NORDIC WEALTH SHOWS 21st CENTURY PARTNERSHIP IS WAY FORWARD

NORDIC WEALTH SHOWS 21st CENTURY PARTNERSHIP IS WAY FORWARD

IMF DEMOLISH OPPOSITION CLAIMS ON NEIGHBOURING ECONOMIES

NORWEGIAN OIL FUND IS WAY FORWARD FOR SCOTLAND

Speaking before an event held in the Scottish Parliament today (Tuesday) by the Centre for Scottish Public Policy about the success of the Nordic countries SNP MSP Dr Alasdair Allan, who will be representing the SNP at the event, highlighted how the latest International Monetary Fund (IMFD) projections for the next 5 years demolish the London parties claims about independence and the economies of Nordic countries.

According the IMF’s latest projections all the Nordic countries will be far richer per head than the UK in 2014 and will grow richer over that 5 year period.. Even Iceland remains richer per head than the UK with the gap increasing over the UK. Norway’s wealth per head far and away dwarfs all the others because of its oil fund.

Dr Allan said the figures exploded the smears London politicians had been making about Nordic economies and underlined why the SNP’s belief in a 21st century partnership was the right way forward for all the countries of the British Isles.

Dr Allan said:

“Research shows that the Nordic countries are some of the happiest in the world but if we were to believe the London parties they are sinking in a sea of debt whilst the UK is the greatest economy in the world.

“However the projections from the IMF expose those smears as pure myth. It is they who have to answer why they want to continue a failing 18th century union instead of a 21st century partnership like the Nordic countries.

“No one can deny that every country in the world has had to face up to some real economic challenges but the reaction of the London parties to the issues faced by Iceland and Norway was particularly misleading. It exposed their myopia about the weakness of the UK.

“Today they have a chance to apologise for their claims about those countries and admit they were wrong about them. That the IMF has shown those countries’ underlying strength in these figures makes their claims look rather weak and it is they who will have to do the explaining. Or will they be continuing with their fairy tales and telling Denmark and Norway they would be better off as part of the Kalmar Union?

"These figures also show how Scotland could benefit from an oil fund like Norway. It's Scotland's oil and gas industry which is the only thing keeping Labour’s Treasury afloat.

“And over the next six years, £50 billion worth of North Sea revenues will flow to the London exchequer to shore up the UK's precarious finances.

"That figure alone represents over £20,000 for every household in Scotland.

"In the 1970's requests for an oil fund were turned down - a repetition of this failure by Labour in the 21st century would be unforgivable.

"That’s why Scotland needs more SNP MPs at Westminster to champion Scotland's interests. To fight for Scotland's oil wealth to benefit our local communities – and be as prosperous as our Nordic neighbours."