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Wings Over Scotland


Good morning, Britain

Posted on January 20, 2014 by

Welcome to another glorious new dawn in the Union.

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Remember how all those dole-scroungers and immigrants caused a global economic crash with their reckless, greedy casino capitalism and massive-scale fraud? Well, finally they’re going to get what’s coming to them.

It was always going to be tricky for the Unionist parties to balance the requirements of securing a No vote (basically, reassure Scots that their social-democratic values will be upheld and perhaps even extended within the UK), with those of winning the next Westminster general election (basically, pander to UKIP and the right-wing media by competing to see who can be most cruel to the vulnerable and powerless).

Today provides an interesting case study. The UK media is full of Labour and the Tories trying to out-do each other on welfare “toughness”, while the Herald carries a distraction piece about the latest of countless attempts at creating a plausible fiction about enhanced devolution – this time labouring under the title “devo more”.

Produced by “think-tank” the Institute for Public Policy Research, the report somewhat gives away its sympathies early on in the article:

“Guy Lodge, associate director at IPPR, added: ‘It is essential Unionist parties and Labour in particular do not retreat from offering Scots a clear and positive alternative to independence.

This is not about giving Alex Salmond a consolation prize but about equipping the Scottish Parliament with the necessary power to enable Scotland to meet the challenges it faces.'”

The line about the terrible, unconscionable prospect of “giving Alex Salmond a consolation prize” probably tells alert readers all they need to know before they start, but the piece goes on to suggest a future where some limited aspects of welfare – specifically housing benefit and tax credits – are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, along with income tax and an unspecified “portion” of VAT.

The intention is clearly to give voters the idea that Scotland could somehow exclude itself from the more brutal aspects of UK welfare “reform”, but the proposal crumbles at the slightest scrutiny. As we’ve previously noted, any future devolution would inevitably be conducted in the context of the removal of the Barnett Formula, but without giving Scotland control of its oil revenues to compensate for the multi-billion pound hole that would be left in the budget.

(Similarly, the receipts from any renewable-energy bonanza would be the property of the Crown Estate, and head directly south without bothering to stop in Edinburgh.)

Therefore, the powers that technically lay at Holyrood would be academic, because there’d be no money to pay for them without massive, politically-impossible tax increases and/or cuts. The Scottish Government would be given the notional “levers of power”, but with its hands tied behind its back so it couldn’t actually pull any of them.

But for as long as the Scottish media can endlessly obsess over devo-max, devo-plus, devo-more, “federalism” and all the rest of them, it hopes that Scots can be fooled into thinking that what’s happening in the rest of the UK doesn’t apply to them. And that’s necessary if the No campaign is to triumph, because what’s happening in the rest of the UK is truly terrifying.

Labour’s unofficial spin-doctor, the New Statesman’s George Eaton, throws himself today into defending the party’s monstrous plans to force the unemployed to sit humiliating tests in basic English and maths before being able to claim benefits. In a piece entitled “Labour’s plan to make benefit claimants take skills tests is smart policy”, he tries to sell the idea that the scheme is all about help:

“By ensuring that all jobseekers acquire basic skills, Labour is seeking to tackle one of the long-term causes of unemployment and of low pay.”

Except that those AREN’T the long-term causes of unemployment and of low pay. The long-term causes of unemployment and low pay are political and ideological, but on the most simplistic level the cause of unemployment is a shortage of jobs.

If Eaton was correct, the country would be plagued by millions of unfilled vacancies as a result of people lacking the literacy skills to fill them. But of course, it isn’t. Every job gets tens, hundreds or even thousands of applicants, from which employers can cherry-pick the best candidates. Graduate vacancies attract an average of 160 applicants each. There are plenty of literate, numerate jobseekers. The problem is that there aren’t anywhere near enough jobs even for them, let alone the less-bright.

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And even if Eaton’s assertion were true – which it plainly, demonstrably isn’t – what then? Are we to believe that some half-arsed part-time government course inevitably conducted by money-grubbing private companies creaming off the maximum possible profits for the smallest possible amount of work is going to miraculously achieve what 11 years of full-time schooling by skilled professional teachers has failed to? What happens to claimants whose skills don’t improve?

