 | 'A secret Whitehall dossier written 30 years ago has revealed that
Labour ministers were concerned about the case for Scottish independence. The information was kept confidential at the time to keep Nationalism
at bay. The paper was obtained by the Scottish National Party under freedom of
information legislation. Written by a leading government economist in 1974, it sets out how oil would have given Scotland one of the strongest currencies in Europe.' BBC News, 12 th September 2005. |  |
By-election, Livingston
GORDON Brown yesterday visited a successful manufacturing company in Livingston to illustrate the stability which he claims Labour has brought to the UK economy over the past eight years.
Appearing in West Lothian to support Jim Devine's attempt to succeed the late Robin Cook as MP for the town, the chancellor said the SNP could never match this achievement by building an economy on volatile oil prices.
Mr Brown also dismissed Nationalist plans to copy Norway in banking oil revenues to provide a future income when wells run dry, insisting that through record investment in public infrastructure, he was in effect already doing this.
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP's deputy leader, campaigning in Broxburn with her party's candidate, Angela Constance, said that, given recent revelations that successive governments had deliberately concealed Scotland's oil wealth, no-one would now trust the chancellor on the issue.
Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, appeared at the Almondvale shopping centre with his party's candidate, Gordon Lindhurst. In common with other campaigners, they were not allowed inside the shopping court but, gladhanding some shoppers in the car park, he focused on the issue of crime.
Before the passing of the Human Rights Act, three people accused of murder had been bailed in Scotland, he said, yet now the figure was 55 and Scotland had just been dubbed the most violent country in the developed world.
"Only the Conservatives will do anything about this. Our candidates provide the only real alternative to the Labour/Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive for people who do not want Scotland to separate from the UK," he said.
The chancellor was asked about the looming crisis in Britain's pensions provision, but refused to be drawn on whether he envisaged a need to raise the retirement age. After publication of a major report on the issue later this year, the matter could be considered, but not before he said, stressing: "Then we can make up our mind after the big national debate."
Mr Brown and Mr Devine had been visiting one of three Livingston plants of Bausch & Lomb, the contact lens manufacturer which employs more than 1000 staff in the new town. The chancellor said Mr Cook had been a friend to the company and he was sure Mr Devine would be too, if elected.
On the impact of the downfall of Lord Watson on the two by-elections next week, the chancellor said: "People will want to look at the future of their communities and of Scotland. They will see beyond the individual tragedy and difficulties to what is best for jobs and the health service."
Labour had brought down unemployment in spite of crises in the Asian economy, US technology sector, and oil prices. He said: "Every time we have faced challenges, we have managed to steer a course of stability in the UK economy with no return to Tory boom and bust." He contrasted this with an independent Scotland relying on oil prices which have veered wildly between $10-70 a barrel.
Ms Sturgeon countered: "Gordon Brown is already basing the economy of a country on oil anyway Đ the UK economy is propped up by Scotland's oil but he is squandering it rather than investing it in a fund for the future.
"Having had the revelation last week that successive governments have been lying to us for 30 years, I don't think people will believe a word Gordon Brown says on this in the future."
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