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Wings Over Scotland


Short changed

Posted on April 13, 2015 by

We’ve been quiet today because we’ve been wading through the 80-odd painfully-dry pages of the Labour 2015 election manifesto, folks. It’s a deeply tedious read – screeds and screeds of waffly text about how nice things are nice and good things are good but bad things are bad. A couple of things did jump out, though. Here’s one.

nurses20

Alert readers will of course recall that the party’s solemn pledge in Scotland is to provide 1000 more nurses (hastily revised from the comical “1000 more than whatever the SNP say”) from the proceeds of the Mansion Tax, even though NHS Scotland is devolved and no Westminster government can in fact hire a single Scottish nurse.

But hang on. Something’s not right about those numbers.

Firstly it’s worth noting that as far as we know, Scotland hasn’t been promised any more GPs or midwives. But on those nurse figures, Scotland is 8.4% of the UK population. If it was to get a proportionate percentage of 20,000 extra nurses, it’d be due 1,680. If only 1000 are coming, that’s a measly 59.5% of Scotland’s fair share.

Jim Murphy made a big song and dance about the fact that most of the Mansion Tax proceeds would come from the south-east of England. But if the great selling point of the UK is the pooling and sharing of resources, that shouldn’t matter. Wherever the money comes from, whether it’s mansions or oil or whisky or whatever it is they make in Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland should be getting proportionately the same per head as everyone else.

So where are the rest of its nurses?

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  1. 13 04 15 19:34

    Short changed | Speymouth
    Ignored

  2. 13 04 15 20:07

    Short changed | Politics Scotland | Scoop.it
    Ignored

105 to “Short changed”

  1. themadmurph
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye but pooling and sharing, UK pension fund and SNP BAD ????

  2. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    The 680 are probably the Barnet consequentials

  3. Tony Jensen
    Ignored
    says:

    You must have been sitting there with your calculator at the ready. Well done, Stu

  4. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    Bugger it got away from me again
    … as all spending in London is National Expenditure for which the colonies get nothing. Ask the North East

  5. Donald Urquhart
    Ignored
    says:

    Shame Jim Murphy turned down a request from STV to appear on this evening’s Scotland Tonight. Strange that. Speaks volumes that he won’t go on television the day of his party’s manifesto launch…

    He could have addressed the nurses question in the context of Scotland, the latest poll or even Ed Balls and Chuka Umunnas’ funding cuts statements.

    There was nothing in his demeanour on Sunday that suggested he was going to come over all shy today. Hope he’s ok.

  6. RandomSwitch
    Ignored
    says:

    Short Changed?
    Our entire political narrative is being short changed by the neoliberal political class.

    Bitter lake – Adam Curtis.
    Politicians used to have the confidence to tell us stories that made sense of the chaos of world events. But now there are no big stories and politicians react randomly to every new crisis – leaving us bewildered and disorientated.
    Bitter Lake is a new, adventurous and epic film by Adam Curtis that explains why the big stories that politicians tell us have become so simplified that we can’t really see the world any longer.

    This is what left leaning political class forgot:
    Arise ye workers from your slumbers
    Arise ye prisoners of want
    For reason in revolt now thunders
    And at last ends the age of cant.
    Away with all your superstitions
    Servile masses arise, arise
    We’ll change henceforth the old tradition
    And spurn the dust to win the prize.

  7. Pat
    Ignored
    says:

    “And we will bring together services for physical health, mental health and social care into a single system built around the individual”

    Could this be the end of Scotlands devolved NHS?

  8. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    Incredible news as self publicist, and all round loud mouth Jim Murphy, turns down chance to appear on TV.

  9. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    Jim Murphy BA-Politics (failed) is not having a good day, I have just listen to him getting skewered on Radio Scotland’s six o’clock news about Ed balls & Chuka’s comments.

    Chuka’s comments about Jim Murphy’s actual position in labour were really damning, I just can’t stop smiling.

    And Stu these “80 odd painfully dry pages” of the labour manifesto, does the “painfully dry” describe the content or use as an earse-wipe ?

  10. shiregirl
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m a nurse and work three days per week but juggle a full time case load. I usually end up working on into my own time to ensure I see all my patients and my paperwork is done.
    What would more nurses or more hours mean to me? It would mean I could see more patients and do more for them rather than feel I am spinning plates constantly. Being able to sit and talk to a patient and their family means a lot to those suffering from long term conditions and I would like to do this without having to look at my watch.
    More nurses are needed but many are turning their backs on nursing as there is an increased workload (paperwork rather than actual hands on nursing) and the wages are dire. Don’t get me wrong, I became a nurse as it was a vocation, not for the wages, but there is no reward for furthering yourself and gaining qualifications – no increase in salary or banding. The same nurses doing the same job in England are on a higher band to me and others doing my job.
    It sickens me that scary jim has claimed over 1 million pounds in expenses and wages over the past ten years while I, like many nurses, struggle to do my job well and live on the wages we get.
    I would like to challenge scary jim or miliband to shadow a nurse for a week and live on their pay, juggle their jobs and families and meet patient expectations.

