The Better Together Economy Shrinks Yet Again

Circulating the media today like wildfire there has been the news that the UK economy has shrunk in the last quarter of 2012 by 0.3%. Do you know what that means folks? The double-dip recession could well now turn into a triple-dip; as a recession is indicated by a contraction by at least 0.2% for two consecutive quarters. The reasons for the decline are still a little hazy. The ONS (Office for National Statistics) claims that the dip is largely due to a drop in North Sea oil production.

UK economy growth, as a % of GDP. 

I strongly suspect that the Quisling-sphere is already blazing alight with bold claims that this drastic news foreshadows cataclysmic effects for Scotland's economy if we do vote to become independent in 2014; as this must signify the fall of the oil industry. Further reading into this news however, reveals that this was due to delayed maintenance at the UK's largest oil field off the coast of Aberdeen.; the Buzzard oil field which produces around 10% of the UK's yearly oil output. The company who owns the field, Nexen, said that:

"The shutdowns occur every five years, [they] are planned, and are required in order to comply with regulatory requirements. The shutdowns enable us to repair and upgrade equipment that cannot be accessed when the facilities are operating."

Therefore it can be seen clearly that the drop in oil production is due to scheduled maintenance, necessary in order to keep the fields operational. I would hope that the Unionist imperial keyboard army will read this obvious reason for a drop in production, and steer themselves away from the rhetorical scaremongering about how any drop in production means the doom of the oil industry; sadly however, that is never the case.

It is the nature of an oil industry for it to fluctuate whenever a plant is shut down. It is however a much more secure base for an economy than the current UK economy has; which is 60% reliant on the banking sector. Without the drop in oil production, it has been reported that the UK economy would have only shrank by 0.1%. Not enough the merit a recession, yes, but it is still barely missing a recession, and it does indicate stagnation; which is not good enough.

Evidence to show that the Scottish economy, in contrast, is not failing as some Unionists will undoubtedly try to have the whole country believe, can be found in recent statistics over Scotland's exports. Scotland's worldwide exports have recently rocketed, seeing a £1.6 billion rise in the value of goods sold overseas. A shining example of such growing strength in Scottish exports is the Edinburgh-based electronics firm, MESL Microwave. The company produces components for the growing space industry, including the US agency NASA. The company currently exports 70% of the products they make, and despite a global slowdown, Scottish exports have seen a higher rate than in 2010.

As expected the Coalition government is already reeling in discontent as to why their policy of cutting is still not working, and throwing out the excuses. The best I personally have heard today is that the bad weather, lack of Christmas shopping, and EU sabotage are to blame. It is time for the Coalition government to stop using excuses, and to stop going through with their damaging cuts like petulant children wanting to prove that they were right all along.


An example on how our society could be mended differently can be found in Iceland. Most people when hearing about Iceland will instantly spring to mind thoughts of how Iceland is still a country hit harshly by the recession and is an example of what Scotland would be like following independence .What most people do not know however is that since the financial crash, Iceland has been making a remarkable recovery and is now the fastest recovering nation in Europe; with 7 straight quarters of growth.

What the Icelandic government has done is to pursue a much different path than that taken by Westminster. To start with, unlike Westminster, Iceland tackled the real cause of the crash, the banks. The government, and the people, jailed the bankers who ruined their economy, rewrote their constitution in order to pursue a different path, and most importantly bailed out their population, not the bankers. They have also taken a much different path than Austerity, the Icelandic government effectively slapped taxes on almost everything, even fizzy drinks, to keep a stable stream of income.

This enabled the country to keep their broad welfare state wholly intact. When quizzed about this, the Icelandic government said that it is ultimately important that they keep their welfare state intact, in order to keep their workforce healthy, and educated. Interestingly enough, BBC Scotland interviewed the former mayor of the wealthiest suburb in Reykjavik , who is very much on the right-wing and follows Thatcherite thinking. She says that, even though she believes in the free market, the welfare state is vital, and to harm it would severely hinder recovery. And look at what we have in the UK, no recovery until 2017, and a Prime Minster on course to raise the UK national debt more than any other Prime Minister in history; more than Brown and Blair put together.

If we in Scotland really want to see our country mend, we need independence. There is no sense in saying that the long-term decisions about Scotland are better made by a government which Scotland did not elect, and by a parliament which has shown time and time again that it cannot see further than the edge of its own bridge (to paraphrase Brian Cox at the Yes Scotland launch). We will benefit from being able to plan how we want our society to be managed, and how to prevent our country from slipping into the drastic financial situation which we are currently in again. The UK recovered faster out of the Great Depression in the 1930's, is this recent news not surely a sign that Scotland needs to take back the powers that were stolen from us, and to pursue a path which benefits the people of our country; not the rich few of a corrupt parliament and banking system?

The Horror of £1 for Independence

Recently there has been chaos in the Yes campaign as they try to get their heads around the catastrophic information that every Scot would be £1 a year worse off if we were to be independent. This is surely the sign that our country would be thrown into third-world status, doomed to an existence of poverty and economic turmoil. This is what the No camp will have you believe. Even now the top brass at No HQ are painting a picture of economic disaster for Scotland, claiming that Alex Salmond and his cronies are liars, and that Scotland would be astronomically better off staying in the UK.

Let's take a look at what the cost of £1 a year for independence will be shall we? First of all, that is £1 a year for the removal of trident, a written constitution that would ensure a home for everyone in Scotland, 100% reliance on renewable's by 2020, a government we elect, policies made to benefit Scotland not London, an end to a corrupt banking sector controlling our economy, a more equitable country, an economic asset worth 10 times more than our share of the UK national debt, an end to politics being controlled by the upper classes of society, a more diversified economy, an oil fund ensuring welfare for all generations ,and a chance to represent ourselves 100% on a global scale. All that for £1 a year? Now, I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for a bargain.

It is clear to me now that the No camp are really scarping the bottom of their already worn-out barrel. Scottish independence is fast becoming the only option to end the plague of corporate-controlled politics poisoning our country today. As the referendum draws closer, it will become apparent to the Scottish population that independence is not an end, it is a means to decide what country we want to be. Do we want to live in a a country where the most wealthy in society control politics? Do we want to live in a country where bankers who have ruined this country keep getting wealthier through recessions, all the while the poor are being demonized by the government? I think it is time to say no to these outrageous practices in our society.

Scotland, with independence, has the chance to show the world that there is a different path to prosperity, than the one offered by the current UK government. We will have the chance to work alongside our European neighbors, to work for the interests of our people. If you were to look at the most prosperous countries in the world, they are all small European countries in Scandinavia, and countries such as Iceland, and Ireland. What do they have that we do not currently? Full control over their economic resources, full representation on a global scale, and policies that are made to benefit the people of their country.

All of the above listed countries have pursued an equitable, social-democratic path, that ensures that everyone in their country has public services that work for the benefit of the people they serve, not shareholders, and a welfare system that ensures no one will fall into destitution and will not be demonized for being less-fortunate than the top 100 of society that made enough money in 2012 to end world-poverty 4 times over. It is time to choose a different path, all you have to do is vote Yes in 2014.