We’ve lost track again
Posted on
May 19, 2015 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
So cutting Corporation Tax is back to being a good left-wing thing, yes?
You’ll forgive us if we occasionally miss a switch or two, we hope.
Labour cuts good. SNP bad.
Should be fun watching certain activists position themselves on even smaller pinheads if this policy u-turn comes to pass.
The whole UK tax system is a shambles.Its designed to be as complicated as possible so that there’s plenty loopholes.The whole tax system needs to be thoroughly overhauled.
And they wonder why Jim the Janny lost 40 seats all by himself !
You cannot redistribute wealth unless you create it first.
Good investigative journalism Stu.
I’m sure the BBC are going to be all over this today.
Morning Stu,
It is quite extraordinary how dysfunctional labour are these days. They will say anything for a headline if they think it will gain any traction to improve their chances of electoral success. Yvette Cooper is particularly guilty of this. She must have spent hours in front of a mirror practising her wee concerned face that she puts on to accompany whatever the latest gibbering nonsense she is spouting. Keep up the good work. Brilliant stuff about McTernan – any news of what he is up to these days?
Total hypocrites!
They won the referendum by every known deceitful, devious and underhand rhetoric known. Hypocrisy, where they thought it useful, was just another tactic.
We got some payback at the GE, but let’s face it, it wasn’t like winning IndyRef would have been, was it?
Just how many faces do they have?
I’m sure they have a superb explanation to hand…
… or maybe not.
@ Rev when you lose the Track thats cawed ah de-railment.Labours hit the Buffers & ripped up their platform.
Criag Patrick @ 11.16
Actually Jim didn’t loose 40 seats all himself. He had lots of help from the likes of Cooper.
It is staggering how badly they are backpeddling.
The nominees so far for the leadership contest feature absolutely no one with any left wing credentials whatsoever.
More of the same is not an option so they are being driven to compete for the mid/right vote that swung it for Cameron. Mistake, mistake , mistake.
How many can they make ?????
The UK Labour Party is a complete and utter shambles.
We can see what & whom they wish to appeal to…right of centre voters (Tories and the “stuff society” rabble) and to be the best friend of big business. Nothing would give Labour more pleasure than to be able to take the Unions subs, but like with the proverbial mad Aunty, put the likes of McCluskey back in the attic until required.
There are two sides to the corporation tax debate. In the most basic understanding, it’s all about the profits and what a change (reduction) to rate is attempting to achieve.
Simply put; either you reduce corporation tax and have increased profit for re-investment (business expansion / improvement / increased employment) or you pay out higher dividend to the shareholder(s).
One of these paths helps the general economy, the other streamlines benefit to the comparitive few.
I think we know what Mr Salmond & Swinney were trying to encourage through their proposals for the Scottish economy at large, versus the now cheap appeal to the neo-liberal fraternity dominating the agenda around WM.
If ever the phrase “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” was more applicable to the likes of the Labour Party, then it’s now.
The push to reinstate Labour rejects.
Peter Geoghegan………..get stuffed.
A while back I pointed out that Labour are pushing to reform their MSP list to ensure labour reject MP’s get on it to give their old mates a job typical Labour jobs for the boys.
Geoghegan is making the case for this pushing the propaganda to make this seem like a good idea. He stating that the likes of “Douglas Alexander” who’s defined as a “big beast” should be one considered to be applied to the list. Foff Geoghegan what makes this wee weed a big beast? He’s a Blairite Westminster careerist who had no interest in Holyrood just like Smurphy.
Holyrood elections shouldn’t be used for jobs for the boys. It annoyed me that wee Willie Winkie used this to get back after he had been rejected. Got himself elected as a list MSP. Abusing the system to allow careerist politicians back into jobs if they cant be elected personally shouldn’t be allowed. List positions should be made available for the wee person to give them a chance in a public office who other wise might not have the opportunity because their opportunity is being squeezed by the careerists.
And am no a fan of dynastical politicians either! Of any party.
@ronnie anderson 11:35am
aye Ronnie, but it gets ye closer tae the shops (esp. in Largs)
What Ronnie said Priceless & spot on 🙂
Will this convince Slab that they have indeed been cut loose and that London is exclusively chasing the vote in the south east.