    Vote snp.

  11. Robert Kerr
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe “control” in London has ordered him not to appear.

    Why?

    We need to be told!

  12. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    If it was to get a proportionate percentage of 20,000 extra nurses, it’d be due 1,680. If only 1000 are coming, that’s a measly 59.5% of Scotland’s fair share.

    20,000 extra nurses is just more absurd Labour fraud too. NHS England alone has a nursing shortage crisis as they cant get applicants, forecast at nearly 50,000 2016 and down to crap pay, conditions.

    Creepy Morphy knows this too, or he should. They are recruiting foreign nurses but Labour are anti immigration now, so that’s not going to work either. Good excuse though when creepy Jim’s crowned Scotland’s First Minister next year under BBC ecstatic fanfares, ode to joy etc.

    http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/specialisms/management/nhs-to-face-chronic-nurse-shortage-by-2016/5059871.article

  13. Alastair
    Ignored
    says:

    But Stu Murphy said Scotland is getting a £8.50 minimum wage and the rest of the UK is only getting £8.00.

  14. Marie clark
    Ignored
    says:

    @ muttley79 6.20. Murphy has turned down the chance to be on TV tonight!

    It must be cause his face is a’ rid and bruised fae the almighty skelp that Chuka Ummuna gave him.

    He will now need to wait for his masters of the dark arts tae spin a wee story fur him.

    Mind you, a decent person, with any integrity, would resign after what has happened today. I know, I know, it’s James Francis we’re talking aboot. Decent & integrity don’t apply to him.

  15. Cag-does-thinking
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T already but remember how we predicted the Andy Coulson trial would be delayed until after the election? Well call me psychic but surprise surprise after a hearing today it’s been put back till 11th May.

    Handy ehh?

  16. clochoderic
    Ignored
    says:

    Is Murphy hiding in a Subway shop?

  17. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember the old story about the political advice given by an old stager to a newly-elected MP.

    “Those people across there are your opponents – your enemies are all around you”, certainly seems like the position Big Dim Jim finds himself in today.

    The real London-based Labour Party’s manifesto launch today has surely signalled the end for Big Dim Jim – even if he does hold onto his seat.

    Miliband, Balls & Co have today finished-off the work of Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish “Leaders” debates, oops sorry – stairheid rammies. Big Dim Jim is toast.

  18. Grizzle McPuss
    Ignored
    says:

    Under their manifesto “Improving productivity and a new industrial
    strategy”

    I wonder what the folks around Gatwick will make of this commitment…

    “For onshore unconventional oil and gas, we will establish a robust environmental
    and regulatory regime before extraction can take place”

    A separate issue for England yes (allegedly), but regardless, that doesn’t sound like an all out dismissal of fracking.

    I’m looking forward to the SNP’s Manifesto take on this issue

  19. Pam McMahon
    Ignored
    says:

    Donald Urquhart@6.13pm
    Yes, mibbie he is no weel, and still recovering from his ranting and raving on Sunday Politics Scotland yesterday. It’s a shame, as you say, that he has declined to be interviewed on Scotland Tonight, to explain why he has been abandoned by his own UK party.
    It’s not as though he would be facing major interrogation from anybody in STV.

  20. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour, the right hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing!

    Perhaps we will all look back on this period and see how blessed Scotland was to have a bunch of plonkers trying to block progress.

  21. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Miliband presented this well, he actually managed to sound like a potential No 10 candidate. However, I see the Guardian has produced a poll that says he is 6 points behind hours after this presentation. I hold no candle for Labour but I sense that it won’t just be the SNP that are subject to dirty tricks and managed news stories.

    This is one of the oddest elections I can remember.

  22. Ally McEwen
    Ignored
    says:

    Da,da; da,da. And, right on cue the BBC rides in to DimJim’s rescue, in the shape of Brian Taylor.
    It’s all a question of ‘presentation’. Cuts in England and no cuts in Scotland are actually the same thing. Silly me for not seeing that.

  23. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    This Mansion Tax is going to raise a miracle amount on the lines of loaves and fishes.

    Back to your Bible folks! John 14:2 In my Father’s house there are many mansions ,if it were not so I would have told you.I go to prepare a place for you…

    I am not making fun.There is something strange going on here. It is an unholy mess

  24. Kenny
    Ignored
    says:

    What’s that deafening silence on BBC Labour? It’s usually “Jim Murphy…. Jim Murphy…. SNP bad…. James Francis…. Jim Murphy”…

    But they have gone awfy quiet on BBC Murphy — for about the first day since Lamont was stabbed in the back!

    I was passing Pacific Quay an hour ago and spotted the following scene over a familiar rectangular glass building (apologies to Giotto):

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/–fQL84Gv-OE/VB8U87K1bwI/AAAAAAAAA_A/JlNUQWReodU/s1600/Untitled.png

  25. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    What a *cough* GREAT example of Labour’s idea of Pooling and Sharing, or rather as Mr Dugdale said earlier on Twitter … Pulling and Shearing! 😀

  26. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Donald Urquart 6.15

    Maybe he has finally realized that nobody likes him and knows to now keep a lower profile.

