* Posts by cheeryAllyjspurs

8 publicly visible posts • joined 17 Jan 2013

Scottish leader splurged £20k appealing disclosure of EU membership legal bungle

cheeryAllyjspurs

The portion of the continental shelf which may be exploited is clearly laid down in international law. Around 92-95% of current known oil reserves lie in Scottish waters, and thus belong to Scotland. So, England would get between 5 and 8% of the oil.

The equidistant principal is only a starting point for negotiations. In international law, other factors are taken into account in order to give an “equitable” share of oil to each country. So, essentially because British resources have been used to develop the fields (e.g. HMRC have a specific division for oil and gas revenues) rUK could very easily argue that they should receive a greater share than the 5%-10% the SNP would be willing to agree to. These argument would stand up in the international court as international law often encourages parties to agree to an “equitable” conclusion

There is also a principal in international law which means maritime boundaries follow the land boundary. The current line boundary follows Berwick on Tweed in a north-easterly direction, not an east-west line that the SNP like to imagine. Project the current boundary into the North Sea and Scotland’s share drops closer to 60%. There are precedents in international law for this too.

The Shetland and Orkneys are believed to hold around 25%-30% of the UK’s oil. If they wished to stay in the UK they would take “their” oil with them, substantially deteriorating Scotland’s fiscal position.

There is no reason to believe these negotiations would be resolved quickly. The International Court took 4 years to decide on a row over boundaries between the Danish, Dutch and German parts of the North Sea.

Taken from Oil and Gas journal 2012.(tm)

Another complication here is the fact that the Orkney and Shetland islands have both indicated they would want to stay with the UK, if Scotland were to separate. These islands were seen as an extension of the UK mainland in UK-Norway negotiations about the borders for the North Sea, and so it is reasonable to assume the islands would have a similar effect if they wanted to stay with the UK, all be it they would be geographically located closer to a foreign country (Scotland).

cheeryAllyjspurs

If Scotland voted to be independent the whole matter of the EU is quite clear. The UK remains just without a chunk of land i.e Scotland. The UK is not being renamed and remains in the EU, what would happen within the first year of budget agreements is that the UK's rebate and spending contributions would be adjusted as per any loss of GDP from Scotland. Scotland on the other hand does not exist and would have to re apply as a new nation to the EU with its normal 10yr minimum wait and budgetary targets set for them to match to join the euro. This has already been alluded to by various EU ministers already. The EU for instance would not be very inclined to honour Maggies agreement for the UKs cap refund for instance, Scotland going it alone they would love in the EU as they could then agree to reduce the UKs refund as Scotland has gone.

One year to go: Can Scotland really declare gov IT independence?

cheeryAllyjspurs

I hear the term Little Englanders used a lot and oddly by Scots...Irony is a trait not lost on Scots eh.

YES, Xbox One DOES need internet, DOES restrict game trading

cheeryAllyjspurs

Unfortunatly everyone loses here, we get stiffed for used games. Reason this is being done? because modded boxes and rampant piracy of games. Endless spiral, consumers rip off the software, software companies in turn protect their investment, now we all lose because of millions/billions lost in piracy. The honest gamers now paying through the nose due to the thieves.

Irish deputy PM: You want more tax from Apple? Your problem, not ours

cheeryAllyjspurs

Im sorry but if people are so morally outraged about a company's perceived tax arrangements then dont buy their products, that will affect them more than any hot air from politicians.

Microsoft reveals Xbox One, the console that can read your heartbeat

cheeryAllyjspurs
FAIL

Re: The sleek, black 64-bit system

There was a patent filed early this year about Sony filing for secure RFI DRM for used games...

http://www.techspot.com/news/51227-sony-applies-for-rfid-drm-patent-that-would-block-used-games.html

So to accuse MS here who it seems are backtracking over this already today, Sony and PS4 is the one everyone has to be concerned about for this not MS.

US taxman joins UK politicoes on hunt for Amazon cash

cheeryAllyjspurs

Its so easy nowadays to vote with your hard earned. There are plenty of UK based online retailers that can compete with Amazon on price and pay all their taxes here, just do some searching about instead and hurt these big companies where they take real notice on their balance sheet.

Climate watch: 2012 figures confirm global warming still stalled

cheeryAllyjspurs

'But I agree, China is doing its best to add CO2 to the atmosphere as fast as it can. Although it's still way behind the USA, in per capita CO2 output.'

and there be our real problem....'per capita' i.e too many Human beings on the planet.. we have a 1900s birth rate and a 21st century death rate. Unless there is a global plan to control mass over population its either a global war or environmental destruction. Either way I/most here wont be around thankfully by then but our kids and grand kids are completely screwed.