Written by Stephen Noone, and lifted from the YES Scotland site and worth a read so that you have facts at your fingertips when confronted by someone who still believes what George Osborne says... (Can't be many of them).
The evidence shows that this is not the case.
A total of 5,926 jobs were created through overseas investment in 2011, up by 50% on 2010, putting Scotland at the top of the jobs table for the second year running.
An Ernst and Young survey (published on 20 June, 2012) found that foreign companies are more likely to invest in Scotland than other parts of the UK.
Jim Bishop, a senior partner with Ernst and Young said "... as things stand, overseas companies looking to invest in jobs in the UK are more likely to choose Scotland than any other part of the country. The report shines a spotlight on the positive contribution made by Scottish Development International and the Scottish Government, which have ensured that Scotland remains an attractive proposition among international investors."
The No campaign’s claims that the referendum on independence is creating uncertainty for business and deterring investment was also rejected by Simon Walker, the Director General of the UK’s Institute of Directors. Speaking on Good Morning Scotland on 4 November, 2011, he said: “I think that's an alarmist approach. I think if there is an independent Scotland that will throw up opportunities as well as threats; and I think it is alarmist and overstating the problems to say don't invest in renewables, or any other area, because of future constitutional possibilities.”
Over the past 12 months many international companies (including Scottish companies with a global presence) have invested to create new jobs in Scotland. These include the following announcements made over the course of the year:
October 2012
- AAM Europe’s Albion Automotive: Investing £3 million in a centre of excellence creating around 80 jobs in Scotstoun in Glasgow.
- DPD: Announcing 50 new jobs in Dundee by expanding its operations in Scotland.
September 2012
- WorleyParsons: Planning first operational base in Aberdeen creating 40 new jobs.
August 2012
- Easyjet: Basing two more aircraft at Edinburgh airport creating at least 100 new jobs.
- BiFab: Creating 100 new jobs, after securing another major contract. This follows the announcement of two new contracts worth £140 million on 31 July, creating 350 new jobs.
July 2012
- Drum Property Group: Will be building head offices for North sea giants Apache, Nexen and Transocean at the “Prime Four” business park on the edge of Aberdeen creating 1,200 new jobs.
- Chardon Management: Glasgow-based hotelier building a £15 million hotel at Edinburgh Airport, creating 60 new jobs.
- Wood Mackenzie: The Edinburgh-based energy, mining and metals research group planning to take on some 115 additional employees by the end of the year.
- Wood Group: The Aberdeen-based energy company is to create 150 new jobs.
June 2012
- Mainetti UK: Jedburgh operation has recruited an additional 40 permanent staff since January 2012.
- Subsea 7: Wick company, won a £60.5 million contract for oil and gas pipelines, securing more than 120 jobs in Scotland.
- Ocean Installer: Norwegian engineering company creating up to 100 new jobs in Aberdeen.
- Statoil:£12 billion of investment in the North Sea, including a new operations base in Aberdeen for the Norwegian oil company.
- Proact: Swedish-based computing company creating 50 new jobs at support centre in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.
- Diageo: Investing more than £1 billion in Scotch whisky production over the next five years creating at least 100 jobs across Scotland.
May 2012
- Etek Europe: Planning to create 17 jobs after relocating to a new site at Prestwick International Aerospace Park.
- Vector Aerospace: Aerospace company to create 31 new jobs in Perth.
- GE Oil and Gas: Energy company aiming to create 466 new jobs at Aberdeen and Montrose sites.
- Marine Harvest: Planning to create 100 new jobs through further investment in its Scottish operations over the next 5 years.
- Aker Solutions: Norwegian oil and gas firm creating 500 new jobs at its subsea and drilling technology bases.
- Steel Engineering: Steel fabrication company planning to create more than 120 new jobs after winning contract to build a tidal energy device.
- Equateq, Isle of Lewis: German-owned BASF taking a controlling stake in the firm. Expected to create 90 new jobs and safeguard ten.
April 2012
- Life Technologies: US based bioscience firm looking to create 30 new jobs at Renfrewshire site.
- Mitsubishi: Planning to invest in an Edinburgh engineering facility to create 100 new jobs.