    I say this as I was talking to someone today who proffered info that a well known BBC journo he was in the company of recently stated he thought all the political protagonists were quite nice except Murphy who he/she really didn’t like.

    Its 100% genuine,but I won’t name names in order to protect the source,and even the candid journo.

    Fair cheered me up to know that it’s not just us.

  27. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @shiregirl

    Well said, ALL Lib/Lab/Con politicians have lost touch with what it means to be an “ordinary working person”.

    Jim Murphy take note. No, sorry for interrupting, please carry on.

  28. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    The 680 nurses are nor missing from Scotland’s NHS!
    They will service the demands of the demented monkeys with Red Rosettes that have turfed off of their eternal gravy train.

    Dim Jim will obviously require 24 protection throughout the year.

    Dim, if you can key-in your chest measurements on a post, I’d be happy to supply your new “party” uniform.

    You will look much more approachable with your sleeves fastened
    behind your back!

  29. andrew>reid
    Ignored
    says:

    And, if you’re looking for some more big numbers then how about – from the Scottish Government’s ISD Health Service Costs – that there are 59,000 whole-time equivalent nurses in Scotland, costing £1,721,543,795.96 (£1.7 billion). So, Jim Murphy’s 1,000 extra nurses would amount to an addition of 1.69% to the nursing workforce (hardly earthshattering) and would cost £29,176,829 (£29 million), i.e. just 0.28% of the total NHS operating costs in Scotland – just over one quarter of one percent of the costs of the Scottish health service (also hardly earthshattering).

    UK Labour says that it would put £2,500 millions (£2.5 billions) millions into the health service budget and pay for 20,000 new nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 5,000 extra Homecare workers and 3,000 new midwives. This would mean the Scottish Parliament getting £200 million for whatever NHS Scotland needed most. But, Jim Murphy is only offering £29 million and has decided that what is most needed by health services in Scotland is a smart sounding soundbite of 1,000 additional nurses rather than asking Scottish health professionals what they require. The question is, where has Jim Murphy’s branch office mislaid £170 million of NHS money for Scotland? And, where has he found the nerve to question the SNP’s economic competence, when his own simple arithmetic is itself so seriously questionable?

  30. Stuart Haddon
    Ignored
    says:

    I, too, waded my way through this tedious document, Stu. Speaking as a former long-term member of the Labour Party (and, at one time, activist in the days when it WAS the Labour Party), it seems about par for the course. In other words, pretty dire. I checked up on the credentials of the people charged with putting it together (on the basis that the LP might have contracted out the work to a bunch of chimps) and they seemed, on the face of it, like decent folk. You have to seriously wonder about the process, when it comes up with so much drivel and pap.

    I hadn’t got as far as you with the calculator. Well spotted! Great site you run, BTW. It’s one of my main daily go to places for material to share on my YesUSA page.

  31. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    I distrust those round numbers of doctors,nurses and midwifes.

    Many years ago I was involved in preparing budgets for a major organisation.If any departmental figure was nice and round eg like the 3000 above , my boss would accuse me of making it up. I was always sent back to research the subject again and to show how i arrived at the figure and that it was agreeable to the departmental management and unions.

    Have they just made it up?

  32. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Been away since 07:30 hrs and not long home.

    “It’s just a matter of emphasis” says big Brian on the car radio as I listen in on my way home this evening.

    “What’s happened?” I ask myself, not being able to access the internet or radio at work all day.

    After logging on I find Dim Jim has had his leash very sharply tugged and brought to heel! Hey that’s emphatic Brian!
    It’s true he’s a sock puppet after all, slither on Jim boy.

    Secondly a poll, SNP 52% Labour 24%. “Surely shome mishtake” I think, as I never heard about it from the BBC Scotland on my 1hr hour drive home.

    I read ‘Scot goes pop’ WOW…Wee Ginger Dug! Woof! Woof! Superb.

    I see two SNP posters up across the road, different houses, and a labour one keeking out further down. Settling in to catch up and have a good read. 🙂

  33. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m sure it will all be fine it’s only a matter of…..

    “PRESENTATION” isn’t it, Brian Taylor of the completely neutral State Broadcasting Corporation

    Couldn’t possibly be just Murphy lying to the Electorate
    could it Brian Taylor of the State Broadcasting Corporation
    Couldn’t be you’re finding it difficult making up stuff to cover Murphys arse could it
    Brian Taylor of the State Broadcasting Corporation

    Jim Murphy Professional Liar

    Brian Taylor works for The State Broadcasting Corporation

    Nuff Sed

  34. JOHN KING
    Ignored
    says:

    Donald Urquhart says
    “There was nothing in his demeanour on Sunday that suggested he was going to come over all shy today. Hope he’s ok.”

    Oooh that stings
    As mcart might say
    THATLL LEAVE A MARK! 🙂

  35. finnmacollie
    Ignored
    says:

    Now that Ummuna has confirmed that Milliband is the leader of the Labour Party will Murphy be appearing on the “Leaders” stair heid rammies as Branch Manager? Also applies to wee Ruthie and wee Willie.

