Believe in yourself, believe in Scotland.

Consolidating my recent musings, I have been thinking a lot about what the root cause of disbelief among Scots towards our ability to manage our country independently might be. When looking at modern day Scotland, it strikes me as odd that there is a common belief that there is no way we could possibly manage our own country. We are an established first world society, with a stable infrastructure, a world-class education system, a National health Service which is fully paid for and ran by us, a buzzing business world that is outperforming the rest of the UK in many sectors, a net production on food, (we export more than we eat) and not to forget a country rich in natural resources, both finite and renewable. Any person from the less-fortunate parts of the world would want to benefit from our social-democratic society in a heartbeat.

So, where does the pessimism towards our potential stem from? Well, if we take a look at what the state (not nation) of Britain was, and still is, we can quickly arrive at one of the root-causes. The state of Britain was formed as an imperialistic state made out of sub-servant nations. Its sole purpose was to take advantage of the opportunities for establishing an empire at the time of its creation. And what does any empire not want? Rebellion. An imperialistic state depends on its sub-servant nations being obedient and productive to maximise expansion, and the best way to do this is to consolidate the cultures of its member nations into a fabricated state culture. This is exactly what happened to Scotland. Our culture was taken away and replaced by British culture, leading to anyone who still involves themselves in Scottish culture being seen as alien and dissident. Up until recently, with the resurgence of nationalism, anyone seen to be indulging themselves in Scottish culture was seen as being extremely parochial and regressive. 

It is not nationalism which is regressive however, it is the British state. You do not have to look far to see the desperate attempts by Westminster to keep that fabricated 'British nation' going, just think back to the recent onslaught we received from the British media regarding the 'Jubilympics'. What Britain represents is an archaic imperialistic view of the world, and the consolidation of nations' cultures in the name of pragmatism. The fact of the matter is the British state was not born out of a unionist-fabricated romanticised love which each nation of the British Isles felt for each other – neither was it born out of a democratic vote - it was born out of pragmatism and the desire of the aristocracy to maximise their economic potential.

 I personally find it insulting when a Westminster politician tries to make out that it was the British public which chose to enter a union. That, is nonsense, the masses had no say in the matter. The people of Scotland and England were forced into a parliamentary union in 1707 by the top echelons of society in order to exploit the masses on a global scale. One of the founding principles of the British state was greed, after the union was formed the Scottish aristocracy received huge amount of capital from Westminster; no doubt arranged bribery. The people of Scotland were so annoyed at the loss of their independence, that there were months of riots in Glasgow, and marshal law had to be established in Glasgow. These initial rebellions were crushed however, and with time, British rule prevailed

So there's the historical reasons for modern disbelief among many Scots, and that's the thing about history it is harsh and unfair, but it does serve as good hindsight for how we can make progressive decisions for our nations’ future. What can be said then to make Scots believe in Scotland? Well, we have a very long list of our contributions to the world. These include industrial might (Glasgow once built a fifth of the world's shippage), creative prowess, and intellectual strength (Television, telephone, tarmac, penicillin and radar to name a few). In fact, to paraphrase the British prime-minister Winston Churchill: "Only the ancient Greeks may have contributed nearly as much too modern society as the Scots." 

Scotland can also be proud of its progressive social-democratic values. Scotland, throughout democratic history, has traditionally voted for social-democratic governments, where all citizens of our country, regardless of race, religion, sex or creed, receive equal welfare provisions. Where everyone can receive some of the best education in the world with primary, secondary and higher education provided based on the merits of the person, not their wealth. Where the most vulnerable in our society are provided the support they need by the government which we elect, not profit-driven corporations. Where all workers can be assured that the country they contribute to provides a safety-net for them for whatever ill fortune they may have. Where our public services, such as an NHS, police, fire-service, and councils are protected from cuts, and privatisation, so that they are focused on providing the best service they can to the people of their country, rather than trying to claw back the money they have lost from government cuts and not working for profit due to privatisation.

To bring this conglomeration of thoughts to a conclusion, I would say that Scotland does have a lot to be proud of, both in our history and in our modern day Scotland. Do not be fooled by the pessimistic ramblings of the unionist parties. Scotland is a country with a strong intellect, a hard-working population, a 21^st century economy that is not just stable but has the potential to become exponentially successful for our population size and progressive social-democratic values. Believe in yourself, and believe in your country; fear will only hold our country back, it is positivity that a modern Scotland needs.

Based On Principle Not Party-Politics

It is a saddening state of affairs when the independence movement is automatically assumed to be a sole SNP movement, and that everything to do with Scottish independence is to do with the SNP. The march for Scottish independence on the 22nd of September 2012 however, forever destroyed this claim. For anyone who attended the event, or indeed seen videos or photos of the event, will have seen that the independence campaign is a vast cross-party, cross-social and cross-ideological campaign that stretches far beyond the role of the SNP.

