I dont think scotlands the most violent country in europe , i have always recieved a warm welcome north of the border.
The schitzophrenic english should smell the coffee!
Oh by the way would you like Gordon back to run your new country?

mark weeks, bristol,

What about the years when the oil price was say.... US$20/bbl? Scotland obviously was sponsored by the rest of the UK, will they be paying all this back if/when they get their independence?

Cloggy, Once in Scotland now in Englan, UK

It is funny that not many English commented here...Lol

Sunil, Edinburgh, Scotland

Thanks are due to Jason Allardyce and The Times for printing this story. No, repeat no newspaper or television programme in Scotland would ever dream of reporting it. As part of the conspiracy to lie to the Scots ( and by default the English) about the true fiscal situation they keep us in the dark.

Ian, Edinburgh, Scotland

Yes, Sam. Maybe they can do something positive with the money for its people and reverse the trends, rather than it being blown on nuclear weapons, millennium domes and whatever else. Bring the North Briton to court!

Bob, London,

Cally Ellis, Manama, Bahrain
In 2004/5 Scotland contributed over £48bn to the Treasury with oil at $45boe, you will be no doubt aware how much of that returned to Scotland.

The Great Deception - GERS 2005
By Niall Aslen
http://www.alba.org.uk/scotching/greatdeception.html

livilion, livingston , West Lothian

The figures presented are a little misleading and unfortunately add fuel to an emotionally charged issue. 2.8 mboe/day (million barrels of oil equivalent (includes gas)) are produced in the UK.Only if you take this into account and the tax take of 20% do we get to the figure of £12.2bln per year.

Andrew Douglas, Finavon, Scoland

Approx 1.9 mboe/day is attributable to Scottish production, and would give approx £8bln in revenue at 20% tax take (GBrown doubled the tax take in 2005) and £60/bbl ($120). It costs around £9bln a year to run Scotland. The question is how long our reserves will last? But the next 10yrs looks rosy.

Andrew Douglas, Finavon, Scoland

Lets not forget that Scotland will be reclaiming its fishing grounds which are 75% of all European Fish Stocks. No more illegal fishing and just think about fish prices to the rest of the UK and Europe. If you dont buy, then you dont eat. Asia will take it or perhaps Russia. 10 more billion a year.

Mike, Edinburgh, Republic of Scotland

Thank you Sam, London. It's appreciated.

We can't wait to not have nuclear weapons and to not be at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once we have our independence we will be able to spend money on things that matter. Health, eradication of poverty, etc. You guys carry on the way you always have.

tris, dundee, scotland

Following the recent cash calls by RBS and HBOS to cover debts, if Scotland does get independence lets hope their government runs things better than their banks!

John, Lincolnshire, UK

the life expectancy in Glasgow is the lowest for any city in the developed world, Scotland is the most violent country in the developed world, and they are the heaviest drinkers. you are welcome to your independence.

Sam, London, England

I am lost for words. Why, oh! why do my countrymen/women continue to vote for Labour. Hopefully, with Brown in power this trend is beginning to change. I thing the SNP will gain a huge number of seats in 2010. Roll on the referendum. Then we will see how my English cousins fair without our OIL!

Anne, Glasgow, SCOTLAND

Finally the experts are starting to see what has been known to SNP activists for years. 1. Continuing high oil prices. Thanks Tony Blair. 2. Cutting corporationtax will bring massive investment to Scotland. The Thatcher drain will run the opposite direction. Thanks Alec Salmond

Dave Llewellyn, Portree Skye, Scotland

Re Sounds fantastic.

England is a country within the United Kingdom. not the benefactor of Scotland. The oil was extracted by private companies and the BRITISH government taxed it. Care to comment on how much money the BRITISH economy has made from the oil ?

David Mitchell , Dalgety Bay, Scotland

To Cally Ellis of Bahrain. England didn't pay a penny to get the Oil out, the Oil companies did that.

The English papers are far more honest that their Scottish 'Unionist' counterparts when it comes to facts and figures re Scotland's wealth. Thanks, these figures are dynamite.

Brian Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland

Perhaps after this all the anti Scottish subsidy junkie myths will stop.
This revenue is as much Scotland's as the revenue generated in the city is London's /Englands.
So perhaps we can have some honest reporting of the truth .
We are all being milked by Westminster

R MacLeod, Glasgow, Scotland

Cally Ellis, Mananma Bahrain:

England hasn't paid any investment to get the oil out of the North Sea, this was largely done by private multinational corporations. Taxpayers from Scotland or England didn't fund any of this infrastructure or investment. The Government taxed the proceeds though.

Argus, Edinburgh, Scotland

andy, lyon

Scots aren't even the heaviest smokers in Europe either. The Greeks are. The Germans, French, Swiss, Dutch, Italians and Spanish all smoke more too. Even the healthy Scandinavians smoke more than the Scots.

Argus, Edinburgh, Scotland

This confirms that the Westminster System is poison to not only the Scottish Nation, but in fact to the other Nations of England and Wales. We are living in a society in which the Government is Corrupt and is a leading example to the many, that dishonesty and lies are quite normal. Shame on Brown.

Mike, Edinburgh, Republic of Scotland

Sounds Fantastic - let them be independent, give them a deadline for repaying all the investment that England has made to get the oil out of the ground and cut them loose. Anyone care to comment on how long and to what value Scotland has been a net beneficiary of UK taxes/Treasury?

Cally Ellis, Manama, Bahrain

Of course we won't be allowed our oil money. It's been propping up illegal wars and UK politicians' posturing on the world stage for decades (not to mention expenses). They're not about to give that up, to let us live like Norwegians.

tris, dundee, scotland

Andy,Lyon
Most recent surveys point to the fact that while alcohol consumption remains high it's not the highest in Europe, as Finns, Russians, English, Welsh and others all drink on average more than the Scots
btw-25% of Scots kids in poverty and you want to keep depriving them. How fair minded..

Oskar, Glasgow, Scotland

Despite their relative poverty the Scots are already the heaviest drinkers and smokers in Europe... Imagine if their pockets were stuffed full of surplus euros ... they would surely drink and smoke themselves to death . .. it doesn't bear thinking about.

andy , Lyon, France

Many of us have known this for a long time.

The London parties Labour, Tories and Lib Dems have also known this for years, but wish to deny us the right to run our own Country and benefit from our resources.

While we are surrounded by oil, we pay more than most for fuel and other resources.

Archie, Argyll, Scotland