Norway know how

Despite improving figures, the latest GERS report once again highlights the complete mess successive Westminster governments have made of Scotland’s finances and are no indicator of how an independent country would fare.

Since 1964 Norway has earned £381 billion more in direct North Sea oil and gas revenues than the UK, despite the UK extracting 4.7 per cent more oil and gas. Even since the 2015 oil crash Norway has made £29bn while the UK earned just £208 million last year at a time when European oil giants are making more profits than they did when oil was at more than $100 a barrel.

As well as growing the economy, an independent Scotland would immediately reduce the GERS notion al deficit by severalbillion through not having to pay its share of the interest on the UK’S horrendous national debt, plus a billion a year on the share of defence expenditure attributed to Scotland.

With a GDP per capita higher than the UK as a whole and a healthy trade surplus, unlike the rest of the UK, there is no economic reason Scotland would not be a successful independent nation.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh With the GERS annual pantomime season underway, we are informed once again that Scotland remains too wee, poor and stupid to dream about being an independent country again.

Fervent British Nationalist politicians take to the airwaves with glee to highlight the generosity of hardworking English taxpayers who willingly subsidise us impoverished Scots, by clothing us, feeding us and putting a roof over our heads.

Where is the dignity or ambition to do better?

If 310 years of Westminster rule has left this resource-rich country as a fiscal basket case, it takes a monumental leap of imagination to argue this is good reason for yet another 310 years of Westminster rule.

Meanwhile, in the real world, independent Norway’s sovereign oil fund is about to hit $1 trillion, while UK debt is about to hit £2 trillion.

Paying taxes and homage to the government in London is confirmed as a failed model. Time to try something different. DAVID FLETT

Queen Street Bannockburn, Stirlingshire

Letters for publication, which we reserve the right to edit, must have a full address and phone number. Send to: ❚ The Editor, The Scotsman, Level 7, Orchard Brae House, 30 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh EH4 2HS; ❚ lettersts@scotsman.com; ❚ or by fax on 0131-311 7595