Salmond and Sturgeon Want the English Fish for More Fat Subsidies

Tromking

Under a Labour Holyrood government according to Kezia, Osborne's tax credits cuts will be reversed. Proper 'progressives' Labour unlike the SNP faux variety.

Generali

Tromking wrote: »

Under a Labour Holyrood government according to Kezia, Osborne's tax credits cuts will be reinstated. Proper 'progressives' Labour unlike the SNP faux variety.

Can they even do that? If they can it rather takes the wind out of the sails of the SNP.

How would they pay for it (I realise Tromking that you are probably not Kezia and can't necessarily speak for her)?

Tromking

Generali wrote: »

Can they even do that? If they can it rather takes the wind out of the sails of the SNP.

How would they pay for it (I realise Tromking that you are probably not Kezia and can't necessarily speak for her)?

Apparently powers contained within the new Scotland Bill means she can do it. Good on her, makes a welcome change from the incessant empty whinge-a-thon from the Tartan Tories.

Generali

Tromking wrote: »

Apparently powers contained within the new Scotland Bill means she can do it. Good on her, makes a welcome change from the incessant empty whinge-a-thon from the Tartan Tories.

The robots on here kept that quiet.

CLAPTON

Tromking wrote: »

Apparently powers contained within the new Scotland Bill means she can do it. Good on her, makes a welcome change from the incessant empty whinge-a-thon from the Tartan Tories.

in effect yes it appears that Scotland can

They can't actually change the UK benefit laws but they can introduce a new 'reserved power' benefit so overall can achieve the 'desired' effect.

interesting, given some on this board keep claiming the Holyrood lacks effective powers to become a fairer and more equal society.
But we will see in due course

Generali

CLAPTON wrote: »

in effect yes it appears that Scotland can

They can't actually change the UK benefit laws but they can introduce a new 'reserved power' benefit so overall can achieve the 'desired' effect.

interesting, given some on this board keep claiming the Holyrood lacks effective powers to become a fairer and more equal society.
But we will see in due course

Perhaps the Scottish Government doesn't lack the powers, it lacks the desire to tax the Scots for the services that it provides.

CLAPTON

Generali wrote: »

Perhaps the Scottish Government doesn't lack the powers, it lacks the desire to tax the Scots for the services that it provides.

it will certainly be interesting to see a spend spend spend party in Scotland to compete with the SNP

I'm not sure that Scottish Labour have made clear how they intend to pay for this largess yet but they will add an interesting new dimension to the fairer more equal scotland mantra

elantan

Generali wrote: »

The blogger makes the point that the same behaviour is just as bad from Unionists.

I must've missed that part will go and re read ... thanks Gen

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Generali wrote: »

Perhaps the Scottish Government doesn't lack the powers, it lacks the desire to tax the Scots for the services that it provides.

Scotland has had the power to raise (or lower) income tax by up to 3 percentage points for ages.

But a recent poll showed 60% of Scots are against raising taxes if the money is to be spent on benefits.

However 52% of Scots would consider a tax rise might be worth it if the money was spent on increased services.

The problem that either Labour or the SNP will face if they try to do this is that there just isn't enough money to be raised trying to tax only the rich. You have to tax the middle earners and the poor as well if you want to make a real difference to revenue.

I actually support a much greater degree of transparency between politicians and the populace on tax and spend issues.

I'd love to see a political party go to the people of Scotland and explain things clearly - ie - if you want us to spend X on services or protecting benefits from cuts then you have to accept Y in increased tax.

An enormous range of powers and control over fiscal levers are coming shortly.

It would be a real waste to see continued grievance building excuses and inaction being blamed on Westminster, rather than the cold hard truth that there isn't a magic money tree, and Scotland is already heavily subsidised by rUK taxpayers.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

CLAPTON wrote: »

it will certainly be interesting to see a spend spend spend party in Scotland to compete with the SNP

To be fair to the SNP they're not actually a spend spend spend party in their entirety.

A large segment of them are Tartan Tories, ie, quite fiscally conservative and keen to be seen as business friendly.

They have had the power to raise income tax for ages and haven't done so, indeed they have also implemented a freeze on council tax for years.

I'm not sure that Scottish Labour have made clear how they intend to pay for this largess yet but they will add an interesting new dimension to the fairer more equal scotland mantra

Both Labour and the SNP seemingly prefer to do nothing and blame the Tories rather than explain how they'd make the hard choices with all the new powers that are coming.

That's why they keep calling vastly more powers and control over fiscal levers a 'Tory Trap'.