Power Broking Scots Daydream Alarm Call: The Greece Of The North
FRONTIER News: Scots are legendary for being thoroughly mean and getting the best value for their fourpenny silver groat.
Racing pundit and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond must have felt he was being given a solid kicking in the sporran this morning when The Herald carried a Page One lead featuring a Citigroup analysis of Salmond’s perfect finishing post: Full Scottish independence and 100 per cent renewable energy in place by 2020. Citigroup was warning off power giants from investing in the renewables scheme because they could end up with money trapped in a Scots’ economic black hole if independence goes ahead.
A Green Dream turning to carbon ash moment?
Both independence and the 100 per cent renewable energy plans are being derided in certain quarters.
Ye’ll no take my Freedom
But the power’s for sale
The Scottish Nationalist leader is now being hounded to hold his independence referendum at once by a more than slightly concerned British national parliament with both Houses of Lords and Commons waking up to the idea the irritating Scots still have a tribal nature and want to shake of the intolerable yoke of English suppression. The fear is the UK economy will disappear into Highland peat bogs along with the financially crippled Bravehearts.
Figures produced today by Citigroup analyst Peter Atherton round out at £46 billion – or £9,000 per head of the Scots entire 5.1m population – to set up Salmond’s dreamed for 100 per cent renewal energy base. That is, wind, solar, hydro and wave power. It would then cost a mere extra £ 4 billion annually – £800 per head – to sustain. But, says the SNP, Scotland is – most of the day – a net exporter of power….more money for the Edinburgh exchequer.
Worth the English, Welsh and Northern Irish remembering the Scots also gave you Sir Fred Goodwin and his Royal Bank of Scotland. Before Westminster cuts the apron strings, it could ask where the money is and get it back.
There is very little to worry the chubby but cuddly Salmond. As a highly respected horse racing tipster (true), his double for 2020 would be
Freedom! and all energy bills payable in FPDs the new world currency:
Floating Point Drachma (never knowingly redeemed)…
Posted: 2nd, November 2011 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