March 2012
- Gamesa: Spanish company plans £125m Leith plant to manufacture blades for wind turbines, creating 800 jobs.
- Global Energy Group: Confirmed plans to create up to 2,000 jobs at Nigg Yard by 2015 and take on 290 apprentices in 2012.
- Proserv: Opening a new subsea test and assembly facility following January announcement of 40-50 new jobs in Scotland.
January 2012
- Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI): Will base its first European offshore wind project in Methil, Fife, which could create more than 500 jobs.
December 2011
- GlaxoSmithKline: Creating 25 new jobs and safeguarding 280 existing onesin Montrose with R&D grant support from Scottish Enterprise.
November 2011
- Michelin: Taking forward a £50m investment in Dundee, creating 140 new jobs and safeguarding 692.
- Amazon: Opening two new sites with more than 3,000 full-time and temporary staff.
Significant investment also continues in the North Sea, confirming the long-term benefits that will flow to Scotland from our oil and gas wealth. On 23 May, 2012, the UK Government announced that 224 applications were handed out in the latest licensing round for oil and gas - the highest since licensing began in 1964 (and 37 more than the previous high).
On 11 January, 2012, Wood MacKenzie published a report showing that capital investment in the UK oil industry was £7.5bn in 2011 – the highest ever – it is expected to stay high until 2014 with £2bn being invested in the West of Shetland field alone in 2012.
Oil and Gas UK, the body which represents the North Sea operators said that “its members were not overly concerned by the prospect of an Independent Scotland” (Reported in the Financial Times, 15 January, and the Guardian, 31 January, 2012.)
Tris,
ReplyDeleteI have it on good authority, in the strictest of confidence, that your entire post will be head-lighted in tomorrow's Scotsman. Then again, maybe not!
Incidentally, I'm too busy just now to answer Dean's posting regarding Labour's humanity but will do a blog on it over the weekend.
Erm, yes. Whist I was expecting reasonable and fair coverage, of what I would have to admit is Stephen's post and not mine, I wasn't expecting front page lead... but that will be nice.
ReplyDeleteYou can always depend on the Scottish press for unbiased coverage of matters politics, and for that I'm really grateful.
But then it would be unthinkable that a responsible newspaper wouldn't cover both sides of the story.
Oh sorry, I was dreaming...what were you saying...?
Oh yeah, Niko...yeah ... good... I'll look out for it!
Thanks for this Tris
ReplyDeleteDuly cut and pasted for future reference.
Now all I have to do is remember where I put it! ;-)
tris
ReplyDeleteSorry but cant see me getting a hard on over a few measly jobs needed though they are.
And then again how many could be thrown away with the loss of EU membership.
A QUESTION, AND THE ANSWER
ReplyDelete(q)will Labour vote down the benefit cuts at the real Parliament
(a)WHY? Wouldn't they
I await the result
You're welcome Boorach. You never know when Butter your Parsnips are going to lie through their teeth about every business in Scotland shutting down if the Tories aren't running the economy into the ground... Oh sorry I didn't mean the last 3 words... much!
ReplyDeleteYes, maybe they will be... but you see, Niko, Labour and the Tories and the whatsits (you know the ones I mean Dribbling Lemocrats or something...) are all talking about a referendum on coming out of the EU, and as the newspapers and and the general public seem to hate anyone who isn't English running anything, it's likely that the UK will end up out of the EU anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd the EU will celebrate, and the jobs will be lost anyway...
C'est la vie.
Well, it will be interesting to find out, Niko.
ReplyDeleteA real test of Labour's commitment to the poorest...
Will they pass or fail?
@ Niko
ReplyDeleteIf jobs don't do it for you.... try viagra!
Oh Lord Boorac... Mrs Niko will kill you!
ReplyDeleteBoorac
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I've been, told in the strictest confidence, that......
ReplyDeleteviagra no need a pic of
Jackie Baillie is enough for me Grr!
Sorry Boorac = Boorach.
ReplyDeleteAye Niko your right!
She's a real growler!!
There now I've agreed with you.. That's a first and very likely a last!
Always nice to enjoy a high level political discussion, gentlemen...
