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

Generali

zagubov wrote: »

I seem to recall that Aus also used to have a severe suicide problem some time ago. It's got a peculiarly uneven global distribution.

Certainly mental illness has a higher incidence in the outback and is less likely to be treated than in the cities.

I suspect that differences in suicide numbers between countries are as much due to societal attitudes and physicians keeping the word suicide off the death certificate 'to spare the family' as actual differences. Are we really to believe that there are an 80th as many people with severe forms of depression in Greece as in Finland? I have my doubts.

chewmylegoff

zagubov wrote: »

Of course it's a stunt. Not a harmful one, and more importantly for the SG, not an easy one for the media to bash, which has always been their first instinct when the SNP announce any initiative.

When the government spends your money on fads to get people to vote for it rather than using it to fund essential public services I think it is pretty clear that that is harmful. I suggest that filling in pot holes in the terribly maintained streets of Edinburgh would be a better use of taxpayers' cash than this "vote winner".

To echo what is said above, when you have a baby (or in our case, two of the little sods at the same time) people just bring you stuff, after five nights in hospital we had been left so much free stuff by the people that come around giving it to you that we had to leave some of it behind as i couldn't be bothered to make more than three trips to and from the car. We didn't buy washing liquid a couple of months thanks to persil, although the free nappies did run out a lot quicker, that's because we were going through around 25-30 of the bloody things a day at the start. If you can be bothered you can get a lot more stuff posted to you for free.

A box which a baby can sleep in can be supplied by Amazon by ordering any very small item which will inevitably arrive in a massive box 50 times bigger than its contents. (Nb Amazon give a free baby box to prime customers which I only found out when they were already a year old).

Mistermeaner

Yes but polls

Shakethedisease

chewmylegoff wrote: »

When the government spends your money on fads to get people to vote for it rather than using it to fund essential public services I think it is pretty clear that that is harmful. I suggest that filling in pot holes in the terribly maintained streets of Edinburgh would be a better use of taxpayers' cash than this "vote winner".

To echo what is said above, when you have a baby (or in our case, two of the little sods at the same time) people just bring you stuff, after five nights in hospital we had been left so much free stuff by the people that come around giving it to you that we had to leave some of it behind as i couldn't be bothered to make more than three trips to and from the car. We didn't buy washing liquid a couple of months thanks to persil, although the free nappies did run out a lot quicker, that's because we were going through around 25-30 of the bloody things a day at the start. If you can be bothered you can get a lot more stuff posted to you for free.

A box which a baby can sleep in can be supplied by Amazon by ordering any very small item which will inevitably arrive in a massive box 50 times bigger than its contents. (Nb Amazon give a free baby box to prime customers which I only found out when they were already a year old).

Well speaking as an ex-midwife I think it's a really good idea. Women giving birth don't alway's have 'people who bring you stuff'. Or can 'just go online and order from Amazon'. And I know that as a sad fact of life from the many women I attended over the years. There will be many that will welcome this box. I'm sure those that don't wish one, will be free to decline.

Anyway, you're only talking about this box in isolation. Pot holes and filling them in come from local council budgets. The new welfare and disabled system's which is being set up is probably more of note.

Labour, the Lib Dems and the other smaller parties have spent so much time accusing the SNP of not using new powers when it comes to tax. That they've completely forgotten that there are new welfare powers coming too. The SNP will be announcing tomorrow that they certainly DO intend to use their new powers should they be re-elected. Only it won't be for raising taxes across the board for everyone. It'll be for dismantling some of the more unpopular and least successful Tory/Labour welfare policies. Bedroom tax, sanctions and disability tests, and replacing or getting rid of them wholesale.

Shakethedisease

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Yes but polls

The polls haven't changed since last May.

elantan

So..... everyone happy with the manifesto then ?

Generali

elantan wrote: »

So..... everyone happy with the manifesto then ?

Interesting that they've dropped the idea of independence like a hot rock.

We will undertake new work, starting this summer, with the aim of persuading a clear majority of people in Scotland that independence is the best future for our country

The rest of it is the usual flim flam about how the Government is much better at spending money than you are so will continue to wee as much of it up the wall as possible.

I like the stealth tax increase: increasing the 40p tax band with inflation rather than wages thus dragging ever more of the middle class into paying more and more tax.

Shakethedisease

elantan wrote: »

So..... everyone happy with the manifesto then ?

Yes. Is a good one likely to secure the majority they need to go forward with another five years of sensible competent ( not perfect by any means ) governance. Ensure's that Scotland diverges much further once again from Westminster in terms of general politics, taxes/new welfare systems. And with a majority, the SNP can press forward with annoying folks like Generali who have mistaken a softly softly approach to independence in the run up to this election and the last one as giving up... and take the gloves back off.

The last 18 months have been about gaining and regaining power after Sept 14. No need to rush. But once a safe majority is secure, time to start slowly ramping things up again just in time for Cameron's resignation and Osborne, Johnson or whoever takes over. Scottish Labour and the 'Ruth Davidson party' ( don't mention I'm a Tory ) are already desperately trying to make Scots forget all about Westminster. Both are acting like it doesn't exist anymore which is a very good thing. They'll have an extremely tough time trying to reconnect Scottish politics with any kind of overall UK politics after this election. Especially given their lack of Westminster MP's. They are also both going to have to make some fairly big choices soon in terms of where their political loyalties really lie.

It's Scottish Labour support finally collapsing in this election and the council elections next year. Things like the nonsense of Scottish Labour being against Trident in Scotland when it's UK Labour that will vote on it... plus the prospect of another Conservative Govt in 2020 that will push things over the edge to previous Labour No voters. Mabye Scottish Labour will finally wake up and reconsider their constitutional polices ?

SCOTTISH Labour are two weeks away from a humiliating loss to the Tories, according to an !extraordinary poll that puts them third in the race to Holyrood. The exclusive Daily Record survey revealed Kezia Dugdale has failed to make up any ground on the SNP or shake off Ruth Davidson’s challenge for second.
And with less than a fortnight until Scots go to the polls, there is little sign Labour can turn it around.

Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/shock-poll-shows-scottish-labour-7807552#yUU3ZtAHlyCr7mk7.99

But personally, I think we all need a breather from elections and referendums after June for a while. A majority for the SNP in two weeks time is the main prize. They've done fine with this manifesto in working towards that at least. So fingers crossed.

Generali

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Yes. Is a good one likely to secure the majority they need to go forward with another five years of sensible competent ( not perfect by any means ) governance. Ensure's that Scotland diverges much further once again from Westminster in terms of general politics, taxes/new welfare systems. And with a majority, the SNP can press forward with annoying folks like Generali who have mistaken a softly softly approach to independence in the run up to this election and the last one as giving up... and take the gloves back off.

The SNP leaders aren't stupid, they know that with oil prices where they are independence is a pipedream. I can't see another referendum unless prices head up to substantially closer to the $100/bbl mark.

http://www.fedprimerate.com/crude-oil-price-history.htm

Don't hold your breath!:rotfl:

Johnsmith2016

Really cant beleive SNP are going to try for independance again, their whole argument was based on oil being $130 a barrel it dropped to $32 leaving scotland a 15B deficeit, luckily they were still part of the uk or they would be almost bankcrupt if that had voted out. SNP misleading scots imo, as they want to remain part of EU... So not true independance at all just changing your masters really. I dont see after the last mess how they can try to sway people again.