Labour’s history of tormenting the unemployed pre-dates the current Conservative-led government – we were writing about it back in spring 2010. Its primary purpose is simply to conceal the reality of unemployment, and to demonise the poor. Many will fall through the net rather than endure the humiliation of testing. Others will be sanctioned for some infraction or other of the labyrinthine, draconian rules. Most will be shuttled uselessly between signing on and periods of forced labour, ensuring that they’re kept off the long-term unemployment stats by six-month fake “jobs”.

Public money, meanwhile will be sucked into the pockets of companies like Atos and A4E, rather than invested in actually creating real employment. Because the simple truth of the matter is that in the modern UK political climate – where the Mail, Express and Telegraph set the agenda that controls the outcome of the few seats that actually matter – Labour needs a scapegoat underclass every bit as much as the Tories do.

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68 to “Good morning, Britain”

  1. Cath
    Ignored
    says:

    “This is not about giving Alex Salmond a consolation prize but about equipping the Scottish Parliament with the necessary power to enable Scotland to meet the challenges it faces.’”

    Yet another thing that some think tank might have found worth saying anywhere between 2 and 7 years ago but is now a waste of paper and ink.

  2. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Speak English or lose out on benefits

    Ach, that rules me oot then!

  3. Ericmac
    Ignored
    says:

    The only question, and I mean the only question, is ‘Do the majority of the Scottish populace understand that England has gone in a different political direction and we have the opportunity to develop Scotland in a more progressive and socially balanced way?”

  4. AllyPally
    Ignored
    says:

    Typo: you wrote “multi-million pound hole” when you presumably meant “multi-million pound BLACK hole”. There, I fixed it for you. 🙂

    Seriously, having the dislexic and innumerate on permanent courses isn’t going to fix anything, except to create a new underclass ripe for mockery and abuse. Non-persons. At the risk of of triggering Godwin’s law, I keep thinking of 1930s Germany. Always nice to have someone to blame.

    Victorian values right enough. When do the workhouses open?

  5. Paul
    Ignored
    says:

    Would this apply to pupils who fail due to the education system letting them down. An article in the Edinburgh Evening News said that many children have went through 7 years of primary school yet can’t read when they get to secondary it is a disgrace.

  6. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    Has any of SLAB come out and said anything yet?…apart from ‘ffs that’s us fecked then’

  7. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Yip, there will be a lot of High-Fiving in the big House today now that Labour and Tories have agreed on another way to tweak those pesky Unemployment figures.

    They really should just all form one big monstrous party and get the facade over with.

  8. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Recent events with the Bank of “England” arranging to meet the SG,throws everything in the air, they need us and desperately so. This will lead to ever deeper measures of austerity in order for the UK to at least make some savings the easiest way they can, off the back of the poor.

    This is a game changer for Scotland because if it comes to a YES, we will have them falling over themselves to keep us happy inc a currency Union. A salvage exercise what they can get whatever they can out of us. We have a very strong hand,I am sure the SG know that well. However,beware many more n dirty tricks before they face reality.

  9. sideshowmanny
    Ignored
    says:

    “…are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, along with income tax and an unspecified “portion” of VAT.”

    I had a feeling I’d read somewhere that that wasn’t possible while we were in the EU so I gave it a Google and sure enough:

    “VAT?

    EU member states are obliged to impose VAT, and EU legislation provides that VAT cannot be charged at different rates within a member state. This means that VAT cannot be devolved to Scotland so long as it remains part of the UK (assuming the UK remains part of the EU)”

    Source: http://www.inhouselawyer.co.uk/index.php/scotland-home/10115-scotlands-constitutional-future-a-taxing-question-

    Unless of course it’s allowed for the proceeds to be devolved without devolving control.

  10. tartanfever
    Ignored
    says:

    What the heck has happened to George Eaton ?

    I thought he was a pretty reasonable chap, but this blind loyalty to labour isn’t doing him any favours.

  11. Gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    …… but if independence was straight popularity contest between Alex Salmond and David Cameron/Nick Clegg/Ed Miliband/Alistair Darling (delete as appropriate) Salmond would win hands down.