  36. Malky
    Ignored
    says:

    Haha. Rumbled.

  37. Free Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Could anyone with information on the last known movements of Jim Murphy please contact the president of the (now disbanded) Jim Murphy Appreciation Society.

  38. gus1940
    Ignored
    says:

    It will be interesting to see how tonight’s late night political programs and tomorrow’s blats try to spin Creepy Jim’s political nemesis.

    Should he hold on to his seat can I suggest a 4th. Red Line for Nicola – no copoeration formal or otherwise with a Labour Govt. which contains Murphy in any position other than as a backbench MP without any ministerial or committee post.

  39. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ally McEwen

    And, right on cue the BBC rides in to DimJim’s rescue, in the shape of Brian Taylor.

    Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down
    Weebles are around,
    Don’t fall down
    Weeble wobble, Weeble wobble,Weeble wobble,Weeble wobble,
    Weeble wobble,Weeble wobble,
    Don’t fall down.

  40. Paula Rose
    Ignored
    says:

    Does Labour stand for

    Like A Bash Owning Unearned Riches?

  41. Edward
    Ignored
    says:

    Can someone clarify

    I saw online (not sure if it was on twitter) that the OBR have admitted they made a mistake regarding the so called £ 7.6 billion black hole that Murphy was fond in quoting ad nauseum

    From what I saw the OBR stated that they had not factored in VAT receipts as part of the FFA. So now they have gone away to recalculate

    Anyone with any links & further information would be handy

  42. rongorongo
    Ignored
    says:

    What a *cough* GREAT example of Labour’s idea of Pooling and Sharing, or rather as Mr Dugdale said earlier on Twitter … Pulling and Shearing!

    English services are to be pulled; Scotland’s are to be sheared. Who said anything about cuts?

  43. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @:handclapping says: 13 April, 2015 at 6:07 pm:

    “The 680 are probably the Barnet consequentials”

    Funny that! My first thoughts while listening to Miliband was that their Mansion Tax was going to go a very, very long way.

    My second was Ah! Well all that English extra funding is going to result in a good deal of Barnett Consequentials to N.I. Scotland and Wales.

    Then my third was that we don’t hear much about N.I. extra per capita funding from our nearest neighbours yet N.I has the highest per capita share as they have the most devolved functions. Perhaps it’s down to the media and BBC propaganda.

    It has been getting clearer by the day that the Barnett/FFA thing is going to blow-up in the Establishment’s faces in the not too dim and distant.

  44. robin
    Ignored
    says:

    TNS reporting SNP at 52% with most of the increase coming from ‘disaffected labour supporters’ . Keep up the good work Jim (saviour of the union)

  45. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    I may well be alone in this regard, but I no longer care who Nicola works with to further Scotlands interest. I view both main parties with equal contempt.To me the Unionist Parties are exactly the same,and should be treated as such. I see no difference now in working with Cameron or Miliband ,as long as our requirements are met.

  46. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t cuts in England though,have knock on effects in Wales,Northern Ireland and Scotland as Labour said the Barnett formula is safe?

  47. scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Did I not hear Brian Taylor say the Lab manifesto for Scotland would be published this week,I thought this was the UK elections.

  48. Bkb Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    If Labour are supporting tactical voting of Tory,does this not give the SNP free rein to work with any party in Westminster that serves Scotlands interest? If you fly wi the craws you get shot wi the craws,as my mother used to tell me.

  49. Donald Urquhart
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu, it’s days like these that you certainly earn your donations. Thanks for wading through those 80 pages – must have felt like some sort of punishment exercise.

    Given that you’ve read it, could you kindly advise your loyal readers on which page they will find the £1,600 for every young person policy?

  50. clochoderic
    Ignored
    says:

    I too listened to Bryan Taylor “explaining” today’s events on BBC Scotland’s Newsdrive just after 5PM this evening.

    After expounding very deliberately on how it was all just a matter of emphasis and presentation he was asked to fill in the details. He then went on hyperventilation mode, making things sound as complicated and inconsequential as possible.

    When he reached his crescendo he then reminded us all that it was not interesting at all really – actually quite boring.

    Toodle-oo the noo!

  51. Alastair
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember as he took on the Scottish Branch Managers role the buzz how his success could position him to replace Miliband’s GE.

    I get the feeling that Murphy is like my washing. He’s been hung out to dry.

  52. steveasaneilean
    Ignored
    says:

    Let me put on my professional hat and give you some guesstimate costs for all this just so you know.

    Okay – average cost for a GP including all the extra staff, premises and resources needed to support them is at a minimum £100,000 a shot so that’s a total of £800 million.

    If we give the nurses an average of £25,000 that’s another £500 million.

    And for the midwives let’s say an average of £30,000 – that’s another £90 million.

    So grand total of £1.39 billion.

    How much is this mansion tax supposed to raise?

  53. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    Short Changed my Ar@e !

    ” I think its a PRESENTATION problem ”

    Simples …..oh FFS what ever will the Beeb come up with next .

