Spain OMG!

[Robinho]

AFAIK they have even more restrictive labour markets than Germany.

Norway has a ton of oil. Switzerland would be next on the list of prosperity in Europe. Funnily it's also considered the most free market country in Europe.

[Robinho]

That might be true if people who are good at their jobs and the companies they work for didn't need customers. However in reality 50% unemployment does no one any favours.

Who on earth said anything about 50% unemployment?

[Old Hack]

An indepedent Scotland is supposed to be looking at modelling themselves on Norways economy.

Pity the oil would have run out of their by then though, so they'll have the economy, without the very thing that made it so succesful. You can't make this stuff up

[BrilloPad]

Who on earth said anything about 50% unemployment?

Ask the Youth in Greece or Spain. Its a travesty.

[shaunbhoy]

An indepedent Scotland is supposed to be looking at modelling themselves on Norways economy.

Pity the oil would have run out of their by then though, so they'll have the economy, without the very thing that made it so succesful. You can't make this stuff up

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Oil reserves 'will last decades'

[Old Hack]

A report from 4 years ago? In which the report says it's not an exact science?

Why you spoil me fat boy

In 1999 Parliament made 10,000 kilometres of Scot sea English by moving Scotland's marine boundaries from Berwick to Carnoustie. Now, 15% of oil and gas revenues of the Scottish sector of the North Sea, which was previously attributed to the Scottish economy, goes to the UK economy.

Bang tidy.

It is not hard to imagine how the Scottish National Party sees the divide but politicians there, led by [former oil economist] Alex Salmond, are acutely aware that oil and gas production are currently falling fast - 18% last year alone.

Less than 65million tonnes were extracted last year – a drop of 45 per cent in a decade.

...

Unfortunately, the rate of production is falling at record levels. The latest figures for 2011 say oil and gas output is down by 18% and, although there are a few high profile new schemes, the UK – or Scotland and England – are running to keep up. These are old fields depleting very fast and the new projects tend to be smaller (but more expensive).

Interesting

Now, Current UK debt and liabilities:

On a per-capita basis, with debt.

Would leave Scotland with £81bn of public sector debt, and around a further £100bn of liabilities from the bank bailouts.

So you'd start independence with a deficit of around 100% of GDP, or, as the boffins would call it, junk status?

Nice try fat boy, but old stories die fast...

[Robinho]

Scotland would get its oil money, and lose its Barnett subsidy.

So would be back to square one, just the oil will run out one day.

[speling bee]

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Oil reserves 'will last decades'

That's just the deep fat fryers.

[shaunbhoy]

Scotland would get its oil money, and lose its Barnett subsidy.

A report by accountancy firm Grant Thornton shows that if an Independent Scotland received only 82.5% of North Sea Oil and Gas revenues (without the 6,000 sq miles of Scottish waters, London made English in 1999) Scotland would have a budget surplus of £4.4 billion, with 95% of revenues (with Scotland's marine boundaries restored) this would increase to £6.2 billion. It is abundantly clear that Westminster’s financial black hole is being filled with Scotland’s black, black oil.

HTH

[Robinho]

HTH

This (rather less partisan sounding) report shows otherwise.

http://www.cebr.com/wp-content/uploa...ility-Mode.pdf

HTH