It was nice to see an old friend back in the Scottish media today.

How times change.

Because it’s only a few months since this happened:

But on the other hand, “the oil will be gone in 10 years!” has been around much longer.

“Oil and gas will run out by the end of the 1980s.”

(Tory MPs Timothy Eggart and Peter Rost, January 1982)

“Oil will be running out by 1989.”

(Labour MP Jeff Rooker, April 1984)

“The oil will run out by 1994.”

(Labour MP Tony Benn, May 1979)

“By 1995 the North Sea deposits will be exhausted.”

(Patrick Foley, Lloyd’s Bank regional economist, September 1985)

“The oil will run out by 2000.”

(Labour MP Ioan Evans, February 1980)

“North Sea oil could run out by 2018.”

(The Guardian, May 2008)

“Alistair Darling has just told us that the oil will run out sometime around January 2017.”

(July 2013)

If only you could burn Unionist lies, Scotland would power the world.