The New Fat Scotland 'Thanks for all the Fish' Thread.

cogito

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

All organisations have challenges and I accept that Police Scotland could be run more efficiently.

You do raise a very valid point about Westminster paying back the VAT to Scotland that none of the other 44 forces in the UK have to pay as they are council run.

So whilst trying to make efficiencies by centralising the force, its hit by Westminster who refuse to repay the VAT to Police Scotland.

So your point is that the Scottish government screwed up and it's the fault of Westminster. Typical Nat.

A_Medium_Size_Jock

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

Its a strange phenomenon that sees a majority returning party in the seats they contest are criticised in such a way.

The electorate have their opportunity to vote on Thursday and I'm confident that the SNP will return more MP's in Scotland than all other parties combined.

They may struggle to manage even that.

IveSeenTheLight

cogito wrote: »

So your point is that the Scottish government screwed up and it's the fault of Westminster. Typical Nat.

No, not at all.
You've missinterpreted.

Police is a devolved matter.
VAT is not.

The Scottish government have centralised the Police with I believe the essence of being more efficient centrally (and we could all point out some failures so far).

I do not know the details, but surely it seems reasonable to adjust and allow a mechanism for the VAT to be claimed back as it is throughout the UK.

There should be a workable solution.

Otherwise are you inferring that powers can be devolved but limitations placed on what can be done with the devolved powers

Shakethedisease

Shaka_Zulu wrote: »

That great success that is Police Scotland, the only Police Force to be paying VAT. :rotfl::rotfl:

Here is one question for you, how have police dog handler numbers fared over the last 10 years? What is the average mileage driven during a shift for a dog handler?

I get really, really bored seeing posts like yours and cog's. Posts that don't even have the vaguest notion of what they are talking about, haven't done the slightest bit of research and have sucked in every single Daily Express editorial regarding Scotland and the SNP going.

Don't you get a bit embarrassed when you post stuff that has hardly any basis of truth at all ? Scottish Labour and the Tories both backed centralising the Scottish police force in 2012. The proposed savings from doing so far outweighed the VAT payments at the time.

Crime numbers are at record lows in Scotland and police numbers are good which is surely the point anyway.

kabayiri

There's not much worthy of robbing in Scotland. That's why crime numbers look okay.

The SNP plan to impoverish all you Scots does have a positive outcome, after all.

You should be grateful and vote Queen Nicola in forever.

Shaka_Zulu

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

The electorate have their opportunity to vote on Thursday and I'm confident that the SNP will return more MP's in Scotland than all other parties combined.

You will most probably be correct, but the SNP are a single issue party at the end of the day. If the other parties joined forces to present a single party to oppose them then where would you be?

Logic would suggest that you might get 30-40% (maybe a little more) of the seats at this time.

You will no doubt argue once again that this is not a binary issue, but it is for the majority of Scots of either persuasion.

Shakethedisease

kabayiri wrote: »

There's not much worthy of robbing in Scotland. That's why crime numbers look okay.

The SNP plan to impoverish all you Scots does have a positive outcome, after all.

You should be grateful and vote Queen Nicola in forever.

Poorer societies and communities have higher crime rates though. Sociology 101. Scottish crime rates are at an all time low so your snidey theory doesn't hold much weight.

I know your dreams of a massive Theresa May super duper massive majority and a red white and blue flag waving hard Brexit.. are in serious danger of coming down crashing round your wee lugs in the next few days. But try not to get too bitter about it.

As a general observation imo Corbyn since his installation as Labour leader has been the union's only hope of surviving short/mid term and have said so on many occasions. Recent polls are a reflection ( as they were in 2015 for the SNP ) of people voting for a bit of hope and change. It's whether those voters will be enough to topple May off her wobbly perch that's the question now. I hope it is.. but if it isn't, then we're all right back to where we were with the same issues/Brexit/independence ref's etc a few months ago.

Shakethedisease

Shaka_Zulu wrote: »

You will most probably be correct, but the SNP are a single issue party at the end of the day. If the other parties joined forces to present a single party to oppose them then where would you be?

Logic would suggest that you might get 30-40% (maybe a little more) of the seats at this time.

