SCOTS have contributed more per head to the exchequer than people in the UK as a whole in each of the last 30 years, Nicola Sturgeon will tell the SNP conference today.

Drawing on Scottish Government research, the Deputy First Minister will say Scotland would be more than able to pay its way if independent.

She is expected to say: "During those 30 years, oil prices will have gone up and they will have come down ... But one fact has remained constant. In every single one of those 30 years tax receipts per head of population in Scotland have been greater than tax receipts per head of population in the UK.

"How dare any unionist politician say that Scotland doesn't pay her way?"

The figures assume tax receipts from Scotland included a geographical (90%) share of North Sea oil and gas revenues.