LONDON (Reuters) – Ending Britain’s 306-year rule would allow Scotland to reverse generations of economic mismanagement and free its lawmakers to boost economic growth, say Scottish nationalists campaigning to split from the UK.

Independence would not only bring the long-standing and sometimes-troubled union to an end, but allow tax cuts and investment focused on boosting exports to spur growth on the Scottish side of the border.

LONDON (Reuters) – The cost of protecting Scottish savers would prove difficult to bear if the country broke away from the rest of the UK, a study by the Treasury said on Monday.

The findings come in the latest paper from the British government on how independence would impact the country. On Sunday the Treasury said an independent Scotland would have a huge financial sector relative to its economy, leaving it vulnerable to a Cyprus-style banking crisis.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain called upon its overseas territories to “get their house in order” over the sharing of tax information on Monday as the UK looks to lead a global fight against tax evasion ahead of a meeting of the world’s wealthiest states.

Britain is using its presidency of the Group of Eight (G8) leading economies, which holds its annual summit on June 17-18, to push for a global clampdown on complex arrangements used to disguise wealth and minimise tax payments.

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) – The cost of protecting Scottish
savers would prove difficult to bear if the country broke away
from the rest of the UK, a study by Britain’s finance ministry
said on Monday.

The findings come in the latest paper from the British
government on how independence would impact the country. On
Sunday the Treasury said an independent Scotland would have a
huge financial sector relative to its economy, leaving it
vulnerable to a Cyprus-style banking crisis.

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) – Britain called upon its overseas
territories to “get their house in order” over the sharing of
tax information on Monday as the UK looks to lead a global fight
against tax evasion ahead of a meeting of the world’s wealthiest
states.

Britain is using its presidency of the Group of Eight (G8)
leading economies, which holds its annual summit on June 17-18,
to push for a global clampdown on complex arrangements used to
disguise wealth and minimise tax payments.

LONDON (Reuters) – An independent Scotland would have a vastly oversized financial sector that would leave it vulnerable to a Cyprus-style banking crisis, Britain’s finance ministry says.

Before a referendum due in September 2014 on whether Scotland should split from the United Kingdom, the British government is analyzing the impact of independence on Scotland, which has a population of about 5 million.

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil companies will face the full force of the law if they manipulated prices, Britain’s energy minister said on Wednesday as a rating agency warned of massive fines if a European Commission’s probe into oil pricing found any wrongdoing.

Oil firm Eni (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said the European Commission had asked it to provide information, although it was not being probed.

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) – Britain expects oil firms to
fully comply with a European Commission’s probe into energy
pricing and would be deeply concerned if prices have been driven
up, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said on
Wednesday.

European authorities raided the offices of major oil
companies Shell, BP and Statoil on
Tuesday in an investigation of suspected manipulation of oil
prices.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will make it easier for small and medium-sized firms to bid for lucrative government contracts and to obtain start-up loans as it tries to stimulate an economy showing little sign of returning to strong growth.

The new measures, outlined in a report released on Monday by Prime Minister David Cameron’s enterprise adviser David Young, would apply to public sector contracts worth 230 billion pounds.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain should expand London’s Heathrow airport by building a third or even fourth runway, MPs said on Friday, weighing into an argument pitting business leaders against environmentalists.

Parliament’s Transport Committee rejected a plan championed by London Mayor Boris Johnson to build a new airport in the River Thames estuary to the east of the capital, citing the cost of new transport links and the impact on wildlife.