Typical Labour their like a wee dug chasing its tail ,what policy will we pull out the lucky bag today.
And they are still wondering what went wrong,no sympathy let them talk themselves into political oblivion.
@Mealer
Price Waterhouse Cooper and Ernst and Young are government tax advisors so tax reform will never ever happen whilst the governments listen to them, I’m amazed they get away with it
The BBC are to be giving away free Labour Party membership with every TV license.
Labour seem to think that their choice is between moving to the left to save the party in Scotland, or moving to the right to save it in England. Cooper isn’t the only one wanting to take the latter path so I guess Labour in Scotland will be left twisting in the wind.
I suggested a long time ago that the day would come when Labour would take the same option as the Tories: accepting complete extinction in Scotland in order to focus on Middle England.
Few things can now save them in Scotland: a decisive move to the left, support for independence, or the introduction of PR instead of FPTP. They’re not going to do any of those, so it’s ta-ta.
So! Who’s cutting and pasting now?
They haven’t got an original idea in their collective heads.
@mealer
is right. The whole think needs overhauled and simplified. And so soes the welfare system and the National Insurance system.
It’s all a matter of what your ultimate aim and philosophical principles are.
If you believe in making society as equal as possible, you might propose instituting a highly progressive and redistributive tax/benefits regime. You will make sure there is a cradle to grave safety net, so that people can live with dignity and security.
If you believe in maximising economic growth and employment (with a resulting increase in overall tax receipts), you could propose cutting corporation tax and other taxes, to attract businesses to your country, and help native businesses grow. You could then decide how to distribute the accruing wealth, to ensure a good life for the Scottish people.
If you believe in sweet f*&^ all and wouldn’t know a principle if you fell over one in the dark, and you utterly hate the goodie two shoes in the SNP who have derailed your gravy train and cost you your comfortable place in the Labour machine, with all the benefits of a sinecure for life as a red-rosetted monkey representing a destitute area of Glasgow that you actually have to visit once or twice during a Parliament to keep the proles happy, then it’s a different ball game entirely. Your aim is to grind the Nats in the dust, bayoneting the wounded ones, and recover your rightful place of privilege, promotion and expense account ease. You will lie, cheat and scream. With the enthusiastic support of other branches of the Labour machine (especially in Pathetic Quay), you will badmouth the SNP at every opportunity – everything they propose (even if you proposed it last week) is intrinsically evil. Your own proposals will be confused, contradictory and show all the intellectual rigour of ideas jotted down on a beer mat after 10 drams.
Admittedly, this will make you look like a dishonest arsehole, and your once-great party may be forced back to its final redoubt in leafy Morningside, as the people you have despised and neglected for decades put the boot in, but at least you will have your hate to keep you warm. And you can do Labour’s famous dance of the ferrets in a sack, to add to the general entertainment.
And don’t look to any of the bunch of bewildered Oxbridge graduates who are fighting to take over your distressed “people’s party” south of the Border for any help. They have only a vague idea of where Scotland is, and they hear fearful rumours that caviare and quinoa are hard to find, so they really don’t want to come up here and slum it on your behalf.
Yvette Cooper will on Tuesday also promise to … and vow that etc. etc., all contingent, of course, on her being appointed leader of a party with zero credibility.
There’s that “vow” word again. Will they never learn?
No doubt the stonemasons will be in touch soon.
“Maintain Corporation Tax rate” … GONE!
“The NHS is safe with a No vote”… GONE!
“Home Rule/near federalism” ….. GONE!
“Equal partners in the Union” …… GONE!
“Only Labour can keep the Tories out”.. GONE!
sorry for going o/t so early. Able seaman William McNeilly was Apprehended at Edinburgh Airport last night. is being held at a military Establishment by the royal navy police.
If Labour were members of The WheelTappers & Shunters Club they would know their Running on Flat Tyre’s. Rev lend them yer Hammer lol.
Hold on a minute, according to Labour Logic this isnt a Corporate Tax Cut, its a Corporate Tax Saving.
The Labour Party has as many faces as Big Ben, but each face is set at different times.
An update: OT
http://caltonjock.com/2015/05/18/margaret-thatchers-scottish-rat-pack-hurt-and-dangerous-they-wait-patiently-to-strike/
Lets see them cover this up:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32791755
As usual statements have been taken out of context. In the Referendum White Paper they also talked about closing tax loopholes. That item came first and reduction in Corporation Tax came after that was in place.
