Have we used up the revenues of north sea oil on Afghanistan?

[pdq1]

It was quoted in the paper that come 2014 we would have spent £20bn in Afghanistan. How do the figures compare and was it money well spent?

[Zacs-Master]

Don't think anyone can comment accurately without a breakdown but I'm sure some will try.

[Tom Braider]

North Sea Oil and gas production is still worth over 10 billion a year in tax, so no, we haven't spent it all on Afghanistan.

[d9f1c7]

Small beer, we spend 120billion a year on work shy layabouts.

[d9f1c7]

....and people moan about the Olympics!

[venator]

Apparently, we're going to give the Afghans £2 billion a year after we've pulled out.

I'm going to declare war on Mr Cameron and lose, so he can pay me lots of money to stop me doing it again...

[pdq1]

It shows policiticans do throw your money about. We should take a leaf out of Norway's books who have invested the North Sea oil money for future generations to benefit.

[pdq1]

As this article points out:

http://www.guardian.c...il-revenue-squandered

[sunny-dave]

Too late pdq1 - Mrs T and her vegetables sold the lot for a pittance in the 80s ...

[jake-the-peg]

Why is North sea oil "Your" money?

Do you have a back garden running out to sea?

[jake-the-peg]

You shouldbecautious about taking what you read in newspapers at face value - even he Guardian

Norway has a population smaller than London- it's hardly comparable

[Johnysid]

pdq1: "....invested the North Sea oil money for future generations to benefit..".

It doesn't actually work like that except in postmarxist analyses. See The Myth of Colonialism: http://pol-check.blog...h-of-colonialism.html The way you benefit the next generation is to avoid loans that burden our children and invest in the wealth, culture and happiness of the current productive generation.

[youngmafbog]

Whe people bandy these figures around about the cost of war it never mentions exactly where they came from. We woudl have to maintain an army and weapons even if at peace (weapons degrade some after quite a short period so have to be displosed of and replaced anyway) so what is the 'real' cost of the war? The problem is, no one knows as if we were not in Afghanistan we may be rebuilding blown up property, paying a fortune in compensation and spedning a fortune fighting Taliban on our own soil. Or maybe not of course.

So my point is, questions and postures like this are only any use for those that wish to stir up something for their own (usually pinko/liberal) means

[Zacs-Master]

See, I told you.