Opening of Fionna Carlisle’s energy exhibition

Scotland’s Minister for Europe and Culture, Linda Fabiani MSP formally launched Fionna Carlisle’s North Sea oil portraits exhibition this evening at a reception hosted by Alyn, the Scottish Government EU Office, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Highland Council.

I had gone down to the exhibition earlier in the day to see what the portraits looked like hanging up as a collection. With EU energy ministers having met on Friday and EU environment ministers meeting today to continue negotiations on the EU climate change package and EU leaders meeting at the end of the week the timing of the exhibition could not have been better. Combining Scotland’s unique culture with our energy industry worked extremely well and being able to help showcase a Scottish artist right at the heart of Europe was certainly well worth doing, exposing EU officials from 27 Member States, Ambassadors and other visitors to the EP to the significance of Scotland's oil and gas industry.

Of course the recent publication of the McCrone report (1975) under the 30 year rule showed the lengths successive UK governments went to to deprive Scotland of access to our own North Sea resources and Scotland's independence. According to the McCrone report, an Independent Scotland with her oil and gas reserves would move from being Europe's 10th wealthiest nation to Europe's third wealthiest nation.

It is scandalous as it is outrageous to think what the people of Scotland have been denied after 30 years of lies and deceit by successive UK governments. For a copy of the McCrone report and the truth about Scotland's oil rich economy have a look at the following website: www.oilforscotland.org

Above: With Linda Fabiani MSP and the First Minister


Above: With the artist, Fionna Carlisle