Help Talking-up Scotland keep going

Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going

Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421

In terms of GDP, energy, food and drink exports, number of graduates, universities, water and other resources, would Scotland be a far greater loss for the rest of the UK?

Yes. On those real-economy measures, Scotland would be a far larger loss to the remaining UK than Northern Ireland.

Scotland is about 8 per cent of UK GDP; Northern Ireland is about 2 per cent. Scotland’s sales to the rest of the UK are on the order of £50 billion-plus a year and around 60 per cent of its external sales. NI–GB trade is much smaller. Losing Scotland therefore removes a larger customer, supplier and internal market.

Energy. A geographic split of the continental shelf would assign most remaining North Sea oil and gas to Scotland, plus a large share of UK offshore wind potential. Scotland is already a net electricity exporter to England (historically on the order of 15–20 TWh a year). Northern Ireland has no comparable hydrocarbon endowment and is not a material energy supplier to Great Britain.

Food and drink. Scotland punches far above its population weight. Scotch whisky is the UK’s dominant drinks export (around £5 billion a year in recent figures). Scottish salmon is the UK’s top food export (around £800 million-plus). Scotland has been reported as accounting for about 30 per cent of UK food-and-drink export value. Northern Ireland has important agri-food trade, especially with Ireland, but nothing on that scale for the rest of the UK’s export basket.

Universities and graduates. Scotland has about 19 universities and around 300,000 students; Northern Ireland has four institutions and about 60,000. Scotland has four ancient universities and several research-intensive ones (Edinburgh and Glasgow are in the Russell Group). That is a larger share of UK higher-education capacity, research output and graduate production than NI, even after allowing for population.

Water and other resources. Scotland has a large freshwater surplus relative to population. There is no significant pipeline or bulk export of Scottish water to England today; official answers have said bulk transfer is not economically viable and is not planned. The resource exists as a future option and as a domestic asset (hydro, industry, climate resilience). Northern Ireland does not offer a comparable surplus to Great Britain. Forestry, fisheries, space for renewables and a long coastline add to the same picture: Scotland is resource-rich in ways NI is not.

Output, energy, exports, skills and natural resources lost: Scotland is in a different league.

Help Talking-up Scotland keep going

Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going

Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421