The view google sniper Butler: After defeating Xavier to end the regular google sniper 24-7 Butler is seeded fifth in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Read more about the eventPORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – After the earthquake , the hurricane and cholera , now
comes the presidential election, which Haitians pray is not another disaster. Andrew Ebbett and Jannik Hansen both had a goal and two assists as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Nashville Predators 7-4 on Thursday night.
LAS VEGAS – Tablets and smartphones took the spotlight at the Consumer Electronics Show on Thursday, with Motorola, Samsung and LG showering attendees with dozens of faster and more powerful devices that will reach consumer hands this year. SNP claims oil revenues would have made Scotland better off than rest of UK last year but opponents disagree with analysisThe Scottish independence movement has seized on new figures showing that Scotland’s public finances were stronger than the UK’s after a bumper year for North Sea oil income.John Swinney, the Scottish finance secretary, said the annual Scottish public spending report showed that with a full geographic share of North Sea revenues in 2011-12, the overall balance of payments was relatively better than the UK’s as a whole by some £845 a person in that year.The Scottish National
party and the Yes Scotland independence campaign said the new figures, released on Wednesday, again showed that leaving the UK would make Scotland a comparatively wealthier country.But
that claim was vigorously contested by their opponents.The pro-UK parties said an internal Scottish government economy paper, leaked to the pro-UK Better Together campaign, had proved
that ministers had admitted in private oil revenues were a volatile and unreliable source of income.An
independent Scotland could put its oil income into a reserve fund, but it would require further public spending cuts and greater spending on quangos and government bureaucracy, while it needed to spend more money in future to support Scotland’s more rapidly ageing population.The paper admitted that the UK Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions helped absorb sharp swings in tax incomes: “This will imply more volatility in overall spending than at present.
[This] also implies a degree of uncertainty in revenue and therefore in public finances, requiring a higher degree of resilience and innovative planning.”The document, written for the Scottish cabinet, said its finances under independence would be more volatile, would be worse off than the UK in
2016-17, when its share of UK tax revenues would fall to 8.8%, and have a significant debt burden – inherited from the UK – which it would need to manage.The
official government expenditure and revenue Scotland (Gers) statistics showed that in 2011-12, if a full geographical share of North Sea oil and gas revenues was included, Scotland generated 9.9% of total UK revenues while taking 9.3%
of total UK spending.In four of the last five years, with a full geographical share of oil and gas revenues, Scotland was less in debt than the UK as a whole. That was a relative difference for Scotland of £12.6bn.
Opinion polls have shown support for independence increases if voters think they will be £500 a year better off.But
the figures also confirmed that since 2007-08 Scotland’s net fiscal balance varied considerably: even with a full share of oil and gas revenues, its deficit varied from a low of -2.6% to a high of -10.7%,
or £14.5bn.The Gers report confirmed that per capita, Scotland receives more per head on public spending than the UK average. While it had 8.4%
of the UK’s population, it received 9.3%
of public spending, at £64.5bn.Disregarding North Sea oil and gas income, which flows directly to the UK Treasury, Scotland’s actual tax revenues were £46.3bn,
or 8.2% of the total raised in the UK.The
pro-UK Better Together campaign said that taking the 13 years since devolution, that variation was even more extreme: in 1999, oil revenues fell to £2.5bn.Swinney
said this was clear evidence that independence was in Scotland’s interests: “If Scotland
had full control of our finances we could have invested in jobs and infrastructure, reduced Scotland’s share of the deficit, invested in a stability fund or directly support households.”[With] responsibility for our own finances and our own vast natural resources, we will be able to make choices in our own best interests. With independence, we would control the fiscal levers we need to suit our own economic circumstances, and maximise Scotland’s potential to secure new investment and jobs.”Asked about the leaked economics paper, Swinney conceded
that the volatility of oil income year on year meant financial uncertainties. “There would be economic challenges as there would be in any constitutional situation,” he told the
BBC.”We are wrestling
with economic and financial challenges today as part of the UK and most other countries are wrestling with these factors and of course an independent Scotland would have to operate sustainable public finances and invest in the economy.”Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of the pro-independence umbrella group Yes Scotland, said: “What these figures show is that Scotland has one of the best sets of national accounts of any country
in the developed world.
They also clearly underline
that Scotland has got what it takes to be a strong, independent nation and that our future will be built on robust financial foundations.”Michael Moore, the Scottish secretary, said the success of the oil industry was heavily due to the UK government’s support and investment, but it was still too unstable to provide long-term economic security.”While
the sector is valuable to our country the past decade has shown that the price of oil can be extremely volatile from year to year.
This underlying volatility can be much better managed inside the larger UK, where oil and gas revenues represent a smaller percentage of overall tax revenues. Being part of a broader UK provides the stability and support that allows the industry to flourish,” he said.Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: “Even in the good years we’re running a deficit of £7.6bn, what would it be when the oil revenues drop?”In a paper leaked this morning the Scottish National party’s own finance secretary admitted that an independent Scotland would face a growing deficit, threats to public spending and downplayed the prospect of an oil fund.”These latest figures prove the folly of relying on such a volatile source of income.
As part of the UK, Scotland shares the risks and rewards.”Ken
Macintosh, a senior Scottish Labour MSP, said: “Once again these figures show the benefit to all Scots of remaining part of the UK. We do not simply have a shared economy but also shared services, a shared pensions system and our largest trading partner is the rest of the UK. Our future is all the more secure because we share so much.”The Gers figures reveal the folly of giving up on that shared stability for an uncertain economic future based on the unpredictable and declining resource of oil and gas.”Scottish independenceScotlandScottish National party (SNP)OilEnergyFossil fuelsOilCommoditiesPublic financeScottish politicsSeverin Carrellguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Bishwapriya Sanyal and Lawrence Vale with Christina Rosan, eds.
Planning Ideas That Matter: Livability, Territoriality, Governance, and Reflective Practice (MIT Press).
Juan Pablo Angel scores in the 75th minute to give New York a 1-0 win over Chicago on Saturday