ReplyDeleteSeems to me, though (not being capable of raising the tone very far myself), that you, John, have been having very in depth conversations at the bingo...! No wonder you never win anything.
(Talking of winning stuff, I went to the Christmas Fayre of the local Very Sheltered Housing and I actually won a bottle of wine in the raffle!!!! Amazing!)
Erm, Boorach... Could I suggest to you that you might like to practise spelling your name. Otherwise we'll just confuse Niko and lord knows we don't want that. :)
Niko. I simply don't know what to say about your taste in women, so on th basis of least said soonest mended...I'll say nothing.
Tris
ReplyDeleteI think people who take an interest in what is going on in Scotland understand that we are being shafted and hell will have to freeze over before the Tories, Labour and Liberals ever resort to a fair argument.
If I was the SNP I would cut the euro debate off at the knees and just say that once Scotland becomes independent there will be a vote on membership of the EU, simples. We can have an agreement such as the one the other non members have around trade. There will not be a referendum on UK membership of the EU ever because the so called main parties know what the answer will be in England, and after all England is all that metters in our equal union.
Jobs being created is a good thing, I do think more could be done if we had an independent country and also believe that Labour with the help of the Tories and Liberals will do all they can to ensure that major investment and employment don't come to Scotland.
I suppose the other thing I am kinda of enjoying at the moment is the issue of the military in Scotland. You just know that Westminster wants to close a shipyard and not bring any soldiers to Scotland but can't say it for fear of the response of Scottish voters in 2014. I suspect that all of those decisions will be delayed until after 2014 even if it costs a fortune because they just cannot afford to take the risk.
The Autumn Statement was a good laugh for the wealthy and fucking miserable for the rest of us. I cannot for the life of me see how anyone in Scotland can continue to spout out the mantra of we just won't survive on our own without English handouts. I had a chat to two no voters in my office this week and just about lost the will to live. The brainwashing of the last 400 years has really been an amazing job and will be written about long after we are gone. A title like How England Kept it's Empire closer to Home will do. or the amazing subjucation of wales, ireland and Scotland, brainwashing nations through poverty and dejection.
This has not been a good week for me at all overall, I could cry at the dishonesty of our press and mostly the BBC. I could cry at the lack of interest of a lot of our people in either looking for the truth or accpeting it when it is right in front of them. I am ashamed that some families this Christmas will not celerate being a family with a few gifts and nice home cooked meal but rather will depend on charity for a couple of simple presents for the kids and the local foodbank for a subsistance dinner, and I fucking hate the fact that a lot of people just don't care.
Would you believe the bbc reported straight-faced that the tory honesty sheet (mail) was carrying yesterday's Scotsman EU story without mention of how the EU had denied sending any such letter!
ReplyDeleteHere is text of my complaint to the today (toady - wonderful how anagrams work out):
For attention of the editor
I would like to know why the Today programme gives credence to a story concerning a letter purportedly sent by the EU to a Westminster committee concerning Scotland's place in the EU following a yes vote in the referendum..
The EU stated yesterday that no such letter has been sent.
However, jim naughtie this morning reported the fact that the canard which originated in yesterday's Scotsman had been printed in today's daily mail. He did this without amplification and/or explanation that the story was in fact a non-story as the EU had stated that no such letter had been sent.
I would like to congratulate you on the high standards of your journalism, unfortunately any high standards you perceive to have would be a figment of your imagination. Be thankful that Levison confined his enquiry to the print media and in future why not surprise us by reporting accurately and ETHICALLY!
Do I believe it will do any good - do pigs fly?
Bruce:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Scotland should decide after the referendum whether or not it should apply to be a member of all the organisations that the UK currently is, including the EU.
My personal instinct (without any in depth knowledge) it that it would probably suffice to be a member of the EEA ...as is Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. But I'm not sure if that would keep all the jobs. However, that's for later.
As it happens the House of Lords seems to have invented that story, or the Scotsman did. I have my suspicions about who would have "leaked" something like that. But of course I wouldn't dream of making accusations.
However, it is clear that Scottish Lords would loose £300 a day if Scotland was independent. Now £300 a day might well sway me in my judgement.
