Sir Sean Connery calls for UK probe into North Sea oil

01-Feb-2006 • Actor News

Movie star and Scottish nationalist Sean Connery called yesterday for an inquiry into claims the British government was advised to delay greater independence for Scotland because of fears of losing control of North Sea oil revenue.

Newly released government papers obtained by the BBC show a senior civil servant advising government ministers in the 1970s to delay a promised vote on devolution - reports Gulf Daily.

Prime Minister Harold Wilson was elected in 1974, promising Scots a vote on greater autonomy, but the British government did not hold a Scottish referendum until 1979. A slim majority voted for devolution, but less than the 40 per cent of the whole electorate required by legislation.

In one of the documents, a senior civil servant advised ministers that "progress towards devolution should be delayed for as long as possible".

Another document, from 1975, shows a Treasury official warning that an independent Scotland could take control of North Sea oil.

"The Scots have really got us over a barrel here," the official wrote.

The papers were released under rules requiring that some secret documents be made public after 30 years.

Connery said the documents showed evidence of "collusion" against Scotland's interests. "The depth of it, the cynicism of it is appalling," the former James Bond actor told BBC radio.