    Framing devo-whatsitsname as a consolation prize for the First Minister has only resulted in all the unionist parties shying away from promising any new powers for the Scottish parliament. That means they are going against the vast majority of Scots who want change. That will have repercussions at the ballot box.

    Again, if independence was a simply contest between change and the status quo then again Salmond will win hands down.

    Being against the popularity of the First Minister and constitutional change is not a strong hand for unionists. Someone should tell the NO campaign about that.

  12. Illy
    Ignored
    says:

    “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”

    And forget 1930s Germany: think 1964 Louisiana (http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=103343&sid=53eddd2e7b72f8224e692f9ce9cc71ef)

    (though maybe I shouldn’t be giving them any ideas…)

  13. sideshowmanny
    Ignored
    says:

    oops, i should have read on:

    “There is, however, an alternative possibility, which is for part of the UK VAT revenues to be assigned to the Scottish parliament, and this has been proposed by a number of bodies currently arguing for greater devolution of tax powers. Since this was considered and dismissed by the Calman Commission, which was set up by the unionist parties to look at further devolution of tax powers, the assignment of VAT revenues is perhaps unlikely to be looked upon favourably by the UK government.”

  14. Gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Considering that Johann Lamont is numerically challenged what about Maths and English tests for prospective Labour candidates. It seems only fair.

  15. Murray McCallum
    Ignored
    says:

    Rachael Reeves really has it in for the poor and vulnerable.

    This simplistic demonization of the unemployed, and those lacking numeracy and English skills in particular, will surely result in effectively starving people who have failed to reach the academic levels required after 13-14 years of formal education.

    Maybe this policy of withholding payment should be extended into classrooms, e.g. no free school meal if you do not get a “pass” in English and Maths?

    Also, what about people with learning disabilities?

  16. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland is a country within an equal Union. VAT could be devolved under the 1707 Union Agreement. It should have been devolved since Scotland elected to join the EU. Westminster is breaking Scottish/UK/EU and International Law by operating different tax regimes in the City of London and the rest of the UK.

  17. Illy
    Ignored
    says:

    “if independence was a simply contest between change and the status quo then again Salmond will win hands down.”

    If independance was a contest between the status quo and Westminster’s Victorian intentions, independance should win hands down.

    oh wait, it is.

  18. Gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour’s welfare policy: 2 + 2 = 3.

  19. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    On Thursday at FMQ, I fully expect Johann Lamont to contest that this UK-wide lack of Reading, Writing and IT Skills is purely because of College Course cuts enforced by the ‘blinkered self-serving’ SNP administration

  20. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Rachel Reeves is morally and intellectually void. A few educational lessons in English and Maths might help. Ideology, selfish self-interests are not an excuse. Rachel Reeves is inexperienced, ignorant and arrogant.

  21. The Man in the Jar
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev Stu did you have this in mind when you thought of the headline?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M8U0tMQNlk

  22. Triangular Ears
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve been banging on ad nauseum about the ‘3 million does not go into 400,000’ sum for ages now. It doesn’t matter if every unemployed person trained up to be a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist because under all scenarios there will still be 2.6m of them unemployed.

    It’s simple arithmetic. The “skills shortage” is simply lies.

    @sideshowmanny, we hear that VAT is supposed to be harmonised across the EU and that there are rules here and there but it seems to me that these can be applied as and when they like. Remember we had the temporary drop to 15% not long ago (despite the common wisdom being that, due to harmonisation, it was not possible to lower VAT (if it was still lower than the EU norm) once it had moved towards that norm).

    I would not be surprised if there are alreayd examples of different rates of VAT within member states. We already have different rates for certain goods, which I would guess are not totally harmonised either.

  23. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Right wing tax evading MSM minority, interest groups should not be setting economic policy for any society.

  24. Gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Rachel Reeves worked for HBOS as a business planner and analyst from 2006 to 2009. Says it all really.

  25. Illy
    Ignored
    says:

    On FMQs last week, does anyone else think that the unionists’ question writers were just phoning in their scripts?

    I was reminded of “Where’s the money for the oil fund going to come from” in terms of footgunning.

  26. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour is a great example of the advertising technique “Brand loyalty”. The truth though is that it no longer does what it says on the tin but people keep buying it.