I too am disgusted at the fact that thousands of Scots, working Scots, will have to beg for their Christmas lunch this year, and will rely on local charity, churches and the Salvation Army to provide them with just one small gift.
It's a sobering thought that while the Cameron kids, and the Osborne kids will sit down to a slap up meal, there will be many that will be lucky to get some Super Saver Beans.
You're right too about the troop numbers. Philip Hammond though is a hard hearted, and not too right thinking ass of a man. I don't think he will worry too much about Scotland's future re soldiers or ship yards. Remember they can blame all of it on the uncertainty (although they are absolutely certain that they will win) of the referendum.
Good email Boorach.
ReplyDeleteI heard the same thing this morning and thought that Naughtie was a traitorous b******.
These people will make up anything. Not that the terminally non-thinking listen to the Today show (yes, nice pun), but almost all of them seem to read the Mail.
I expect that they will eventually publish a retraction (on page 53, just under the advertisement for incontinence pants).
There's something the new PPC can arrange right away. If a paper has to retract, the retraction must take up the same space in the same type face, on the same page, as the original story.
Mail headline:
WE LIED THROUGH OUR TEETH
or
DAILY MAIL DUPED BY GREEDY OLD FAT PEER FEARFUL OF LOOSING HIS INCOME AND TITLE
Oooops, did I put "fat" in that headline. I dunno where that came from. Freudian maybe?
Let's know if you get a reply...
@Tris
ReplyDeleteMust keep an eye out for that retraction........ I've been looking for incontinence pants ever since stumbling across Niko!!
Laugh? I could have.......!
Tris,
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a high level political discussion I'm in the wrong place. Byeeeeee!!
Boorach
ReplyDeleteA red underliner oh! Gawd help uss
Please change this post. I only make the 'odd' comment, but i lurk regularly.
ReplyDeleteEverytime i see a photo of Osbourne, i feel sick. He reminds me too much of Darling.
Well Boorach... don't hol;d your breath.
ReplyDeleteThe Scotsman (printed in England) probably believes it is still right... it having come for an impeccable source with only a £300 a day interest in the continuation of the union.
Maybe it's me that's in the wrong place, John?
ReplyDeleteWhat, Niko?
ReplyDeleteIn deference to your sensibilities Juteman, I've changed the picture.
ReplyDeleteI know that looking at his ugly face could give you winter vomiting sickness...
Aye Tris, I could be pretty damned impeccable for £300 a day it doesn't mean I would know a letter from the EU from a figment of my imagination! Does it?
ReplyDeleteYesterday there was dancing in the streets and the butcher's apron had flown for the last time in Scotland...... then I woke up. Do you think the Scotsman would give that the lead in tomorrows issue?
tris
ReplyDeleteLike angry of Tunbridge Wells underlines his letters with red ink
oh do keep up!
Butchers apron yeah right old sectarian slogan inflames the population and causes hate between communities.
Oh I forgot thats what you want
Niko -
ReplyDeleteBringing "sectarianism" into an argument is the last refuge of those who defend the indefensible.
________________
The phrase "Butcher's Apron" is certainly pejorative but not restricted to any single "sect". It and it's equivalent is known in Ireland, Africa, India and the Far East, for many good reasons.
It makes you wonder why so many people around the world share the same perspective. This article (admittedly from an Irish source) provides a bit of explanation. It is a bit long but worth persevering with.
http://www.sceala.com/phpBB2/irish-forums-23797.html
Why do so many people still enjoy having their noses ground into the dirt by the wealthy and privileged?
Erm no... I don't think so, Boorach.
ReplyDeleteAngry of Tunbridge Wells? Does he post on here. I musta missed him, Niko. Is he a mate of yours?
Dunno about butcher's apron. I suppose it might be called that because it's a rare year when we're not off telling some poor bugger somewhere how to live his life... and when it comes to Iraq, how many people did we kill?
Ordinary Iraqi folk sitting a their tv's or down the bar, or out for a walk and because Bush wants Sadam, suddenly America and their poodle are bombing the living daylights out of these people: maiming kids and laying waste to people's homes, businesses, roads, pets, children... Yep butchers is pretty fair.