Does Labour mention that? Oh look a squirrel!
Ok what we need to know:
When did the fact that our nuclear subs were a disaster waiting to happen first become known?
And how many Scottish Labour/Lib Dem/ or Tories have known about it, but kept quiet so as not to damage their own political career prospects?
If we can show any Scots had access to the truth about the danger these subs posed to the Scottish population but said nothing then the name ‘Quisling’ will be the very least they deserve.
Gordon Brown
Margrit Curran
Jim Murphy
Ian Davidson.
Because of the roles that all of these people had when Labour was in power, leaves me suspecting that they would have almost certainly known about this but kept quiet.
We need the truth about this.
Labour are just unbelievable!
For decade they ply this bull shite that they have learned their lesson, they are listening to the people.
They never learn, they never listen, they never change!
I’d love to hit any Labour representative with the bullets made by the Rev, but they don’t do open forums.
Just Like David Cameron, their high profile leaders are ushered into a small room with their brain dead followers and the BBC/ Daily Rancid agitators.
Listening, Learning, and Leading, Not on their life!
They are totally focused on what does the South East of England want us to say so that we can keep our noses in the trough.
History, Socialism, Justice, a Fair and Equitable Society, just some of the things Labour couldn’t give a damn about when it comes to forming their manifesto/job retention.
PS Does anyone who uses facebook or twitter try to present the Revs portfolio of Labour Deception and U turns, in hope of seeking some form of coherent answer, as to why they operate this way?
Vronsky says:
“I suggested a long time ago that the day would come when Labour would take the same option as the Tories: accepting complete extinction in Scotland in order to focus on Middle England.”
I agree. Many theories have been proposed to explain SLab’s downfall, but I reckon more than anything has been their attempts to pretend to be something different in Scotland from the main London party. Suggesting the local branch face one way, while the real party to which they belong faces another, is deceitful. They just can’t deliver different WM policies for Scotland.
As long as SLab is a branch office of The one and only Labour Party, when they imply they are have different WM policies, they are lying. Plain and simple. In some ways this mix up over corporation tax policy stems from that.
They have three routes available …
i) as you suggest, become an Indy party. I agree, it will never happen.
ii) strict demarcation. SLab deals only with devolved matters, HQ deals with WM and UK wide isssues. MPs, the one MP, is associated with HQ, not SLab. HQ stays out of Holyrood electioneering, SLab stays out of WM GEs. It might help in England, doubt if SLab would recover here. Success might come if they became DevoMax promoting and HQ were willing to push it through WM.
iii) become an independent Unionist left wing party in Scotland. People suggest this, but how will it work in practice? Will they take the Labour whip at WM? Will they form a coalition with Labour, since Lab’s chances of becoming a government are less if they don’t? Why bother? Seems wishful thinking by folks who want to bring back Old Labour to Scotland, while England appears to want Blairite Labour.
Best if Labour in Scotland just die out gracefully! The role they used to fulfil can easy be carried out by SSP, Greens and SNP.
@Famous15 says: 19 May, 2015 at 11:17 am
“You cannot redistribute wealth unless you create it first”
Utter balderdash, Famous15. The latest, “Rich List”, shows the rich have more than doubled, (2.2 times), their wealth. As the economy is in stagnation and investment as near as dammit nil, the only way they more than doubled their wealth is by redistributing wealth upwards.
Those who actually believed the Labour/Tory/LibDem mantra that if you make the wealthy more wealthy the cash would, “Trickle Down”, were gullible fools. People with more than one brain cell knew it was lies. The way to redistribute wealth is to see the poorest in society have adequate funds to live reasonably.
The poor then spend all their income just to survive without dire hardships, (food banks do not help the economy). The poor buy food, fuel and clothes and other necessities of life and the retail sector picks up. The retail sector needs extra supplies and gets it from the wholesale sector which needs more goods to supply the retail sector and buys more goods.
The manufacturers and food producers must supple more goods and increase productivity including employing some of those poor folks at food bank queues. The whole economy starts to rebalance by leaching up rather that NOT trickling down. Rich guys in a recession salt their wealth away until someone else starts a recovery.
