Now Scotland wants tax breaks to bail out struggling oil industry... just four months after Salmond said North Sea would bankroll his independence dream, Daily Mail

Now Scotland wants tax breaks to bail out struggling oil industry... just four months after Salmond said North Sea would bankroll his independence dream

·         Price of a barrel of Brent crude has more than halved since June to $48

·         Dramatic fall undermines SNP claim that oil would make Scotland rich

·         Now Scottish ministers are demanding UK government steps in

·         Chancellor George Osborne under pressure ahead of Budget in March

·         Oil expert Sir Ian Wood says taxes should be cut by up to 10%

·         Tories condemn SNP 'deceit' that the price of oil would rise and rise

The Scottish government is demanding tax cuts to bailout the oil industry, just four months after claiming that booming North Sea reserves would bankroll independence.

The move has been ridiculed by supporters of the Union, who point out that if voters had backed independence in September the country would not be in crisis.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude – the global benchmark – has more than halved since June to around $48 (£31.50). Experts predict it could fall as low as $31 (£20.44) by April.

The weak oil price seriously undermines the claim by the SNP's Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon nationalists that an independent Scotland could rely on its natural resources.

Scotland's Energy Minister last night issued a demand for new tax breaks to shore up the industry, after BP announced it was cutting 200 onshore workers and 100 contractor roles from its 3,500 staff in the North Sea.

Mr Ewing said: 'It is clear to me that the UK Government has accepted it must act on tax. My question is why wait in respect of the supplementary charge until March

'This is the most serious jobs situation Scotland has faced in living memory.'

But rival parties have this week condemned the SNP for demanding help from Westminster just months after wanting to sever ties with the rest of the UK. 

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: 'The SNP told the people of Scotland the price of oil would rise and rise - that was a deceit.

'No end of experts pointed out the many flaws in this fanciful policy, but they were dismissed by the Scottish Government as scaremongering.

'In the last few weeks we've seen just how volatile the price of oil really is.'  

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