Attending the march myself I saw a myriad of different groups showing their support for the campaign, this ranged from the Scottish Socialist Party, Solidarity, Scottish Greens, LGBT, SMNT (Scottish Militant Ninja Turtles), Pensioners, Youth and Students, Women, Christians, Trade Unionists, Labour, International campaigners, SNP and those marching just out of pure principle (I also saw 'Shinty players for independence'...). The breadth and variety of the groups taking part is the main signal from the march, it is a campaign based purely out of principle not politics.

The cohesion and solidarity demonstrated by all groups at the event shows that this is a campaign based on securing the best future for Scotland, for all those who live in Scotland, not for securing political power. All participating groups in the event are fighting for the principles of a fairer society, democracy, a secure economy for future generations, and just being able to make our own decisions.

All groups involved in the campaign want a Scotland in which they can have a real say and influence on how their country is governed. To not be governed by an unrepresentative parliament, built on old-world principles of greed and imperialism, both of which values transpire well into today's world. You do not have to look far to see examples of this. Both the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan were blatant resource-grab attempts by Westminster, Iraq is one of the largest oil producers in the world and Afghanistan has the 2nd largest deposits of rare earth metals on earth.

The greed demonstrated by Westminster is also extremely prevalent in our own country. Millions suffer savage welfare cuts by Westminster which leave the most vulnerable in our society worse off. Billions per year are being pumped into a failed program of 'quantitative easing', which has inflated our currency to never before seen levels, to bail-out a failed, unregulated banking sector which is the very thing which ruined our economy. All the while high-flying bankers who caused the economic disasters are receiving bonuses in the billions and corporation-tax cuts from Westminster.

All groups at the event want an end to this mismanagement. We were marching for the principle of being able to manage our own country, and shape our destiny in a way which provides a real benefit for the people of Scotland. I want to stress by 'Scotland', I do not mean just Scots. Anyone who lives in Scotland and considers it their home, I consider just as Scottish and myself. Politics and ideological differences may divide us, but we are united through principle, standing up for fairness and self-determination.

Based on Co-operation, not separation.

Part of a short-series of articles aiming to explore the positives of the Yes campaign demonstrated in the march for independence.

Many seem to speculate on the Yes movement and draw the conclusion that in wanting independence, we are separating ourselves from the British Isles, and indeed the rest of the world. What was demonstrated on the 22^nd of September in the March & Rally for Scottish Independence however, proved quite the opposite.

Those who attended the march may have noticed the myriad of foreign flags being shown at the event; all from other small European nations such as our self, in pursuit of their own self-determination. The nations shown included: Catalonia, Flanders, Venice, Wales and the Basque Country, all of whom I dare say rivalled our show of Saltires and Lion Rampant’s.

Every nation representing themselves at the event melded together harmoniously, all chatting, dancing, and chanting together as one. What this shows is that the march was not just about Scotland’s self-determination, it represents the worldwide movement for those who want to determine their own destiny. It represents the freedom which all people desire, to be able to know that all the decisions being made in their country are fully representative of their views, aspirations, needs, and priorities.

It represents countries not wanting to be treated as a mere region, which is only there in the central governments’ mind to finance the capital, or to be used as a mere stepping stone to power. Scotland, and all other small European nations, just want to be a part of the world. We want to co-operate together as equal partners to create a fairer, more democratic world which the people of small nations like our own have a chance to contribute to and shape the world we live in, by having our voices fully represented on a national and international scale, not being filtered through an unrepresentative parliament.

The enthusiasm for co-operation demonstrated at the march by all nations just shows how well people get along when they put their views across as equal partners from different countries, because then it can be assured that both sides are fully representative of the people’s views, not a compromise from being part of a dysfunctional union in which unequal nations are said to have an equal input on an international scale.

Scotland does not want independence based purely on our desire to separate ourselves from the rest of the world. We want to be a part of, and contribute to the world. We want to work closely with our European and international neighbours to create a fairer and more democratic world.

Scottish Food & Drink Industry Booming.

The most recent reports from the Scottish Government show that the Scottish food & drink industry is booming. Recent statistics show that the whole industry is worth an estimated £5.4bn to the Scottish economy. In stark contrast to the many news stories published concerning how many British industries are on the decline, the Scottish food & drink industry is in fact, on the rise, and has exceeded previous expectations. 

The original expectations were to increase the industry value to £5.1 billion by 2017. A figure which was already surpassed six years ago. Whiskey, the main product for Scotland in the industry, in 2011 was worth an estimated £4.23 billion (a 23% rise on 2010).