  54. Fiona
    Ignored
    says:

    You know it is ironic that Johann Lamont resigned because she said that SLAB was treated as a “branch office”. Who thinks Murphy has as much integrity as Ms Lamont? Do we expect his resignation tomorrow?

  55. Wales had just 117 words from 86 pages, basically promising us powers you had two decades ago.

    If anyone is interested I’ve deconstructed the 117 words here.
    http://www.welshnotbritish.com/2015/04/london-labours-jam-tomorrow-2015-edition.html

  56. Donald Urquhart
    Ignored
    says:

    Bryan Taylor, next time you say “Toodle-oo the noo!” could you just change it to “Toodle-oo!” Thereby giving us hope you’ll no be back.

    Matter of emphasis, my arse!

  57. Kennedy Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    Rough calculation is around 1.7BN for all those jobs…..that’s a lot of mansion tax

  58. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    2 questions:

    Why wasnt Savjour Jimsus front and centre at todays important Manifesto launch?

    Is there a Scottish Labour Party Manifesto?

  59. Ian M
    Ignored
    says:

    So the SNP headline should be

    LABOUR TO SLASH NURSING JOBS

  60. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    Late on ere tonight .

    HI Rev, was there a mention of the £1600 for School leavers or whatever Murphy was bangin’ on about a week or 2 back ?

    Probably in the same paragraph / section as ” NHS safe with No vote ” etc

  61. Pleidiwr
    Ignored
    says:

    Didn’t like your sneery ‘whatever they do in Wales’line Rev, you sound like one of them. But I can tell you one of our main exports seeing as you don’t know

    Lying, two faced, devoid of principle Labour MP’s who, once in Westminster, cant even be bothered to shit on Wales

    We make a lot of those

  62. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    “Matter of preentation”, and “emphasis”

    For goodness sake.

    Will someone please remind Brian Taylor that BBC reporters are meant to report bare facts, not glossed over Labour press releases. For once, just once, leave that for the spin doctors, and do your job properly, Mr Taylor. Despite your best efforts, noone is buying your Labour-friendly line anymore.

  63. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    I may have misheard, but Sarah Smith said the 4 party leaders are on her show tonight????

    After yesterday’s debacle?

    Evan Davis interviewing Clegg just now and asked, What happens if your party is obliterated. Clegg response, a belligerent, We won’t be!

    Laugh of the day from FB, a busker greeting Cameron with a ukulele, singing, F*** off Cameron, and take your f***ing Eton pals with you, a catchy little tune.

  64. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Zoopla say 108,477 homes would qualify for the mansion tax.

    Could Labour soon lose London with highest households paying circa £26k per annum..all to help pay for wee Jock and Jockettes driving lessons

  65. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Bob couldnt agree more. At least the Tories are honest. They hate Scotland and won’t give us anymore power. Labour pretend they care about Scotland and promise the moon.

  66. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @handclapping says: 13 April, 2015 at 6:12 pm:

    “Bugger it got away from me again
    … as all spending in London is National Expenditure for which the colonies get nothing. Ask the North East”

    Nearly right, handclapping, and I realize you are being ironic, but the truth is even more ironic. When they spend on London but the spend has no Barnett Consequentials it is for a reason.

    That reason is that all English funding, for example on infrastructure which is supposed to come from DEFRA Funds does indeed carry Barnett Consequentials. So when they fund London infrastructure, like the New London Sewerage System, they deliberately fund it from other sources. In that case it was from Government Reserves.

    So, if you think about it, it administers a double whammy to N.I. Scotland & Wales but just docks the non-London English regions once. Here’s how. Every non-London area contributes the same per capita sum towards those Government Reserves but the English regions don’t get Barnett Consequentials so only N.I Wales and Scotland get the double Whammy of loss of consequentials.

    The point is they are funding the London spending in ways that avoid Consequentials. Here’s another one. England’s transport is obviously funded as United Kingdom Transport and that has Consequentials but when the Establishment set up Transport for London most funding properly came from London Business sources but the Government made a one-of grant that didn’t – so everyone else paid a share of that.

    The number of Creative Accounting scams going on is endless and has been going on a very long time. Don’t know if you knew this one. Part of that £4.1bn for the New London Sewerage Scheme gave every household customer of the SE Water Company a one off deduction in their Water Bills. If memory serves of £30.00. So we all gave a nice wee present to the wealthy SE England corner while our own kids were being fed by food banks.

    There are so many of these wee fiddles you cannot keep track.

  67. stewartb
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Teenagers who do not go to university would receive £1,600 to spend on what they “need to get on in life” , Scotland’s Labour leader has pledged.’ – this according to the BBC News website on 7th March 2015 when reporting Jim Murphy’s election promise to young people.

    Did you spot this in Labour’s GE2015 Manifesto anyone?

  68. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Please let us all remember Jims promise to doubting questioner at STV Debate “If we havent begun to implement all this within 6 months you can throw me out!”

  69. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    scott says:

    Did I not hear Brian Taylor say the Lab manifesto for Scotland would be published this week,I thought this was the UK elections.