Think on this, Famous15, we have been told that our food producers have had a bumper potato and other root vegetable harvest and will probably need to destroy or feed them to livestock.
Come on! Is that ever acceptable? Families depending upon food banks and producers of such basics as potatos, neeps and carrots feeding them to animals or destroying them while folks are starving? Others are choosing to either eat or heat and you imagine we cannot redistribute wealth while the wealthy more than double their wealth?
Its all about trust y’see. Prosperous and peaceful Norway, pop 5 million, leads the world in ship and oil platform construction alone, full employment, high wages, great housing etc… Decades of SLabour unionists destroyed same Scottish heavy industry, and all they have left now is a dying red tory party, silly dupes and conmen like Hothersall craving attention, fantastic vote SLab or else propaganda belching out of Pacific Quay. What an end.
Even these days, most parties have a set of core values – their raison d’etre – which informs policy making.
Labour’s raison d’etre is back to winning ‘aspirational’ home counties votes at any price, which doesn’t bode well for the poorly performing northern branch office.
hmmm well this site has gone down hill. A few words and lots of links is not why I came too this site. Sorry rev but your a bit lazy at the moment.
Gordon Brown’s corporation tax cuts:
The Prime Minister, making his first speech to the Institute of Directors’ annual convention since 2004, did not refer specifically to the relocations. But he siad he understood that Britain’s tax regime must remain competitive. “We have cut corporation tax twice and I want to go further,” he said. “We will reduce the tax again when we are able.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/2789264/Gordon-Brown-tries-to-win-over-directors-with-tax-reduction-pledge.html
Speech given on 30th April, 2008. Reported in Daily Telegraph on 1st May, 2008.
Robert Peffers@
You are so anxious to assert your left wing view that you fail to observe that i may share most of your opinions other than those to do with courtesy.
Trickledown,boil over,rise up etc etc. does not matter a toss if there is nothing to move up or down.
If there is no food,shelter or clothing to distribute who gets the pebble to suck matters not!
One of the levers an independent country can use to increase jobs and wages is the power to alter the tax on corporations!
Chalks says ”Price Waterhouse Cooper and Ernst and Young are government tax advisors so tax reform will never ever happen whilst the governments listen to them, I’m amazed they get away with it.”
The Dictatorship has it all stitched up Chalks, as ONE example of the old boy network, with Leo Johnson, brother of Boris, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Boris Johnstone, reckoned to be the next Prime Minister, described aptly by Polly Toynbee as “a jester, toff, self-absorbed sociopath and serial liar”.
Roll on the day, it can’t come soon enough, we become ‘detached’ from the Westminster cabal of corporate narcissists; home of many crooks, criminals and paedophiles.
@Robert Whyte says: 19 May, 2015 at 1:21 pm:
“hmmm well this site has gone down hill. A few words and lots of links is not why I came too this site. Sorry rev but your a bit lazy at the moment.
Well then, Robert, I cannot say I’ve seen your name too often among the commenters. So why not do something about what you complain about? The Rev Stu is taking a well earned break at the moment.
This is his blog but is, after all, mainly about comments. The Rev Stu has not only been flat out during two extensive campaigns and really deserves a break. The Rev also welcomes those with the proper skills to do articles with a view to beginning a debate among commenters.
Or as the large fat lady in those old seaside postcard said to the wee shilpit man in the presence of a rather large pachyderm :-
“Don’t just stand there – do something”.
Ffs labour are just a joke that has been told too much it was a funny party at first but now I’m sick and tired of the “fanny party”, Westminster policies and now labour policies using the snp’s planned tax cuts that are “BAD”…get a FUCKIN grip labour and Westminster roll over and die already.
The CT rate on the Isle of Man & Guernsey is ZERO. If the impact of this tax was that profound, wouldn’t every mainland manufacturer have already moved to one of these islands?
They haven’t because there are many more important factors to consider:-
Availability & cost of labour, energy & materials
Productivity
Access to markets
Trade tariffs
Arguments exclusively about CT rates only demonstrate a lack of knowledge about how businesses actually work & make decisions.
Perhaps politicians might instead consider why Britain has some of the worst productivity in the developed world; at least 20% to 40% lower than that enjoyed by France, Germany & the USA.