Our exports have seen a major rise. France is up 18%, with £825 million. The USA is up 30%, with £726 million. Exports in Asia have seen a large rise of 44%, Singapore totals £319 million, and China totals £92 million.

What this demonstrates is the strength and ingenuity of the Scottish people & economy even in hard times when the British economy is falling further into recession, economic output is severely flat-lining, and budget deficit reductions are doing virtually nothing to help our total debt of £1 trillion. This recent growth in the Scottish economy however will do nothing to benefit Scotland if the revenues are just going into subsidising a failing economic policy that is dragging the country further into recession.

With independence, (you knew this was coming) Scotland could have full control over all its economic levers and ensure fully that growths in our economy can go back into benefiting the Scottish economy, and not into the pockets of Westminster. It is a well-known fact that Scotland contributes more to the union than we get in return. The GERS report (Government Expenditure & Revenues Scotland) concluded that we have 8.4% of the UK population, contribute 9.6% of the tax revenues,(not counting  and receive 9.3% of government spending. 

With all revenues from the Scottish economy going back into the Scottish economy, we could multiply the growth we have seen under the status quo exponentially.

It is preposterous to state that a government which Scotland did not vote for, who has a completely different political standing from the vast majority of Scottish voters, and is London-centric in its policies can deliver an economic plan for Scotland which will fully ensure that our economy properly grows.

A detailed breakdown of the revenues from foreign exports is provided here:

2011 food and drink exports:Total food: £1.16bn – up 8.6% on 2010 – up 62% on 2007
Total drink: £4.23bn – up 23% on 2010 – up 50% on 2007

Top 5 whisky markets 2011:United States: £655m (+31%)
France: £535m (+27%)
Singapore: £318m (+44%)
Spain: £259m (-3.4%)
South Africa: £166m (-1.9%)

Top 5 Food Markets 2011:France: £289.3m (+5%)
Irish Republic: £103.9m (+5.8%)
Spain: £87.4m (+0.7%)
Italy: £79.7m  (+16.1%)
Germany: £75.5m (+3.6%)

Why the political union simply doesn't work.

Many people think that in the UK, Scotland is as equally represented as any other member nation in the UK. There is a parliament which is elected by the people, for the people, by the proportion of the population in each area of the UK, right? Well, yes, but the problem of the political framework of the UK does not lie in the system of voting, it is the nature of the parliament and union itself.

Everyone will agree that Scotland and England have one thing we both seem destined never to agree on, politics. England is traditionally a Conservative voting nation, whilst Scotland is traditionally a Labour voting nation (well, SNP now, but Labour's a better example for the time being). You would think that these conflicted views would be represented by the elected government. Unfortunately that is not the case.

Time and time again Scotland has received the party which we never vote for, and probably never will vote for, but we have been still been governed by the Tory's on lot's of occasions. When looking at this from an objective viewpoint, this seems a bit off. A country which is meant to be an equal member of the UK, gets the government it is bent on avoiding, and only plenty of occasions has shafted Scotland to the point of obscenity (think Ravenscraig-esque).

The best example of this would be to look back onto the Thatcher years. Did we vote for the Tory's then? No. Did our vote for the Tory's increase whilst they were in power? No, it actually fell year on year. Margaret Thatcher's philosophy of free-market capitalism, privatisation and greed is good totally collides with the common psyche of the Scottish people.

This is a prime reason why the modern Scotland we live in needs independence, our political views are almost the complete opposite with the views of the ruling nation of the UK. (Let's face it, it is.) In the current political framework it is impossible for us to get the government we desire is our votes are swamped by English votes south of the border. It is only pure chance which sometimes gets us the government we actually  want. 

An independent Scottish Government would be able to be fully representative of the votes of its people. Not filtered and swamped out by the votes of another nation which almost has completely different views from Scotland. An independent Scottish parliament would be able to work directly for the Scottish people, and not be used as a mere stepping stone for other parties in England, to gain power in Westminster.

It would also be a good opportunity for Labour to start fresh, and re-discover its roots which made the party connect effectively with the Scottish people, and would really be able to benefit the Scottish society, as it would be a Scottish party working for Scotland, not Sullyhill.

It is important that Scotland looks to its future now, and does not dwell on the mistreatment of the past. We have always been a nation that has been able to be innovate and intuitive when faced with harsh times. It is time for a Scottish Government which can make it happen for the Scottish people. 

New Investment Plans for North Sea Oil Industry.

There has been recent heavy investment into the North Sea oil industry, as the Norwegian state-owned oil giant Statoil has announced it will a total of £18 billion in total into the industry to keep their fields pumping up until at least 2057.