You will no doubt argue once again that this is not a binary issue, but it is for the majority of Scots of either persuasion.

It's gone beyond party political now. If Corbyn loses on Friday, and May still ploughs on with her hard Brexit.. Holyrood will call a vote. If you don't like it, then just vote No when it happens.

Everything else you've been mouthing off about regarding vote shares, seats and %'s mean nothing in the forthcoming Brexit context. Unless Corbyn is PM and there are serious concessions given to the SNP either regarding further devolution enabling Scotland to stay in the Single Market or a section 30. End of story. You're getting caught up going on and round and round meaningless statistics which will count for absolutely sod all if Scotland is going to be forced out of the Single Market. Sorry.

Holyrood will call a vote if it looks like Scotland is going to have to leave 100%. No matter what the polls say about independence, no matter what the polls say about the SNP, no matter how many Tory MP's are returned. May, or Corbyn for that matter tries to take Scotland out of the Single Market and it's referendum 2 time. You'd better get used to the idea.

IveSeenTheLight

Shaka_Zulu wrote: »

You will most probably be correct, but the SNP are a single issue party at the end of the day.

Its a nice soundbite, but simply not true.

The SNP are not a single issue party.
I've heard more about independence from the unionist parties individually than from the SNP.

Its lazy electioneering as they have less review of their manifesto's

IveSeenTheLight

Here's some key points on ALL the issues the SNP address: -

Brexit

• Demand a seat at the table for the Scottish government in Brexit negotiations
• Protect Scotland’s place in the EU single market
• Oppose any attempt by the UK government to treat the fishing industry as a bargaining chip in the Brexit negotiations
• Ensure that the rights and protections currently safeguarded by EU membership are not diminished after the UK leaves

Economy and Taxes

• Balance the UK budget for day-to-day spending by 2021/22
• No increase in tax on the low paid, in National Insurance or in VAT across UK
• Support a UK-wide increase in the top rate of tax from 45p to 50p
• Increase the minimum wage to £10 per hour by 2021/22

Health and care

• Increase NHS spending across the UK by £11bn, meaning an extra £1bn for the NHS Scotland budget on top of existing plans
• Implement recommendations of independent pay review for NHS staff in Scotland
• Vote to protect the health service in all parts of the UK from privatisation
• Maintain and always protect free personal and nursing care in Scotland

Education and family

• Expand early years education and childcare to 30 hours a week for 3 and 4 year olds and vulnerable 2 year olds in Scotland
• Will not follow the Tories' market-driven education reforms in Scotland
• There will be no selective grammar schools in Scotland
• Continue to guarantee no tuition fees for university education

Welfare and pensions

• Keep the pensions triple lock across the UK
• End the freeze on working age benefits and halt further cuts
• Protect universal winter fuel payments, which the Conservatives want to means test
• Support the WASPI campaign, so women born in the 1950s receive the pensions they are due

Housing

• Continue housing policy in Scotland, which has the highest house building rate in the UK
• Continue Rural Housing Fund
• Change the system for housing asylum seekers, addressing the “disgraceful condition” of housing provided

Foreign and defence

• Build a cross-party coalition to scrap the Trident nuclear missile system as quickly and safely as possible
• Oppose bombing in Syria and press the UK government to take “meaningful action to bring about a political solution”
• Keep UK aid spending at 0.7% of national income
• Ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia, pending investigation

Immigration

• Immediately guarantee rights of EU citizens living in UK
• Devolve immigration powers so Scotland can attract EU citizens
• Campaign to restore the post-study work visa so students can stay in Scotland after graduation.
• Restore the “Dubs scheme” to let unaccompanied migrant children into UK

Transport and environment

• Keep EU environmental rules
• Set up a new Independent Aviation Noise Authority
• Keep cutting carbon emissions and push UK government to do the same
• Continue to invest in new roads

Future of the UK

• Hold a second independence referendum “at the end of the Brexit process”
• Bring forward proposals to extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds in all UK elections
• Replace the first-past-the-post electoral system with proportional representation for general elections
• Abolish the House of Lords

Hopefully this clarifies just a flavour of all the issues the SNP represents