Debate about Scottish Reserves to Continue till Referendum?

Now it is clear. The debate about Scotland’s oil and gas will continue for the next 26 days. The political campaigns about the Scottish referendum already hinge on the economic viability of an eventual independence. 

The battle between Edinburgh and London passes through a flurry of reports. Also on Thursday, a new analysis about opportunities in the North Sea has been published.  

According to the study carried out by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing and his team, the UK has done many mistakes in the North Sea. 

‘In 1970, levels of GDP per capita in Norway were 7.5 per cent lower than in the UK. By 2013, GDP per capita in Norway was over 80 per cent higher than the UK,’ reads the document.

The Scottish National Party underlined how Norway has taken advantage of the offshore resources. It also hinted at a mismanagement of the resource by Westminster.

‘This is an excellent report that highlights where the UK has gone wrong and – looking at Norway – shows what Scotland can do in the future if we vote Yes on September 18,’ Maureen Watt MSP commented in a separate note.