London 'subsidising Scots lifestyle', says Livingstone

Published on Wednesday 7 June 2006 00:56

KEN Livingstone, the London mayor, has come under fire for suggesting that Londoners' money keeps Scots in a lifestyle "to which they are accustomed".

The outspoken Labour mayor made the remark at a reception on Monday night as he tried to explain why the city needed a new 10 billion rail link.

He told politicians: "We need Crossrail to keep London's economy ticking over so that we can continue to pay for the Scottish to live the lifestyle to which they are accustomed."

His political opponents said the comments were insulting.

The mayor's remarks also infuriated Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party leader, who yesterday introduced a bill calling for the repatriation of North Sea oil reserves to Scotland.

Mr Salmond said: "When you include all Scotland's resources, we subsidise the rest of the UK by 3,000 a year for the average Scottish family."

This "200 billion raid" on Scottish resources over 30 years was "the greatest act of international larceny since the Spanish stole the Inca gold", he said.

Mr Salmond also taunted Gordon Brown's support for England in the World Cup, accusing the Chancellor of "morphing into an Englishman".

He accused Mr Brown of spending "long hours" at the Treasury trying to memorise the names of the England squad.

Mr Salmond's bill stands little chance of becoming law due to a lack of parliamentary time.

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone told The Scotsman the mayor had made a light-hearted joke. "But behind it lies a serious point. If London is to be able to continue to transfer resources to the rest of the country, which it accepts it should do, it has to be able to invest."