Salmond and Sturgeon Want the English Fish for More Fat Subsidies

chucknorris

Would anyone be upset if we all had much more devolved financial powers? I don't think Scotland could object, wouldn't that be hypocritical. Maybe the Welsh or Northern Irish would object, I'm not sure that they are calling for more devolved powers, as it is hard to see how they wouldn't lose out, if the UK went down that road.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Shakethedisease wrote: »

For a lot of us that voted Yes. Me anyway. I personally don't believe that there will ever be a scenario, GERS or otherwise that will look like Scotland could ever achieve independence.

In other words, you'll never believe the figures, no matter how rigorously they have been produced.

Good to know.

this election isn't about independence. And it won't result in independence either.

Correct.

SNP voters then seem to be voting for more of the same failed far left wing ideology that has nearly bankrupted Britain every time it's been tried.

Same failed politics, different colour of tie.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

chucknorris wrote: »

Would anyone be upset if we all had much more devolved financial powers? .

I would.

In fact, I'd like to see the Scottish executive abolished, and all powers returned to Westminster.

There is simply no need for devolved powers, financial or otherwise, all it does is introduce additional layers of costly bureaucracy and pointless legislation.

chucknorris

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

In other words, you'll never believe the figures, no matter how rigorously they have been produced.

Good to know.



Correct.

SNP voters then seem to be voting for more of the same failed far left wing ideology that has nearly bankrupted Britain every time it's been tried.

Same failed politics, different colour of tie.

I should know this, but being English, perhaps you can forgive my ignorance, but it just occurred to me that apart from wanting independence, I don't really know what the difference between Labour and the SNP is. To me, the SNP just look like another labour party (apart from wanting independence), are there any other substantial differences is what they want? As they are soon possibly going to have a strong influence on UK politics, I think that I should make more of an effort to understand where they are coming from.

Additionally (or perhaps the answer to my first question also addresses this) is there any reason why Labour and the SNP might not make good coalition partners? Surely they want to achieve most of the same objectives. Or is a main issue that the SNP only want them for Scotland.

chucknorris

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I would.

In fact, I'd like to see the Scottish executive abolished, and all powers returned to Westminster.

There is simply no need for devolved powers, financial or otherwise, all it does is introduce additional layers of costly bureaucracy and pointless legislation.

I could live with that, but seeing Scotland having additional powers, tends to make others (certainly me) think, why can't we have them too.

kabayiri

elantan wrote: »

...
I also dont know how much growth to expect from slowing down the repayment but £165Bn aint nothing, imagine though if there was also no house of lords to keep and no trident to look after as well ... thats gonna put pennies into the coffers

Even with those two savings it's still miles away.

Take Trident. The cost works out to £3bn per annum. Let's put the Scottish share at 10%. The Scottish cost is therefore £300m.

Of course we should be saving wherever possible, but it's not going to make as big an impact as the headline would suggest.

Generali

chucknorris wrote: »

I should know this, but being English, perhaps you can forgive my ignorance, but it just occurred to me that apart from wanting independence, I don't really know what the difference between Labour and the SNP is. To me, the SNP just look like another labour party (apart from wanting independence), are there any other substantial differences is what they want? As they are soon possibly going to have a strong influence on UK politics, I think that I should make more of an effort to understand where they are coming from.

Additionally (or perhaps the answer to my first question also addresses this) is there any reason why Labour and the SNP might not make good coalition partners? Surely they want to achieve most of the same objectives. Or is a main issue that the SNP only want them for Scotland.

We're still awaiting the manifestos for the General Election so we can't say for certain what idiocy the SNP will promise. In general terms I think it's fair to say that the SNP are basically at the same point in the left-right spectrum as Foot or Benn.

Tromking

chucknorris wrote: »

I could live with that, but seeing Scotland having additional powers, tends to make others (certainly me) think, why can't we have them too.

We will IMO adopt a truly Federal system eventually because you cannot devolve most things to one area of a nation without doing the same to other areas. Westminster is trying to make it work with silly ideas like EVEL, but they'll get it eventually and the call for federalism will become irresistible.
An as an Englishman the sooner we have an English parliament based in York or Winchester and just use the palace of Westminster for a small (100 seat?) federal government the better.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

kabayiri wrote: »

Even with those two savings it's still miles away.

Take Trident. The cost works out to £3bn per annum. Let's put the Scottish share at 10%. The Scottish cost is therefore £300m.

Of course we should be saving wherever possible, but it's not going to make as big an impact as the headline would suggest.

The Scottish share of Trident and HOL is pennies in the big scheme of things.

About 3% of Scotland's deficit in the next financial year.

And Nanny Sturgeon already committed it to barmy new state spending schemes about three times over, even if she didn't have to pay it.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

chucknorris wrote: »

I don't really know what the difference between Labour and the SNP is. .

Imagine Old Labour in the '70's, then imagine a party to the left of that, and that's the SNP pandering to it's core Glasgow/Dundee 'benefits base' under Sturgeon.

Their 'solution' to everything is to tax the productive and give more handouts to the unproductive.

It was a bit less to the left under Salmond, as he also catered to the much more conservative 'Tartan Tory' mob up in the North.