I don't see why it would casue hatred between communities. I know loads of English people who are ashamed of all the killing... collusion between British government and unionist terrorists in NI... stuff like that.
Not a nice country. Not a place you'd be proud to say you belonged. Not a place I've ever admitted to belonging. I've even got a blue cover for my passport so no one can see UK on it.
Oh, didn't know you'd done the explanation on butcher's apron Barney. Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeletetris
ReplyDeleteAnd the Nationalist freedom fighters always fought with honour eh????????
If I had a quid for every bayonet a Scotsman poked into someone guts all over this world..............Id have a mountain of money.
Just dont give me any better than thee shite.
Remember this is Scotland we are all murders here or descendants off.There has been as much blood splashed on the Satire as the Union flag and the scots happily took the kings shilling or anybody else's.
The scots finest killing machine since the Macedonians............
Thanks for that link Barney. I had associated the term to the butcher cumberland's subjugation of the Highlands following Culloden.
ReplyDelete@Niko.
No-one has claimed that the Scots are the innocents of the world, indeed if you look at the article Barney indicates you will see more than ,tam o' shanter' tn the photographs.
To me the union rag is but an irritant which will be well and truly scratched in 2014.
Oh I don't deny that Scots took their fair share of the horror that Britain has inflicted.
ReplyDeleteJust that it's unlikely that a Scottish government would be involved in trying to run the world, or that they would be starting any colonial wars.
And we'd start by getting rid of the WMDs that once Labour would have been so horrified by (and the Liberals) and now they seem to embrace them as a way of showing the world just how powerful Britain is.
Never mind that it looks a bit fur coat and no knickers, when you have hundreds of thousands at soup kitchens to pay for them.
Yes, it was very interesting Boorach.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that, once we have ourselves sorted out after independence, we would offer some form of reparation for Scotland's contribution as a part of the British Empire to those who suffered at our hands.
ReplyDeleteAs national demographics have changed so much in the meantime and we shall be a small country, appropriate financial reparation would be unlikely. Sharing of expertise, friendship and support is free.
That sounds like a decent way to behave Barney.
ReplyDeleteWe've a lot we can share... besides money.
The more I read of cabinet papers hidden for 30 40 50 years, the more I'm ashamed of what happened. It wasn't just us that were maltreated.
Heaven knows what will come out of the vaults in 40 or 50 years from now.
I know that times are different, and my viewpoint on things would have been thought ridiculous in the days when much of that colonial stuff went on, but common decency doesn't change with times.
That's always the same.
tris,
ReplyDeleteIf only more people believed in common decency, and accepted that ingrained allegiances to compromised political entities should be questioned, we would be in a better place.
You know who I am talking about.
Can I suggest that it is 'British Arrogance' which is the problem just look back in the 50 60's when foreigners where encouraged to emigrate to Britain to do the tasks classed as 'menial' as brits were above that, colonial attitude.
ReplyDeleteActually Barney... common decency... all round would make the world a much lovelier place to live.
ReplyDeleteIn a decent world, a world where we respected people, as people then we wouldn't have nob head Aussies phoning hospitals to get confidential information on a patient.
But by the same token take Middleton would have been in a normal hospital where there would be a switchboard.
In a decent world maybe we wouldn't have given them all that publicity and the whole thing wouldn't have blown up.
In a decent world, with decent common sense people, most of the stupid things that happen wouldn't.
Pity we don't have one.
True CH, although in fairness I think additionally we wanted them here to make up for the huge numbers of working people who had been slaughtered in the war.
ReplyDeleteBut certainly they were left the foul jobs that the people used as cannon fodder would have done had they not been slaughtered.
Then they were herded into ghettos; paid substance wages; then they blamed for not mixing with the native population, who screamed blue murder every time one of them tried to move into the areas where the nice white people lived.
Of course they were worried that it would drive down the price of their houses, and that must never be allowed to happen.
Sickening.
Dang, I simply got into a protracted along with detailed remark, but when Cleaning it once
ReplyDeletea for you to submit it this Industry gone down. Maybe it was
in some manner preserved or even do I need to redo it?
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