In terms of the employment in the industry, the new investments plans will provide a massive boost. It is expected that 300 new jobs will be available in a new operation centre in Aberdeen, and a further 700 will be created in the process of the investment plans being implemented.

The plans came to light when David Cameron was on a visit to Norway. Some may say that this is a sign that the oil wealth will go to helping all areas of the UK, as it was the UK prime minister which signed the deal. That, unfortunately, is not the case. It has been shown that throughout the course of the North Sea oil history that Scotland rarely sees the effect of a £1.5 trillion industry, as all the revenues goes straight down to the London Exchequer.


The oil revenues raise an average of £30 billion per year across the whole of the UK, and since Scotland has 90% of the reserves, that means we should be getting £27 billion of the revenues surely. Again however, that does not happen. What we receive is a budget that gets shrunk each year; the budget we received last year amounted to £23 billion, which means Westminster gets £4 billion of the revenues Scotland made.

This recent heavy investment into the industry once again proves that the Scottish economy is thriving, and no doubt has the potential to prosper even further if we gain independence. As it means that the revenues we accrue can go directly to helping the people, industries, infrastructure and the society of Scotland as whole.

These recent events also should trump any argument saying that our oil industry is not profitable enough to help our nation survive on its own, or is dwindling fast. Unfortunately though, no amount of heavy investment into the industry will block out the scaremongering from the media, government and unionists.

It is only with full independence form Westminster that Scotland can truly show what it can do when competing on the global market, and to truly provide a secure and viable economic future for Scotland that will benefit the welfare of our society, which is undoubtedly the most important issue in any nation. Not fighting pointless wars or keeping needless weapons of mass destruction on our doorstep.

New Oil & Gas Industry Long-Term Plans.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, has today revealed that he plans to put forward a long-term plan for Scotland's oil and gas industry, which to date is the largest industry sector in the UK. The industry contributes a fifth of UK corporation tax, and supports 440'000 UK-wide jobs. So it is vital that a long-term strategy is made to secure its future so it is a viable industry for Scotland, especially in the case of independence.

Although much speculation has been drawn to the viability of Scotland's oil industry by our unionist friends, there is still no doubt that the industry is a thriving one and has contributed much more to the Scottish economy than anything else has in recent years.

The industry has been functioning for the best part of 40 years now and has pumped an estimated 40 billion BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) worth approximately £300 billion in terms of revenue, into the London exchequer. Whilst some may think the oil fields are drying up, there is still an estimated £1.5 trillion value of revenue still to be found in Scotland's geographical share of the oil fields. That figure has risen since the last estimate of £1.2 trillion. The UK-wide debt stands at £1 trillion, to which our share of the debt would be £100 billion.

Out-with the UK, the government is also investing heavily in securing investment from foreign markets. The organisation Scottish Development International (SDI) is to be expected to invest in growing markets in such areas as, Norway, Brasil & West Africa. The investment in those areas is to be built on the success of the establishment of an SDI base in Calgary, Canada.

What this proves is that Scotland, as a whole. Does have the potential to be an international leader in the markets we pursue, forget the arguments that we are too wee and too poor to possibly compete with larger nations around the world. All it takes is motivation and ingenuity, a trait which the Scottish people have shown their fair share of throughout history.

Under the current status quo however, Scotland is very limited in its ability to invest in our industries, with our constantly shrinking budget provided by Westminster. Some may say that it is the budget we receive which keeps our economy afloat. The reality however is the complete opposite, Scotland contributes £50 billion a year into the exchequer in terms of tax and revenues, yet we only receive on average, £23 billion back each year. 

The plan aims to further the astronomical success delivered by our North Sea oil revenues, and to secure a future for the industry when new fields are discovered. The plan draws up six main points that need to be addressed:

* Strengthen domestic supply chain - with greater focus on resource recovery and targeting £30 billion in total annual sales by 2020;

* Increase proportion of sales from exports - so international activity, having risen from 31 to 46 per cent from 2002 to 2010, reaches 60 per cent (£18 billion) by 2020;

* Identify clear priorities for innovation and accelerating technology deployment - including long-term research & development plan and greater co-ordination of public funds to support rise in recovery rates with a minimum long-term target of 50 per cent;

* Promote new and emerging opportunities for supply chain companies - for example in offshore wind, carbon capture & storage (CCS) and decommissioning;

* Ensure sector attracts young people and supports increase in skills availability - emphasising long-term nature of industry and, through closer liaison between sector employers and with education institutions, better-identify specific needs for provision;

* Continue to promote Scotland as key location for O&G investment - through communications and support for key infrastructure projects.