    No Scott you were not hearing things Mr Toodle ooh the noo did indeed say that the Labour in Scotland manifesto would be out later this week. In fact I think I almost heard him mumble “as early as tomoorow.” 😀

    WOW!

    I never knew Labour *ahem* cared so much about Wales
    Welsh not British (@welshnotbritish) … honestly I did not know Wales rated so highly on their radar of countries to win over. 😛

  70. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    desimond says:

    Please let us all remember Jims promise to doubting questioner at STV Debate “If we havent begun to implement all this within 6 months you can throw me out!”

    Ah I see wee Murph the Smurph, as per normal, forgot the last bit of his *ahem* statement. It reads:

    If we havent begun to implement all this within 6 months you can throw me out in FIVE years time! 😀

    Just a wee, five year, slip of the tongue from oor Jim there but who’s going to notice? 😛

  71. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Alastair says: 13 April, 2015 at 6:42 pm:

    “But Stu Murphy said Scotland is getting a £8.50 minimum wage and the rest of the UK is only getting £8.00.

    Just to show how bloody stupid the Murphy is, consider this, The Block Grant is supposed to be based upon the standard per capita average per capita UK sum plus the Barnett Formula factor to pay for the devolved functions.

    However, the United Kingdom Government cannot dictate how the grant is allocated and spent by the SG who have a free hand to allocate funds as they see fit. How then can Murphy say how much of any Barnett will be spent on anything?

    I’ll put that another way – if The UK spends a sum to provide extra nurses then the Consequentials add a per capita equivalent to the block grant but they cannot force the SG to also use the extra for nurses. Murphy has been talking crap all along.

  72. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Coo! Skelped down by ‘two eds are better than one’ and Ummuna what will Murphy do?

    Chuka Ummuna says…

    “The leader of the Scottish Labour Party will not be in charge of the UK budget. The leader of our country, our next prime minister, Ed Miliband, will be in charge of the UK budget and he has just answered the question, when that was put to him – will there be any cuts over the course of this parliament not just in the first financial year, but in the following financial years? And he was absolutely clear – there will be the need for further consolidation and cuts throughout the rest of the parliament.”
    ————————————————————-
    Good read here about it.

    http://lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk/

  73. velofello
    Ignored
    says:

    Credit where due.

    I wouldn’t have picked up so easily,a few years back on the Brian Taylor “presentation” clip.

    Thanks to Rev Stu’s articles and analyses I’m much more a sceptic of MSM and BBC products.

  74. Jim Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    @steveasaneilean 7:44pm

    I used to have to estimate staff costs for budget purposes and we would take salary then multiply it by 1.8 which was pretty close to reality because it factored in other things like NI payments, employer pension contributions, admin costs and cost of accommodation required to keep the staff warm and dry while they worked (we had a caring employer).

    I would imaging that a multiplier of around 1.8 would also work for the NHS “real” staff costs.

  75. Donald Urquhart
    Ignored
    says:

    Pam McMahon says: at 6:47 pm

    ….. “Yes, mibbie he is no weel”

    Nothing trivial, I hope

  76. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Rough calculation is around 1.7BN for all those jobs…..that’s a lot of mansion tax”

    I made it about £1.54bn at average pay for each one. But that’s a huge underestimation of the actual cost – as a rule of thumb, employing a person costs roughly twice their salary once you factor in all the costs.

  77. Jim Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    Hah! beat you to it Stu [smug face thingy]

  78. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    @scottsays 7:40 pm

    You heard it correctly Scott!

    Is red Ed delivering the SLAB manifesto? Is this for WESTMINSTER or HOLYROOD.

    red Ed and dim Jim just open mouth and let belly rumble. EBC Trying to reconcile LONDON and dim Jim’s contradictory statements. Nae wonder Brian the NOO is shaken and sweating like a pig, yer teas oot EBC and Brian. Toodle pip.

  79. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    clochoderic says
    “Is Murphy hiding in a Subway shop?”

    No he’s got an interview. 🙂

  80. Phronesis
    Ignored
    says:

    Sections 4-6 of the Adam Smith Institute’s 1988 report “The Health of Nations” contain a clear description of the various elements of the New Labour and Coalition reforms to the NHS, in which they relate these as components of a different health financing system, one based on a reorganisation to an insurance-based healthcare system which is a hybrid of the current mainly privatised US system and the partially private German system.

    NHS England is now almost there, having already reached the penultimate stage which is to generate the final transition to the 21st Century NHS. The passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 allows the completion through passive market processes of the gradual privatisation of the NHS conceived during the 1980s and quietly put in place, piece by piece, by each successive government administration since.
    Of course this all relates to the changes to NHS England therefore perhaps a more relevant question for Labour is will it commit to the NHS re-instatement bill because as we all know health is a devolved matter for SG who have pursued policies that ensure that NHS Scotland remains a nationalised service.
    Health and social care in Scotland is now integrated following the passing of the Public Bodies(Joint Working)(Scotland) Act 2014- an eminently sensible step forwards to improving holistic patient centred care.

