IT is reported today that the Tories have started love-bombing Scotland with the promise of thousands of government jobs and an
end to what they now admit as having being a "Westminster knows best" approach ("The Tories’ tails are rising as the pre-Holyrood election love-bombing begins", The Herald, March 15). Before being swayed by these commitments, however, Scottish
voters would do well to learn lessons from the past.
In 1974 the UK Government commissioned Professor Gavin McCrone to report on the economic effect of Scottish independence in the light of the recent discovery of North Sea oil. Prof McCrone concluded that the country would be in chronic financial surplus to an almost embarrassing degree and its currency would become the hardest in Europe with the possible exception of the Norwegian Kroner. This report was immediately classified as secret and was not published until 30 years later. In the meantime the UK Government rubbished claims that the discovery of oil in Scottish waters would have anything like this outcome. Now it says in effect, too bad, you missed your chance then and we have spent all the revenue.