In the summer of 2018 journalist Lesley Riddoch and filmmaker Al McMaster crowdfunded the cash to travel to three Nordic countries and make films about Scotland’s closest neighbours.
Norway is the final film of the three and tells the story of Scotland’s “win" nation, with the same population, oil, gas and fishing resources and similar geography. But over the last 200 years Norway has withdrawn from a Union with first Denmark and then Sweden and has invested its oil wealth wisely while Margaret Thatcher squandered the oil wealth of Scotland. But Norwegians also chose to continue paying some of the highest personal taxes in the world to stabilise their oil-based economy – using the oil fund to top up budgets not finance them. Hydro was the first big energy revolution, possible because Norway had no feudal landowners blocking the development of free energy for all. And the widespread ownership of land in the 19th century meant Norway created one of the world’s widest electorates and most representative parliaments while Britain was still experiencing the Peterloo massacre. Nation Norway demonstrates that the democratic achievements of our “twin” nation underpin its success every bit as much as its independence.
Lesley Riddoch will be present for a Q&A afterwards
Presented by The Edinburgh Yes Hub
Nation - Norway with Lesley Riddoch