Quote Originally Posted by BCram View Post
My understanding is that the sum of all the taxes raised in Scotland, Vat, income tax, inheritance tax, national insurance both employer's and employee and corporation tax, is less than the amount of money that Holyrood gets by way of direct grant from Westminster. I don't think you are correct in saying that, today, Scotland raises more money in taxes than it gets back from Westminster. Note I said today. When North Sea oil was discovered it became clear that if Scotland could keep the revenue from the oil and gas, then the whole economic argument changed and with a different approach Scotland's Oil, could have been used for the exclusive benefit of Scotland, in the same way that Norway benefits even today. It was a fiddle, a gigantic fiddle, designed to deny the SNP the argument that Scotland should retain all North Sea revenues and unfortunately there is no way to correct that. We are where we are, and I don't think renewable energy sources will generate enough of a surplus to create a similar wealth fund for Scotland. The costs of creating renewable are being paid for by the energy users, and we can all see how paying more for energy takes money away from the individual. Somehow the green energy sources are now going up and up when we know that the cost of the wind is free!
I don't think there is a way for Scotland to become an independent country and be a small s socialist state.
The cost of electricity would rise in an independent Scotland as there are far more wind farms per head of population in Scotland compared to England thanks to the SNP controlled Scottish Government’s policy of granting planning permission for large wind farms despite numerous complaints by local residents.
The feed in tariff for all these wind farms are being paid by electricity customers in Scotland, England and Wales.
However in an independent Scotland electricity customers throughout Scotland would be solely responsible for paying cost of the feed in tariff payments through increased electricity bills.
The SNP controlled Scottish Government will not permit the building of new nuclear power stations as renewable electricity from wind farms and solar panels will produce all our electricity.
However they never tell us how many electricity generating power stations have closed down as a result of renewable energy produced throughout Scotland.
Meanwhile Wee Pat wants to shut down all the oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
Wee Pat has gone strangely quiet on this subject since is fellow Commie pal Putin invaded Ukraine and is reducing the flow of Russian gas to the rest of Europe.