📊 Fact Vs Fiction Final Article – The Verdict: Scotland’s Wealth, Their Lies – Backed by the Numbers

This is the hard evidence Westminster doesn’t want you to read.

After 20 articles, peeling back the layers of spin, half-truths, and colonial gaslighting, it’s time to settle this once and for all — with data, not drama.

This isn’t a rant. This is the hard evidence Westminster doesn’t want you to read.

We’re not asking you to trust opinions. We’re asking you to follow the money, check the sources, and decide for yourself: Is Scotland too poor to be independent—or too rich to be controlled?

1️⃣ Scotland’s Fiscal Contribution vs Spending

📌 ONS (Office for National Statistics):

• Scotland generated £66.3 billion in onshore revenue (excluding North Sea oil) in 2022-23.

• Including North Sea oil: £79 billion in total revenue.

• That’s £14,000 per head—among the highest in the UK.

📌 Public Expenditure in Scotland (GERS 2023):

• Spending in Scotland: £106.6 billion

• Who controls the spending? Not Scotland—UK Treasury does.

• Much of this includes non-identifiable UK-wide costs (HS2, Trident, UK embassies, Whitehall departments).

🔍 Fact Check: The so-called “deficit” is not a result of Scottish inefficiency—it’s Westminster’s accounting system, assigning costs we didn’t agree to and benefits we don’t receive.

2️⃣ Oil & Gas – Who Really Benefits?

📌 North Sea Revenue (2022-23):

• £9.4 billion in tax receipts—93% from Scottish waters.

• Only 8% of North Sea oil revenue is allocated to Scotland in GERS.

• The rest? Claimed by UK Treasury.

📌 Source: Scottish Government & HMRC Scotland has produced 10% of the world’s oil from 0.1% of its population—yet we’re told we can’t afford basic services?

🔍 Reality Check: Norway used its oil to build a sovereign wealth fund worth $1.6 trillion. The UK used it to fund tax cuts in the 1980s.

3️⃣ Energy Export Giant – Unpaid and Unrecognised

📌 Scotland’s Renewable Output (UK Government BEIS, 2023):

• Scotland generates 25% of the UK’s renewable electricity.

• In 2022: Exported 36.6 TWh (enough to power 10 million homes).

📌 Grid Costs (Ofgem):

• Scotland pays the highest transmission charges in Europe, while London gets paid to take power.

🔍 Truth Bomb: We produce more energy than we consume, get penalised for it, and see the profits funnelled south.

4️⃣ Fishing and Food Exports – Hooked and Gutted

📌 Scotland’s Food and Drink Exports (Scottish Government, 2023):

• Worth £8.1 billion annually.

• £1.1 billion from whisky alone.

• Seafood exports: 63% of UK’s total seafood exports.

📌 Post-Brexit Losses:

• Scottish seafood sector lost £120 million in 2021 alone due to border delays.

• Trade deals signed by UK gov excluded Scottish interests.

🔍 Economic Impact: Scotland is resource-rich and strategically located, yet has no trade policy of its own.

5️⃣ Education, Innovation & Tech

📌 Higher Education Exports (HESA 2022):

• Scottish universities generate £1.94 billion in income from international students.

• Edinburgh ranks 4th in the UK for research output.

• Scotland punches above its weight in life sciences, fintech, AI, and renewables.

📌 R&D Investment Per Head (UK Gov 2022):

• London: £154

• South East: £147

• Scotland: £71

🔍 Conclusion: Our innovators build the future—but the funding goes elsewhere.

6️⃣ Austerity by Design – The Wealth Extraction Model

📌 UK Wealth Inequality (IFS 2023):

• The UK is one of the most regionally unequal economies in the developed world.

• Scotland’s productivity is on par with the UK average, yet receives less investment and infrastructure spending.

📌 ONS Regional GDP Per Head (2023):

• Scotland: £35,000

• North East England: £28,000

• London: £59,000

🔍 Key Point: We’re not subsidised—we’re being strip-mined and told to be grateful.

7️⃣ International Comparisons – The “Too Wee” Myth Dies Here

Let’s compare countries with a similar population to Scotland (~5.4 million):

Denmark, Finland, and Ireland are all independent nations, each with robust economies reflected in their nominal GDP figures. Denmark, with a GDP of $455 billion, operates under the Danish Krone and maintains a sovereign wealth fund known as the ATP Fund. Finland, with a GDP of $331 billion, utilizes the Euro and also has a sovereign wealth fund. Ireland, independent since 1922, boasts a GDP of $594 billion and manages its assets through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). In contrast, Scotland, as part of the United Kingdom, has an estimated nominal GDP of $265 billion but lacks both sovereignty and a dedicated sovereign wealth fund. Although Scotland uses the Pound Sterling, it does not exercise direct control over its currency.

*Scotland’s estimated GDP from GERS & ONS data

🔍 Message: Scotland doesn’t lack the means. It lacks the mechanisms of control.

Conclusion: The Numbers Are In – The Union is the Problem

The data speaks. Every sector, every source, every analysis leads to one conclusion:

Scotland is not too poor to be independent. Scotland is too valuable to be let go.

The current system is not broken—it’s working exactly as intended: To centralise wealth, power, and control in Westminster and leave Scotland dependent by design.

It’s not about what we’d gain by leaving. It’s about what we’re losing by staying.

📌 Sources & References (All Verifiable)

✅ Office for National Statistics (ONS)

✅ Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS)

✅ HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

✅ Scottish Government National Statistics

✅ UK Parliament Library Reports

✅ House of Commons Treasury Committee

✅ IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

✅ BEIS Energy Trends Report

✅ HESA Education Export Data

✅ Ofgem Grid Costs Report

✅ OECD Country Profiles

✅ World Bank, IMF Economic Indicators

📢 The People’s Assembly Summit – Be Part of Scotland’s Future

The facts are clear. The numbers are in. Scotland has the wealth, the talent, and the global position to forge its own path—but only if we take action.

That’s where YOU come in.

The People’s Assembly Summit is more than a gathering—it’s a movement. A national convention where Scotland’s people, industries, and communities come together to shape the future on our own terms.

✅ Hear directly from economic experts

✅ Challenge the myths that hold Scotland back

✅ Build the foundation for a Sovereign Transition Fund

✅ Be part of Scotland’s next great transformation

This is your chance to make history.

🛡 Sign up now to secure your place.

📅 Get your tickets for the People’s Assembly Summit.

🔔 Join the national convention—because Scotland’s future won’t wait.

It’s time to move beyond debate and start making decisions.

Will you be there when Scotland decides?