Never did BBC interviewer ask them to stick to the topic and even praised Ian Murray for flying back from Canada to vote on an so called English matter while all Unionists attacked SNP for going to vote on the topic.

    Another example of what we are up against with the BBC.

  79. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Gerry Parker 4.30

    I LOVE that pic every time I see it. It just contains silent contempt beautifully.

    A classy lady, who does incredibly well to mask her feelings, but that one got away.

  80. DerekM
    Ignored
    says:

    So No voters once again your side have made an arse out of Scotland`s economy,dont blame us we did not win,if Scotland is such a basket case then what are you going to do to fix this shambles you have created.

    No point saying “if” we were independent we are NOT(yet),so come on where is your plan B ?

    Big at telling us all how rubbish we would be in a fictitious future but not so big at taking responsibility for the here and now are we ?

    1.6 Trillion in debt and you have the cheek to say we couldnt manage things better frankly even if we were total crap we couldnt do a worse job then you shower of economic illiterate idiots.

  81. Chitterinlicht
    Ignored
    says:

    David Leask blocked me on twitter -i was not even rude (i am rarely rude) only the occasional labour MSP as a cartoon clown.

    no biggie

    Oh and it was never just about the bloody oil.

  82. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Had a look through the whole GERS (not expenditure), and though better than before, it does miss consideration of “major impact” with its tables and figures. This doesn’t help the cause of Independence, with everyone quoting GERS.

    What it should do is consider oil, not just offshore but with an onshore estimate. People lose jobs or go work abroad or just go home, so there’s less income tax and NI, less money to spend so less VAT. So potentially the oil drop has cost revenue / GDP of say 4%, just for an example.

    But if the comparative UK overall figure for onshore revenue has only dropped 0.1% compared to the UK, that would mean an overall rise in non-oil of 3.9%. Scotland would have compensated for a body shock in just 2 years, by adapting – yet again (think shipbuilding, heavy industry, electronics etc).

    I didn’t know there was a GERS consultation going on before, I would have written in 🙁 I think it got just 9 replies.

  83. Anagach
    Ignored
    says:

    OT;

    Torcuil Crichton on PM a few minutes ago given free uninterrupted reign to malign the SNP over Sunday
    trading.

    Rather than ask someone from the SNP the BBC have Torcuil
    explain the SNP position. And it involved ‘secret’ negotiations as well.

    The BBC propaganda you can trust.

  84. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    GERS is based is UK government and Scottish civil servants figures.

    If they are so accurate why does George Osborne need several budgets a year to correct wrong Treasury forecasts.

    Using GERS to “prove” that Scotland would be worse off if it were independent is absurd because:

    1. GERS doesn’t represent a full set of accounts;

    2. Currently 40% of the costs (and the policies which drive them) aren’t under Scottish Government control because they’re reserved to Westminster.

    3. GERS figures are not reliable and are currently being reviewed.

    Due to the way GERS is compiled, you simply cannot extrapolate an independent Scotland’s economy from it as it describes the position of Scotland within the UK.

    The whole point of independence is to do things differently than the failed Westminster economic model which has led to the current austerity measures and many experts are predicting a new financial crash due to the over heated London housing market.

  85. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    If Scotland had a fair and impartial news and current affairs programme, it would make a good documentary to explore how the GERS figures for Scotland in the UK would relate to the GERS figures for an Independent Scotland.
    Being objective and dispassionate would be essential if the comparison was to stand up to scrutiny, and the chances of that happening through the BBC are nil. They don’t want us better informed, nor clued up about the truth, we are to be subjugated by the pro-Union narrative and supporting propaganda.
    Just imagine if we had a spate of such programs aired during the Indyref campaign, designed to inform people and empower them to make an informed choice about whether Scotland would be better or worse off as an independent country. Then think back to all the pish we had about keeping the pound and being shunned by Europe; wall to wall propaganda, recycled ad nauseum.