    I hope they see past the spin shortly.

  27. The Man in the Jar
    Ignored
    says:

    I just re-watched the Youtube link that I posted at 11:09am,
    Aztec Camera with Big Audio Dynamite “Good Morning Britain” 1990. 23 years on and how little has changed!

  28. Illy
    Ignored
    says:

    Lab4Indy seem to be picking up a lot of “Old Labour” people.

    And with the name, they’re hopefully going to disrupt the brand loyalty by making it obvious that Labour is splitting in two directions.

    In all honesty, if Lab4Indy rebranded themselves “Old Labour” and ran seperatly in the next elections, pulling in all the pre-Blairites who feel sold out (including the ones who went to the SNP), they could do *really* well.

    A lot of Labour folks are in denial about where Labour have gone to in the last 30 years, so a revival could pull them all back and really revive Labour as more than just “not the Conservatives” (and as UKIP is stealing that anyway…)

  29. DougtheDug
    Ignored
    says:

    sideshowmanny:

    When they talk of devolving VAT what they mean is that VAT becomes an assigned tax. They take the amount of VAT that Scotland generates within the UK and they give that sum to the Scottish Government.

    However in all the schemes published so far and this one will be no different, they then remove that amount from the Barnett Formula Grant so that the principle of fiscal equality, (no region of the UK gets anymore public funding than any other), remains in place.

    In all theses schemes always look at the bottom line:

    If Scotland keeps the same tax rates as the rest of the UK the Scottish Government will get funded to the Barnett Formula (or whatever replaces it) so it gains no advantage.

    It’s always about the illusion of control not of genuine power.

  30. Papadocx
    Ignored
    says:

    Our wonderful system does not need and certainly doesn’t want any MPs who are literate and numerate just greedy b******* who know how tae dae as they are telt and keep their mooths shut! And certainly morals and honesty would be a hindrance. Hence we have the herd we have and deserve and wonder how they ever got elected. They ain’t stupid the voters are stupid and they know that. Long live the system!

    The great and the good run the entire show through a few good placemen called the government of whatever colour makes no odds to them. Money is all the one colour and the honourable members just keep troughing away, oblivious. Just following orders, nice work if you can get it.

  31. DougtheDug
    Ignored
    says:

    And here’s the killer phrase from Alan Trench’s preview chapter.

    As long as this approach was accompanied by an equalisation grant, calculated to enable devolved governments to provide broadly comparable public services to those in England, this would put all four governments within the UK on the same footing when it came to deciding what services to provide and how; and so ensure that all UK citizens had access to similar levels of public service provision.

    In other words fiscal equality. Scotland gets no more money and can raise no more money except by hitting its population with tax increases. It’s the Barnett formula.

  32. Thomas Widmann
    Ignored
    says:

    Aren’t the English tests basically an idea to avoid giving benefits to EU migrants without offending the EU? I don’t think it’ll work however — the ECJ is likely to take a dim view of this idea.

  33. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    I passed this on, and a friend replies:

    I’m surprised by this.

    The more a person can read the less likely they are to vote Labour.

  34. panda paws
    Ignored
    says:

    @AllyPally

    “Seriously, having the dislexic and innumerate on permanent courses isn’t going to fix anything,”

    Illiterate and dyslexic aren’t synonyms. Dyslexia is more than bad spelling and there are a number of dyslexic graduates. One of my issues with this policy is the dog-whistle that people are unemployed because they are uneducated. Quite how this chimes with high levels of graduate unemployment I don’t know. Will the numerate and literate be exempt from attending these courses? Reeves is quoted in the Guardian as saying ALL jobseekers will have to attend.

    NewLabour is continuing to accept the feckless poor narrative and this bodes badly if it’s a No vote. Basically it’s accept three flavours of neo-liberalism or vote for independence.

    I pray I’ve not made any grammar mistakes or Reeves (or the Rev?) will be after me!

  35. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “What the heck has happened to George Eaton?”

    Aye. Last year he was writing stuff like this:

    http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/07/labours-disastrous-new-line-attack-benefit-cap-its-too-soft

    http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/04/why-labour-must-defend-universal-benefits-pensioners

    http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/10/benefit-cap-isnt-working-poor-was-never-aim

    Wonder if someone promised him a nice press-officer job in an incoming Labour administration?

