Meanwhile in happier news for Alex Salmond and his merry throng, the latest GERS figures are out and you can expect to see the Natiionalists trumpet them to all who care to listen:
Government and Expenditure Revenue Scotland 2009-10 figures show that, including a geographical share of UK North Sea oil and gas revenues, Scotland contributed 9.4% of UK public sector revenue and received 9.3% of total UK public sector expenditure, including a per capita share of UK debt interest payments.
Don’t expect these figures – or any others produced by anyone else – to make much difference to the discussion, however. For many – though not most – people the number-crunching has become a largely partisan issue.Including a geographical share of North Sea revenues, Scotland’s estimated current budget balance in 2009-10 was a deficit of £9bn, or 6.8% of GDP – stronger than the UK-wide deficit of £107.3bn, or 7.6% of GDP for the same year, including 100% of North Sea revenues.
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