  81. clochoderic
    Ignored
    says:

    You can hear Bryan Taylor shilling for Slab on the link below from 68 minutes onwards.

    It was obviously just one of those things that just happen that they did not ask Jim Murphy for a quote or reaction.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pscyb

  82. paul gerard mccormack
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyway, surely that wasn’t the very same James Francis Murphy who said to all who had gathered before him some months ago, that he didn’t take orders from London. Surely not?
    – And there was me believing every word he said too, tch.

  83. Molly
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers
    On the theme of Barnett Consequentials…

    NHS organisations are being encouraged to bid for funding from an EU pot worth £4.4 bn to be spent in the UK over the next seven years. ‘Money from the European structural and investment fund is available to organisations across the UK public sector to fund business, workforce and innovation projectts.

    The NHS confederation wants the health sector to bid for the funds and has said it is important the NhS looks at ‘complimentary’ sources of funding.

    Money from the fund pot has been divided into smaller regional funds by the Govt , must be matched by public or private funding from within the UK, bringing the total potential fund to £8.8 bn.

    The govt has divided up the funding into sets of regional “calls”” specific trenches of money to be spent in particular regions.

    Michael Wood, senior policy manager of the NHS European Office, an arm of the NHS Confederation said “given the current financial context, it’s important the NHS understands its role in the local economy and that the health service looks at complementary funding streams.

    Sorry that was so long but throws up a few questions .
    1. Apart from its name in England , what bits are national now in the NHS down south?
    2. Is that Europe, Europe ?
    3. Unfortunately it doesn’t say in the article , which regions .
    4. £8 bn for the NHS sound familiar?
    5. If ‘ complimentary ‘ source streams are the way the NHS is being run in England , what Barnett Consequentials?

    in other news by the way, Barts Health Trust, the largest Trust in the country , was placed in special measures earlier this month because of a deficit approaching £100m and performance concerns identified by the Care quality Commision.

    The CQC will fail to hit a high profile target to inspect all acute Trusts this year ( England)

    Finally Labours private provider cap ‘ may breach EU law’ ( HSJ)

    Now Kezia Dugdale , tell me again about the NHS in Scotland being in crisis !!

  84. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    clochoderic 7.44pm
    “I too listened to Bryan Taylor “explaining” today’s events on BBC Scotland’s Newsdrive just after 5PM this evening.”

    Was Brian’s explanation of the Labour Manifesto like a “Venn Diagram”.

    That was Brian’s favourite saying during the Referendum Campaign.

    I can still see him, waving those wee arms of his about and telling Jackie Burd, “It’s like a Venn Diagram Jackie.”

    Toodle-oo the noo Brian! (tick tock)

    O/T

    No mention of the recent TNS poll on STV or BBC Scotland.
    The less we know, the better.

  85. Short Changed
    Ignored
    says:

    The rest of the nurses have all gone abroad to work, better wages in NZ and Australia

  86. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    The saviour of the union and Scottish labour. The recent times of Dim Jim… 🙂

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/its-been-easy-its-been-to-outdo-the-snp

  87. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Bob Mack says: 13 April, 2015 at 7:33 pm:

    “I may well be alone in this regard, but I no longer care who Nicola works with to further Scotlands interest.

    Och! Bob Mack, neither does Nicola care who it is. It’s just she thinks that she can get screw more benefits for Scotland from Miliband than from Cameron.

  88. steveasaneilean
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jim Thompson 8.24

    Thanks for this. So actual cost of this policy somewhere well in excess of £2 billion. How many mansions is that I wonder?

  89. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    clochoderic @ 8.36

    Thanks for the link and time frame.

    Jeezo BT on RS is really squirming to cover Jims Tracks.

    What an absolute clown BT is on this particular episode.

  90. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @msean says: 13 April, 2015 at 7:39 pm:

    !
    Don’t cuts in England though,have knock on effects in Wales,Northern Ireland and Scotland as Labour said the Barnett formula is safe?”

    Yes. Thing is they know they cannot just remove the Barnett Formula for it sets the level of per capita funding. They made the system complex to be able to hide the truth.

  91. Debbiethebruce
    Ignored
    says:

    Does the Labour party manifesto also mention the £1600 that nice uncle Jim is giving to every school leaver? Just wondered…

  92. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @desimond says:13 April, 2015 at 8:01 pm:

    “Zoopla say 108,477 homes would qualify for the mansion tax.

    Snigger! I predict a growth industry beginning in converting older, larger, empty homes into smaller flats to house the less well off in London and the south east.

    These will all, for some unknown reason fall within a price range within reasonable reach of the middle class Londoners who have been crying out for more house-building in England.

    The business’ will be mainly by new developer companies and the shareholders will be mainly wealthy non-doms. I wonder if this will affect the Labour Party manifesto sums collected as Mansion tax?

  93. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    “It’s 190,381 voters to be exact,” said Murphy. “A lot of the people who voted Yes just wanted change – they weren’t ideologically nationalists, they were scunnered with the Tories. I think those people are looking again at the Scottish Labour party – they’re saying, if you keep improving, we’re interested.”

