The events of the past few weeks have put into sharp focus Scotland's strategic importance as an oil producer, a message that will not be lost on First Minister Alex Salmond.

I was surprised to learn during the recent dispute that £50m worth of oil per day was brought in from the Forties field alone. The tax take from our oil was reported as being worth some £30m per day.

The workers at Grangemouth have inadvertently invoked the political law of unintended consequences as their dispute over pensions will lead to many questions being asked about Scotland, our place in the world, our oil and how the vast financial benefits which flow from our oil can be taken out of Gordon Brown's hands.

With 25% of Scottish children still living in poverty, my question would be: why is the UK spending so much of our oil money either bailing out bankers in the City of London or fighting illegal wars in Iraq?

Our oil money has been squandered by the UK for too long and we need our oil money to be invested in Scotland. On our behalf, Mr Salmond should have a word with Mr Brown, while he's still resident in Downing Street.

Douglas Chapman, Dunfermline.