  36. Churm Rincewind
    Ignored
    says:

    “Are we to believe that some half-arsed part-time government course inevitably conducted by money-grubbing private companies creaming off the maximum possible profits for the smallest possible amount of work is going to miraculously achieve what 11 years of full-time schooling by skilled professional teachers has failed to?”

    I’d be hesitant about demonising the efficacy of adult literacy and numeracy training, and of denying the impact of these skills on Scotland’s prosperity.

    And it seems that the Scottish Government agrees. That’s why it’s recently refreshed its Literacy Action Plan – “so that by 2020 Scotland’s society and economy will be stronger…it is widely recognised that basic literacy and numeracy skills are central to the prosperity and welfare of our society. Scotland needs to improve the skills of those currently at work in order to be able to compete in the world market. But literacy and numeracy affects more than just the country’s prosperity and individual job prospects. People need to be literate and numerate in order to participate fully as members of society, as parents, and to lead fulfilling lives.”

    I can’t find fault with that.

  37. Illy
    Ignored
    says:

    @Thomas Widmann:

    In 1964 Louisiana, passing a literacy test was required to vote if you couldn’t provide evidence of an education.

    The test consisted of about 30 questions, some straightforward (but badly worded), some are now classic “trick” questions, and some have 2 different possible “right” answers! the test had to be completed in 10 mins with no wrong answers.

    Basically, if you had to take the test, you couldn’t vote unless the examiner liked the look of you.

  38. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Rev Stu did you have this in mind when you thought of the headline?”

    Man, that song/vid has some cringeworthy lyrics and choreography, but the “LOVE IS INTERNATIONAL!” line still gives me goosebumps.

  39. Greannach
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if they’ll be picking on Gaelic, Irish, Cornish and Welsh speakers too, if they think their English isn’t good enough.

  40. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    Project fear,swivel eyed loons right enough.Honestly,Labour let these guys in due to incompetence,and England isn’t going to change it back.Recent history tells us that the present govt or Tory majority will be in charge till the 2020s at least.there hasn’t been a single term govt for decades.

    We have to get out now,and strangely enough,Labour would probably romp to government in Scotland and control the oil revenues they said were running out,they would also gain the powers of an independent land that won’t be available to them via the UK for at least another decade.

  41. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Not that I’m a big fan of Curriculum for Excellence but they have introduced numeracy and literacy for all so that by the time pupils leave school they will at least have this.

    The Lab in Scotland seem to be obsessed with FE colleges and I have no doubt this will be brought up ad infinitum at FMQs as the solution to all problems

  42. scaredy cat
    Ignored
    says:

    This is just depressing. They are proposing to discriminate against those with a low IQ? No wonder they want to wriggle out of human rights legislation. What is the matter with these people? Have they no heart?

    I’m really afraid of what will happen if Scotland doesn’t wake up soon.

  43. sideshowmanny
    Ignored
    says:

    @DougtheDug

    So for example,if the Scottish Government went ahead with their childcare plans, the increase in revenue from VAT from the spending power of newly working mothers would not be able to help fund the extension of childcare since an equal amount would be deducted from the block grant?

  44. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Please let there be some Karma in the wind for these gits. Public servants?

    Can’t type anymore without becoming abusive.

  45. Molly
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Labour would probably romp to Govt in Scotland’ – nooooo
    As Alan Grogan said” voting for Independence is no for things to stay the same but for change”.

    I’m one that hopes Johann Lamont never gets to a position of speaking on my behalf

  46. pa_broon74
    Ignored
    says:

    @Gillie.

    “Rachel Reeves worked for HBOS as a business planner and analyst from 2006 to 2009. Says it all really.”

    Perhaps Labour, if re-elected *snorts* will promise to rehypothecate jobs.

    Rachel Reeves’ politics are horrible. I’ve heard her yammering on QT and she’s a younger, slightly more vacant-looking yet no less glassy-eyed version of Theresa May.

