McCrone Report and Oil

Thanks to a number of posters and tweeters who've been sending links to blogs and articles on the concerted effort by the Westminster government to suppress Prof Gavin McCrone's report on oil and the case for Scottish independence in 1975 (left). Here's a link to a good summary from the Independent when the report was finally unearthed in 2005 after Freedom of Information action http://tinyurl.com/3snn2h and here's the actual document from the Scottish Government website http://bit.ly/xVB3Pn . In his report Gavin said discovery of oil was a total game-changer and made the case for Scottish independence irresistible. However the Prof also listed underlying problems for Scotland inc persistent poverty, inequality, under performance etc. His report was just one report – albeit a compelling one – and his optimistic prognosis was written (and suppressed) almost 40 years ago. So it may prove that Scotland was denied information about the credible case that could be made for a better, independent, oil-fuelled economic and political future then -- but it may not prove Scotland can now depend on those depleted oil and gas reserves alone to overcome our structural economic and social problems. Important documents like this should be in the public domain and read by all Scots – so do have a read and make your own mind up. Another interesting related article is http://tinyurl.com/6rkqkl4 -- a Scotsman piece from Feb 2012 about the Attorney General's refusal to release documents about a Cabinet devolution debate in 1997on the grounds it would "undermine the operation of government." Only second time such a refusal has occurred. Hmmm. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder what's being kept from public view now.

Comments

[Katherine Carington Smith]

Excellent piece Lesley, thanks for giving this matter the publicity. We can only guess at what else is lying buried in the vaults at Westminster about the case for Scottish independence and the Scottish economy, after all, we don't kow what the figures for Scottish oil actually are, especially since Tony Blair annexed 6000 square miles of Scottish waters to England in 1999 http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2012/01/scotlandengland-maritime-boundaries/ contrary to Continental Shelf (Jurisdiction) Order 1968 (No. 892 - 7 June 1968 http://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/GBR_1968_Order892.pdf The figures for those 6000 square miles are not known to the Scots.

[The1truescott]

The issue isn't just the fact that a Government which is purported to be at the forefront of the fight to liberate peoples around the world, lied to it's own people and used legislation designed to protect the state from foreign powers at the time of war, in order to feather their own bed...

The issue must also be the lost years following McCrone, years when Scotland could have grown and prospered from her own resources. Instead, we were subjected to the poll tax, and Thatcherism.

Our national infrastructure, roads and rail networks are a joke! Our children are among the poorest in Western Europe and we have a lower than average life expectancy.

A direct comparison with Norway is very valid. They found oil and gas in the North sea in the 70s (less than Scotland's) and they now have a massive petroleum fund (now renamed to the pension fund), which will underwrite their economies transition from petroleum, to other income streams, once their oil runs out.

They are the largest state holder of stocks in Europe!

Norway's petroleum fund: $573 Billion (as of 31 Dec 2011).
Scotland's petroleum fund: £0.00

[rodmac]

Thanks for this Lesley, It still amazes me how many Scots don't know about this document yet.
It may only be the tip of the iceberg though, and as you rightly point out, there has been interesting developments recently on suppression of Information from Westminster, with the Veto being used on two FOI requests. The Veto has only been used three times since FOI came into being, twice for cabinet discussions on devolution, the other? The Iraq war!

Here is a piece I wrote a while back.

http://auldacquaintance.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/mccrone-deja-vu/

[Erchie]

It's a he'll of an argument Lesley

You COULD have gone it alne then, but we've ruined you beyond repair!

Positive case for the Union!

[bigbuachaille]

Here is a comment I posted on Auld Acquaintance. The sentiments are relevant to your admirable blog on the topic.
You are really doing us proud.
I am convinced that if the facts behind the McCrone Report (not to mention the Scottish-English Maritime Borders Scandal) were generally known, we would be a substantial way along the route to independence. Falsification of the facts, dissimulation and secrecy have been the default position of successive Westminster Governments.. We really need Scottish journalists and broadcasters to take the initiative and publish / broadcast the full facts. There are a number of high-profile journalists and broadcasters whose opinions are highly rated by the general public – a proportion of the population which is entirely ignorant of the two scandals to which I have referred. It cannot be left to the SNP to make the running on this matter, as the Unionists will simply decry it as politicking.
Scottish journalists and broadcasters, wake up!
If the truth is so important to Westminster for the regime to conceal it, it is certainly in the public interest that you draw this to the attention of the voters.