    This discussion of GERS and in particular relevance to oil price, is the same manipulation of the agenda affected by our unionist media, to hammer home the unionist agenda. There is no substance to debate. The figures of a bound servile economy do not bear comparison with a free and unrestrained economy. You are not comparing like with like; so ask yourself what it is you are comparing.

    I wish, I wish, I wish, that pro independence commentators would strive to promote their agenda, always, always, always from the free perspective of an Independent Scotland, and not meekly following the unionist lead.

  86. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    So just to put everything in perspective here.

    The poor wee Norwegians are really, REALLY, have a hard time of it financially speaking … apparently. 😉

    Their sovereign wealth fund has posted its lowest return on investments since 2011. Expect the unionists to be out on the roof tops celebrating any time now over this news. The fund only saw 2.7% return on investments which equates, apparently, to $39 BILLION.

    So, if I understand this correctly, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund returned MORE on its investments than the Scottish government receives in pocket money from Westminster!

    Just out of curiosity I wonder how the U.K.’s sovereign wealth fund is doing these days. 😀

    https://wbponline.com/Articles/View/60405/norway-s-oil-fund-posts-smallest-return-in-4-years

  87. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Peffers
    Thanks Robert. I do “get it” that Scotland receives no revenues from oil. I was questioning Severin Carrell’s assertion that :

    #GERS 2016 shows Scottish revenues fell from £54bn to £53.4bn in 2014/15 incl geog share of North Sea oil, just below UK average 1/2″

    He uses a GERS graphic that has Scotland excluding oil, Scotland including the geog share of oil, and UK – no mention whether that includes oil, UK share of oil etc.

    Seems to me to be deliberately misleading.
    https://twitter.com/severincarrell/status/707552236960882688

  88. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    I have just realised why the Yoons are so dead against a Scottish Six, they don’t want the Scottish public to hear positive stories about Scotland’s economic prospects, they probably fear it might put ideas in our heads.

  89. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    OT
    Sun “Queen wants Brexit”

    Nick Clegg something like: “I think it’s appalling that people who want to drag the UK out of the EU want to drag the Queen into it”.

    They didn’t complain about the Queen making a comment about Scottish Independence though …

  90. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @yesindyref2

    Nick Clegg calling Betty a ‘drag queen’?

    Harsh.

  91. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    The queen wants brexit ?
    If I was a millionaire would I give a fuck about the consequences, how would it affect me, actually I don’t believe a word, a bejewelled cage is still a cage.

    The sun, as little in common with a newspaper as I am with fucking decorum!

  92. Golfnut
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry folks, late again. Is the drop of 1% in revenue from Scotlands miserly 8.4% population share attributed by Westminster. Just how much of a disaster would it have been if we had kept 100% of the revenue. I dread to think how big the black would have been. Doh!.

  93. Semus Hamilton
    Ignored
    says:

    Forgive my lack of knowledge. If all oil revenues go to London Treasury, what the hell difference does the english oil price mean to Scotland.As far as WM is concerned it is all theirs to help pay their minimum monthly dues to their £1.6 trillion credit card.
    WE only have to pay to police and make secure their installations from the broken pay packet they grudgingly send up here.

  94. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    THAT Seamus is the £6 million pound question.

    Unfortunately there is no one intelligent enough in STV/BBC/SKY/MSM who can figure out that THIS is the question that needs asking of Westminster!

    The people who CAN ask that question i.e. Stu or others on here and other sites will NEVER be permitted within 10 miles of anyone from Westminster in order to ask this and other Scotland specific questions.

    Westminster is TERRIFIED that anyone like Stu pops up from out of the blue and asks a seriously unscripted question that puts then on the spot that they can not escape from. 😀

  95. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Arbroath,

    No they are not, they control the agenda, too little bro late, get with the program,

  96. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry Andrew but being the village idiot I NEVER get with ANY programme.

    I know s***e!

    I read s***e!

    I talk s***e!

    nuff said! 😀

  97. Peter Clive
    Ignored
    says:

    GERS just reinforces unionist control strategies:

    http://moflomojo.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-feeders.html

  98. Bill Fraser
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh for shades of Norway.If only we had been in a position to do something similar.



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