    You know people talk about religious fervour and the shine in the eyes of those gripped by it? Labour have something similar, its like some odd screen saver mode they go into when ‘orating’, like they – I don’t know – have some sort of nictating membrane that closes over their eyes to hide when they’re lying/talking but the actual result is it makes it really obvious…

    Its like they don’t understand how intelligent or empathetic the average human being can be…

    Possibly because they’re not human themselves?

    Equally, it may just be eye drops.

  47. RoughMan
    Ignored
    says:

    Where’s Wat Tyler when his country needs him?

  48. DougtheDug
    Ignored
    says:

    sideshowmanny:

    Yes. That’s the way it works.

    If the Scottish Government gets an increased share of income from devolved and assigned taxes then its top up block grant goes down to compensate.

    In other words the increased amount raised gets cut from the top up block grant to ensure Scotland gets no more than whatever formula they will use to replace Barnett.

    Fiscal equality across the UK.

  49. Mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s a bit of a generalisation,but the best way to improve literacy and numeracy among school leavers is to provide plenty high quality kindergarten time to all children pre primary.

  50. Chris
    Ignored
    says:

    “Where’s Wat Tyler when his country needs him?”

    I think he was promised jam tomorrow- just before Richard the Second had him killed!

  51. Alex Taylor
    Ignored
    says:

    Welfare to work is intended to give people the self respect of being in work without, though, being paid for it.

    Heard Kevin Bridges on Radio 4 recently talking about the self respect of working in Poundland, where everything in the shop is worth a pound – EXCEPT YOU!

    Alex

  52. Schiehallion! Schiehallion!
    Ignored
    says:

    1:05pm and I’m listening to Radio Scotland blethering about memories of trips on trams. Am I wishing these presenters had had some sort of test before they were dumped into the air? I am.

  53. cirsium
    Ignored
    says:

    What happens to claimants whose skills don’t improve?

    They take Scrooge’s advice (A Christmas Carol(1843)) and die and decrease the surplus population.

  54. Ymwelydd
    Ignored
    says:

    This only proves that these islands are governed by a bunch English Nationalists.

    If a person from Patagonia,fluent in a British language (Cymraeg/Welsh) wants to return to the land of his/her fore fathers to look for work, he would not be allowed in!

    To top it all – English is a Germanic language not Brythoneg (British)!

  55. Schiehallion! Schiehallion!
    Ignored
    says:

    Also:

    This is not about giving Alex Salmond a consolation prize but about equipping the Scottish Parliament with the necessary power to enable Scotland to meet the challenges it faces.

    The members of the Institute for Public Policy Research who produced this report must have failed the test that would allow them to present soul-sapping tv pabulum about celebrity quiz shows. And so they turned their unregarded wits to political matters.

    Consolation prize? Consolation prize? Are you ten years old? And it’s not about Salmond, dipsticks, it’s about the Scottish Government. In what degenerate educational context did you learn to read and write and do your sums?

  56. Chris
    Ignored
    says:

    The devil is in the detail with increased devolution, as in the case of an ‘equilisation grant’, and to date there has been no detail, a known unknown. However, I am going to be glass half-full for a moment with regards to devo-more and its funding. I think a formula could be worked out (based on relative GDP) such that countries with greater prosperity subsidised areas with less, whilst allowing them the freedom on tax matters. The long term purpose of the grant would be to equalise prosperity between the coutries of the UK. It’s how you deal with oil, crown estates and other territorial assests that will be crucial. For any devo-more proposal to have any chance of working these would have to be devolved along with all other taxes except for (possibly) National insurance and VAT.

    Rose tinted glasses off now! There is no way oil revenue will be devolved so over time devo-more would lead to more tensions between Scotland and the rest of the UK, culminating in renewed calls for independence. It’s either an amicable split now or a very messy divorce in a few years time. I know what I prefer!

  57. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Speak English or lose benifit,Millibroad / Easton have cut the benifit budget of million,s of young people, & older,
    Mobile phone texter,s need not apply.What are the ground rule,s, ie useage of the Oxford dictionary,& the many variable,s there,in. Grabing at Straw,s Mr Millipee d.

