British cabinet to meet in Scotland, focus on North Sea oil

The British cabinet will meet in Scotland for only the third time in history to warn of the economic cost that independence could have on the North Sea oil industry.
Cameron said today that Britain's "broad shoulders" would support investment in the important oil sector that would give a "vital boost" to Scottish communities for decades to come.
The fate of North Sea oil revenues is one of the biggest issues ahead of a referendum on September 18 that will decide whether Scotland will end its 300-year-old union with England.
It is only the third time that the British cabinet has sat in Scotland and marks a further shift in tone by Cameron, who has so far relied on dire warnings about the risks of independence.

While Cameron's cabinet meets in the city of Aberdeen on Scotland's northeast coast -- where the North Sea oil industry is based -- Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond will meanwhile lead a rival cabinet meeting of his devolved Scottish government just a few kilometres away.
Cameron said: "I will take the cabinet to Scotland where we will set out how the UK government can maximise the benefit of North Sea oil and gas to the UK economy for decades into the future, giving a vital boost to local communities and families across Scotland.
"For the past 300 years, Britain has led the way in finding new sources of energy. It is the strength of the UK's broad-based economy, which can make the difference and ensure we can invest in our energy for the long-term future," he said in a statement released by his Downing Street office on Sunday.

"I promise we will continue to use the UK's broad shoulders to invest in this vital industry so we can attract businesses, create jobs, develop new skills in our young people and ensure we can compete in the global race.