    Now that they are scunnered with you and Labour Jim and I have it on good authority that since you took over the B team another “190,381 voters to be exact” have moved from Labour to the SNP.

    Give John and Blair a hefty pat on the back and a wee bonus in their pay packet from me for doing a grand job.

    Love you loads.
    xx

  94. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Even the hootsman too! tsk..tsk!

    Somewhere a troglodyte muses on a wee spider trying for the third time to create its web…. Aye right!

    https://archive.today/Dt12r

  95. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Molly says: 13 April, 2015 at 8:46 pm:

    “Robert Peffers – On the theme of Barnett Consequentials

    Thank you, Molly, for that information. I do have a vague memory of making a note to read such an item about European funding but forgot, or lost the note, and never returned to the link.

  96. Molly
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers
    No Thank you, a few years ago, I would have skipped ‘ Barnett Consequentials, it’s amazing what you read and pick up when you ‘ve had the gist of it explained

  97. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Murphy is like:

    “Nurse!”

  98. Taysideterrier
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone noticed that on page 84 of the manifesto it states:
    “We don’t promise the earth. All our commitments in this manifesto are fully funded, so they can be delivered without a penny of borrowing.”

    Without a penny of borrowing! Surely impossible just now?

  99. Patrick Roden
    Ignored
    says:

    How many of the people in those £2million mansions, will be exempt from paying the ‘mansion tax’?

    As has been mentioned before, a lot of the ex council houses in London are now worth over £2 mill, (hard to imagine but true) however the old people who live in them don’t want to leave their house.

    They will of course not have to pay the mansion tax, and it’s amazing how good the wealthy are at exploiting any tax loopholes!

    The question then is: how many wealthy people will immediately arrange for their property to be put into old grannies name, if Labour get into power?

    How many accountants will already be offering a Mansion tax avoidance service to people in London/South East?

    You can b et your bottom dollar, that Labour wont get anything near the projected income they are calculating to raise, from this mansion tax.

    And that will be their excuse for not delivering on the extra nurses promise.

  100. thewaterbeastie
    Ignored
    says:

    I did see a report that Andy Burnham was offering that same quantity of nurses and GPs (funded by the Mansion Tax) SOLELY for NHS England and Wales – surely the Labour manifesto couldn’t be talking about NHS England and Wales as ‘The NHS’?

  101. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland has been secretly shortchanged forever. No more. The SNP Gov is the only one who has opened the books in Scotland.

    There’s no UK Pension Fund. UK Giv pensions are paid out of current taxation. Scotland pays it’s own UK pensions. £6Billion. Pensions/Benefits £16Billion.

    The ConDems elected to protect BHS/Education cut both. NHS £2Billion a year (savings?) Cut Education £3Billion a year (increased student fees in England £6Billion – £3Billion wouldn’t be repaid)

    The Cons are now promising to put in £8Billion – the shortfall they created 4 x £2Billion = £8Billion

    The tax revenue raised has fallen from £600Billion a year (2010) to £466Billion a year. They are no raising enough Revenues to pay off the Deficit. Westminster are sanctioning and starving the vulnerable and rewarding the rich who caused the crisis.

    Scotland raises and spending £54Billion, pro rata raises more and spends less. Scotland could raise even more. Oil revenues in the West, a land tax reform, cut Trident/illegal wars, tax evasion, cut APT, a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink etc. The poverty in Scotland is a disgrace.

  102. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The SNP are investing in infrastructure which will help the Scottish economy. The Queensferry Crossing, Borders rail link, AWPR, the rail link from Glasgow/Edinburgh.

    The SNP have mitigated the ‘bedroom tax’, increased spending in the NHS from £10Billion to £11.8Billion, social care, education, prescription and mitigated welfare benefit cuts – £100Million. The SNP have governed well and deserve their support. For the first time ever, unemployment in Scotland is below the rest of the UK and Scotland’s population is increasing.

    Scotland was promised full fiscal autonomy/Home Rule/Federalism. 40 years of borrowing can’t be cut in four years. Scotland would be £10Billion a year better off Independent. Scotland would have been Independent years ago, if the facts had been known. Scotland would have has a £Billions Oil Fund. Westminster secrecy and lies and the Official Secrets Act.

  103. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland lost EU Renewable Grants because of Westminster indecision. Westminster would not give permission for a CC coal project at Longannet in Fife, where it was needed. They are closing Longannet because of unfair grid charges. £Billions have been spent on two new coal plants near Clegg’s constituency. Westminster took the extra EU funds intended for Scottish farmers and gave them to wealthy southern farmers. Scotland, as part of the UK, receives the lowest CAP payments in the EU.

  104. Grant
    Ignored
    says:

    “we will” 288 times.

  105. Gary
    Ignored
    says:

    Jim can say anything he likes, as Chuka said, he’s not running the Labour Party or setting the budget. He holds no shadow government office and is not an MSP. He’s a figurehead, Milliband for reserved matters and Dugdale for devolved matters, even then, both are in opposition…



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