  58. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Lad,s & Lasses why are we allowing ourselve,s to be distracted, Devo this Devo that,that,s the BT tactic, our aim is Full & a Just Independence.The UK gov cant give us
    anything,THAT WE CANT TAKE FOR OURSELVE,S.& are now comeing to the realisation of the Referendem & a YES positive. Dont be Distracted from the BIG PRIZE INDEPENDENCE.

  59. Taranaich
    Ignored
    says:

    …compensate for the multi-billion pound hole that would be left in the budget.

    BLACK HOLE BLACK HOLE BLACK HOLE BLACK HOLE

    (I don’t care if AllyPally beat me to it, I saw it and I’m going to take it!)

    This is not about giving Alex Salmond a consolation prize but about equipping the Scottish Parliament with the necessary power to enable Scotland to meet the challenges it faces.

    Can’t stand this thinking: in refusing “Salmond” his “consolation prize,” you’re tarring EVERYONE involved in the Yes campaign with the same brush. Thus, it’s refusing a good proportion of THE PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND a “consolation prize.”

    “Losers should lose,” as Michael Kelly said – even if you’re talking about hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of “losers.”

  60. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @shideshowmanny,Your in charge o the Clown,s heid,s, 3 baw,s 50p,Lamont/Ruthie/Rennie/Cameron, the list is endless,but nae gein away the big Teddy.

  61. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Noo, awe you,s that have posted up,on this story have just proved a point of Scot,s being subsidy junkie,s, lol,numericy,litericy. You all pass with Flying couler,s.

    Sos,Your awe Scot,s Winger,s you,ll need tae resit the test.

    Labour Party, abandon benifit,s test, due to the high volume, of Scottish Pass mark,s. lol

  62. Dal Riata
    Ignored
    says:

    Over in the Guardian there’s an article titled, “Oxfam: 85 richest people as wealthy as poorest half of the world”.

    While the UK’s unionist parties are trying to outdo each other on being’tough’ on welfare and its recipients, we have the likes of this:

    “The extent to which so much global wealth has become corralled by a virtual handful of the so-called ‘global elite’ is exposed in a new report from Oxfam on Monday. It warned that those richest 85 people across the globe share a combined wealth of £1tn, as much as the poorest 3.5 billion of the world’s population.”

    And this:

    “The wealth of the 1% richest people in the world amounts to $110tn (£60.88tn), or 65 times as much as the poorest half of the world, added the development charity, which fears this concentration of economic resources is threatening political stability and driving up social tensions.

    It’s no wonder those parasitical scumbags who have been enriching themselves by ripping off Scotland and its resources are using all the ‘means at their disposal’ to try to stop the Scottish people from voting ‘Yes’.

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/20/oxfam-85-richest-people-half-of-the-world

  63. A2
    Ignored
    says:

    The inevitable consequence is of course that crime will go through the roof. Cant get a job, can’t get benefits, choices become much easier: steal or starve.

    That’s ok though, there’s a lot of money to be made out of the criminal justice system.

    This isn’t going to just demonise, it’s criminalising as well.

  64. Croompenstein
    Ignored
    says:

    @Chris 1:30 – sadly, I don’t think it’s going to be amicable either way

  65. Brian Mark
    Ignored
    says:

    National Socialism is alive and well in 2014 Little Britain with Eric Pickles looking more and sounding like Herman Goering every day!

  66. Paul Kelly
    Ignored
    says:

    Immigrants coming here to exploit the welfare system, if we take into account our soaring electricity and food bill’s extortionate rent, charged by unscrupulous private landlords for tiny overpriced houses and if you don’t drive forced to use the most expensive antiquated public transport system in Europe. Any immigrant coming here to take advantage of our “generous” welfare system, has either found a Daily Mail and mistaken it for an informative selection of current affairs instead of a race hate comic, or is mentally deficient.

  67. CameronB
    Ignored
    says:

    On a brighter note, here’s the end of the world and a bunch of former World Bank Chief Economists.

    We are being gamed folks. Time for a change.

    The Four Horsemen
    http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/four-horsemen-documentary/

  68. Patrician
    Ignored
    says:

    Will the english tests include questions like these?

    How many times do you hit the return key to get a new paragraph?

    How many spaces are allowed after a full stop or question mark?

    What happens if you include a cite tag?



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