How much better off, would the UK be, if just the oil and gas industry not been privatised?
"Kristin Skogen Lund, head of Norway’s employers’ body, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, pointed out: “We are not successful because we are outside the EU, we are successful because we have a lot of oil.”
Both the UK and Norway discovered North Sea oil and gas in the 1970s. But while successive UK Governments opted to make a fast buck with Britoil privatised in 1982 and British Gas in 1986, Norway kept most of its assets nationalised. That meant the UK Government got £2.1billion from oil and gas revenues last year, while Norway raked in £27billion."
"Kristin Skogen Lund, head of Norway’s employers’ body, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, pointed out: “We are not successful because we are outside the EU, we are successful because we have a lot of oil.”
Both the UK and Norway discovered North Sea oil and gas in the 1970s. But while successive UK Governments opted to make a fast buck with Britoil privatised in 1982 and British Gas in 1986, Norway kept most of its assets nationalised. That meant the UK Government got £2.1billion from oil and gas revenues last year, while Norway raked in £27billion."