INDEPENDENCE

Scotland has its own parliament, with very limited powers.



"Voters in every region of the UK now back Scottish independence." (Westminster has no answer to the Alex Salmond effect.)



Professor Andrew Hughes-Hallett, of St Andrews University, calculates that Scotland is subsidising England – and that an independent Scotland would be financially better off.



"If you were to take account of what is spent in Scotland and what is raised in Scotland – and that would include North Sea oil – then in 2008 Scotland was in a mild surplus," he said. (the Alex Salmond effect.)





http://darklochnagar.blogspot.com/ quotes from Scottish finance minister JOHN SWINNEY'S SPEECH on 23 October 2011.



John Swinney insists that Scotland is ''subsidising the rest of the UK.''



''As the global economy recovers from recession, all countries run a deficit, but the UK deficit is higher than that in Scotland.



''In four out of the last five years Scotland has run a budget surplus. The UK was in deficit in each of these years.



''Scotland is subsidising the rest of the UK. Our country pays her way.''



''The figures show that, with a geographical share of our offshore resources, Scotland would be the sixth wealthiest country in the world, 10 places ahead of the UK at 16th.''





According to The Guardian on 17 October 2011:



The North East region of England has seen a 19% increase in the number of businesses in difficulty.



The north-west of England saw a 12% rise.



Yorkshire, the Midlands, Wales and the south-west regions experienced increases in business distress of 10%.



But what about Scotland?



In Scotland, levels of businesses in distress have not risen, but have fallen quarter on quarter.