Political tectonic plates are shifting

My native tectonic plate the SNP received a huge boost from the Institute of Fiscal Studies in its tax base report on the Scottish economy. How long I had to put up with jibes and taunts from the worst of the English Tories that they support the Jocks and they should show due thanks, respect, deference etc to these jumped up toffs? The IFS nailed that lie. The scots economy is pretty well in balance with tax receipts equal to expenditure. The proviso the Tory backwoodsmen seize on is at current oil prices. Now with 2 billion plus ever wealthier Chinese and Indians driving more and bigger motor cars plus their booming oil consuming economies demand for oil can only go up which as every economist do kno, even UKIP's Prof Congdon, means oil prices will rise inexorably.

UKIP should demand a similar report from the IFS on UK contributions and purchases from the EU but Farage ain't no Alex Salmond.

Spain could break apart this weekend as Catalonia may vote for separation. You won't get this from the EU loving Beeb, that home of incompetent self praising journalists but the Spanish papers are full of it. And which regions contributes most to Spain? That's right Catalonia!

I noted today the despite Cameron having a very difficult meeting coming up in Brussels it was not raised by Milliband at PMQs. It fits in with the LibLabCon strategy of sidelining the Europe issue. Why not? Its a tactic that has worked brilliantly for te Europhiles since 1975.

The really big shift was highlighted by Andrew Neil today. Obama's first post election visit was to the Far East not Europe as it had been for all previous post war presidents. Well I would rather cuddle the delicious Suu Kyi than the lumpen Frau Merkel but far more important it showed that the US sees the Pacific rim as its main area of interest not Europe. The majority of US military force has now been redeployed to the Pacific from the Atlantic as they clearly see South China Sea as the world's likiest flashpoint with China flexing its muscles.

Also because of its shale oil and gas success by the end of Obama's presidency US oil imports from the Middle East will be zero. So US interest in the Middle East is reduced and with it Obama's interest in Israel and Middle East peace. The US pro Israel lobby is going to have to work a lot harder in future.

It was a bit sickening to see Milliband cosying up to the Europhile CBI while voting with the Eurosceptic Tories to inflict a meaningless defeat on cast iron Dave for party politics. Who cares for the UK? Not Ed or Nick or Cast Iron. Goodness knows what will happen when Rebecca and Coulson go into the witness box. It could force Dave's resignation.