UK govt: "independent Scotland could become "the Kuwait of the West”"

[(((Fergus)))]

n 1975 the prospect of Scottish independence — the SNP then had 11 MPs and a third of the popular vote — and its impact on North Sea oil revenues loomed large in the discussions. The British Government anticipated the “most serious difficulties” for the English economy should an independent Scotland have become “the Kuwait of the West” and secure a majority of revenue from oil.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6853048.ece

Kept this quiet at the time, didn't they?

[Hainan Hibs]

Will be swept under the carpet by Unionists, "nothing to see here, move on"

Unionists are up there with the Yams.

[(((Fergus)))]

Where are all the Uncle Toms that usually post on here?

Surely they can help explain this away. :agree:

[Woody1985]

I think this has been covered on the independance thread or certainly similar stories.

[hibsbollah]

Saddam wouldnt have dared to invade us though, with all our lovely Trident submarines:duck:

[ancient hibee]

Will be swept under the carpet by Unionists, "nothing to see here, move on"

Unionists are up there with the Yams.
And you're a clown.

[ancienthibby]

And you're a clown.

And YOU are an even bigger clown!!:devil:

[lyonhibs]

Kuwait of the West - what with about 2% of the population owning circa 90% of the wealth and a large proprtion of the rest living in abject poverty.

Sounds absolutely spiffing...................:rolleyes:

And remind me, which country is Kuwait constitutionally part of, which - like it or not - means that Kuwait doesn't actually legally own the pipelines to benefit from its oil??

Oh wait, it is - and always has been in modern times as far as I'm aware - an entirely independent country, so has never had to overcome any of the fairly major logistical hurdles an fully Independent Scotland would have to overcome (which I don't believe, faced with the reality, it would be able to) before being able to benefit from "our" oil.

So, a comparison that is riddled with problems right from the off - what a surprise!

[ancienthibby]

Kuwait of the West - what with about 2% of the population owning circa 90% of the wealth and a large proprtion of the rest living in abject poverty.

Sounds absolutely spiffing...................:rolleyes:

And remind me, which country is Kuwait constitutionally part of, which - like it or not - means that Kuwait doesn't actually legally own the pipelines to benefit from its oil??

Oh wait, it is - and always has been in modern times as far as I'm aware - an entirely independent country, so has never had to overcome any of the fairly major logistical hurdles an fully Independent Scotland would have to overcome (which I don't believe, faced with the reality, it would be able to) before being able to benefit from "our" oil.

So, a comparison that is riddled with problems right from the off - what a surprise!

And your point, caller, is........precisely what??

[--------]

Kuwait of the West - what with about 2% of the population owning circa 90% of the wealth and a large proprtion of the rest living in abject poverty.

Sounds absolutely spiffing...................:rolleyes:

And remind me, which country is Kuwait constitutionally part of, which - like it or not - means that Kuwait doesn't actually legally own the pipelines to benefit from its oil??

Oh wait, it is - and always has been in modern times as far as I'm aware - an entirely independent country, so has never had to overcome any of the fairly major logistical hurdles an fully Independent Scotland would have to overcome (which I don't believe, faced with the reality, it would be able to) before being able to benefit from "our" oil.

So, a comparison that is riddled with problems right from the off - what a surprise!


Up till the end of the First World war, Kuwait was part of the Ottoman Empire.

The boundaries of the sheikhdom were only finalised in 1922.

Then up till the 1960's Kuwait was an "independent sheikdom under British protectorate".

It only became fully independent of British control in 1961.

So unless you're re-defining the concept of 'modern times', you're wrong. Kuwait hasn't been an entirely independent country in modern times. It's had the Turks ruling, it's had to resist a takeover from the Saudis, it's been a British 'protectorate' and it's had Saddam's Republican Guard as unwanted guests.

Kuwait has had plenty of hurdles to overcome in the last 100 years of its existence. I'm not quite sure on what basis you assume that we Scots couldn't overcome similar hurdles in the event of our gaining OUR independence.

[Hainan Hibs]

And you're a clown.

I do love the coloured wigs:greengrin

[RyeSloan]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6853048.ece

Kept this quiet at the time, didn't they?

Interesting to note that the document states:

"Growth was not necessarily a certainty in Scotland either, Its manufacturing base — the shipyards and the car plants — was contracting, cautioned Garlick, and an independent country “would inherit a serious and deteriorating employment and industrial situation” and probably a popular opposition to “profits”."

And quotes Scotland as a Kuwait of the west as a reference to the fact that a majority of it's income would be based soley on Oil.

It's debatable whether this is actually a comparison that could be treated as a good one or a bad one.....a country being so heavily dependent on one source of income can be a risky idea indeed.

It is also very debatable if the two countries can even be compared and even more debatable if there is anything in the govermental and social set of Kuwait that Scotland should be wanting to emulate.



So 'they' did indeed keep it quiet at the time but it's hardly

[ancient hibee]

And YOU are an even bigger clown!!:devil:

And YOU are a still bigger clown.Nah nah nah nah nah.

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 PM ----------


I do love the coloured wigs:greengrin

What about the floppy shoes?Where is Haikou anyway?

[Hainan Hibs]

And YOU are a still bigger clown.Nah nah nah nah nah.

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 PM ----------



What about the floppy shoes?Where is Haikou anyway?

It's on an island called Hainan in China, about a 50 minute flight from Hong Kong. Was teaching English there, afraid I'm in Aberdeen now studying. (talk about a come down:greengrin)

[ancient hibee]

It's on an island called Hainan in China, about a 50 minute flight from Hong Kong. Was teaching English there, afraid I'm in Aberdeen now studying. (talk about a come down:greengrin)
A son of a friend was teaching English in that region a few years ago-Christopher Little-he's back here also.

[Sumner]

Kuwait with snow and ice, and ice cream vans, and teenage mums, with flats.