English independence campaigners have demanded a ”fair share” of North Sea Oil in the event of Scotland breaking away from the UK.
Robin Tilbrook, the chairman of the English Democrats, said the Westminster Government must get a bigger share of oil for England ahead of the referendum on Scottish independence.
He said: ”In the highly probable event of Alex Salmond winning a referendum for independence of Scotland, this issue will need to be resolved after the dissolution of the United Kingdom.
”The English Democrats are calling for an independent and impartial tribunal to be set up to make a binding determination as to where the national boundary of the seabed lies between English waters and Scottish waters.
”So far Scottish interests and the Scottish National Party have had it all their own way in claiming that all of North Sea oil is Scottish.”
He claimed: ”Up to half of North Sea oil is within English territorial waters. I therefore call upon the secretary of state for business, Mr Vince Cable, to institute a proper judicial enquiry to establish the national seabed boundary without further delay or prevarication.”
The row came after Britain’s most senior civil servant warned defeating the SNP’s drive for independence will be a ”enormous challenge”.
Just a week before his retiral, cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell went on the record to warn that holding Britain together will be a major issue in the coming years.
He said: ”Over the next few years, there will be enormous challenges, such as whether to keep our kingdom united.”
The top civil servant visited Edinburgh at the end of September and told Scottish colleagues to get on with delivering the independence referendum.
He told a meeting of senior staff: ”Our job is to support the elected Government of the day. That means different things in different places.
”In Scotland there is an elected Government with a clear commitment to move towards a referendum on independence. Civil servants in the Scottish Government should support their ministers in the development of that policy.”
His latest comments have been welcomed by First Minister Alex Salmond, who said: ”Sir Gus is right to recognise the importance of the constitutional issue.”
But Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont disagreed. She said: ”Gus O’Donnell is widely regarded but on the issue of the constitution he is wide of the mark.
”Sovereignty lies with the people, not with politicians or officials, and it may have escaped his notice that the people of Scotland are yet to be given the choice.”