A NATIONAL DISGRACE – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11452004/British-productivity-is-a-national-disgrace.html
Thanks, Rev. Another dose of L!ebore hypocrisy exposed on WOS.
_____________
Mealer wrote:
“The BBC are to be giving away free Labour Party membership with every TV license.”
LOL. Cheers, Mealer, i needed that.
I wouldn’t put it past the b@st@rds to try it.
And don’t forget, many a true word is spoken in jest, eh!
🙂
Slab will now demonstrate their integrity by demanding the powers for Scotland to set it’s own higher Corporation Tax and not participate in this destructive race to the bottom,won’t they ?
Rank hypocrites they are.
bob sinclair says:
Hold on a minute, according to Labour Logic this isnt a Corporate Tax Cut, its a Corporate Tax Saving.
You absolutely sure about that Bob? 😉
I thought, well according to Margaret Curran’s level of logic when she was an M.P. anyway, that this would be more along the lines of *ahem* balancing the books on Corporation tax. 😀
In the wake of comprehensive wipe out there’s lots of expected discussion of a reconstituted Labour party for Scotland, but quite frankly, if it will not reinstate Clause 4 then it should junk its misleading name and choose a new one that really represents its affiliations.
After all, the Referendum demonstrated without doubt it’s lack of interest in full democracy for Scotland.
You put your left policy in. You take your left policy out.
In. Out. In. Out. Shake it all about.
Labour – the hokey cokey party.
@ Robert Whyte
Do keep up dear we’ve given the boy a couple of weeks off, but he will insist on putting stuff up – normal service will be restored soon.
Robert Whyte says:
hmmm well this site has gone down hill. A few words and lots of links is not why I came too this site. Sorry rev but your a bit lazy at the moment.
To be fair Robert, Stu did say in one of his articles in the lead up to the General Election that after the results were in he was intending to take a break. To be honest I think he is more than deserving of a break after all the hard work he has put in.
The last thing I or any one else on here wants is for Stu to end up burnt out. We all need him around to do what he does best … debunking the multitude of daily unionist claims. In my view I have no problem with Stu having some time off and if that means only one post per day and loads of links then so be it cause I know that once he is back with his batteries fully recharged the unionists are in for another exellent round of solid debunking. 😀
I read an eloquent essay by Kevin McKenna imploring Labour to rediscover its roots – an essay crushingly sentimental.
Labour blocked and plotted against the democratisation of Scotland. Why suggest they be given a second chance by just exchanging one mask for another?
Here’s a rotten to the core commander they employed, McTernan: https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/mack-the-knife/
Robert Whyte
If you had ever been self employed and with very limited or no support staff you would not be so ready to make that comment.
Sorryfor going O/T but it appears that there are a certain group of Westminster M.P.s doing a wee bit of *ahem* s***e stirring. 😀
https://twitter.com/ChiqueBoum/status/600599115706310656/photo/1
I know that the FAMOUS 56 went down to Westminster to stir things up a bit but JEEZ! 😛
At least now the old crabbit bunch of millionaire’s and self serving whatnot’s know for certainty that the FAMOUS 56 mean business.
If there was EVER any doubt about how feart the FAMOUS56 and especially Mhairi was then I think thatquestionhas just been answered. 🙂
https://archive.is/L17eO
Head office is rather displeased with Scottish Labour and its all the fault of nationalism apparently. Maybe someone in Labour might examine what on earth they think nationalism means but then that will lead them back to modern Scotland that wants to run Scotland, which is a v v bad thing obviously.
At least dehumanising and lying about lots of people online that want Scottish independence has been given a capital C now. That’s growth.
“For those of us who spent our evenings and weekends knocking on doors for our party, being on the receiving end of abuse by Cybernats on twitter, and having cameras shoved in our face by angry nationalists trying to shame us from participating in democracy, it was a bitter blow.”
When are labour going to realise this kind of nonsense is what destroyed there vote in Scotland
Does anyone know if these allegedly new powers for Scotland that David Cameron is going to look at at some point in the future, contain Broadcasting?
Update 2
http://caltonjock.com/2015/05/18/margaret-thatchers-scottish-rat-pack-hurt-and-dangerous-they-wait-patiently-to-strike-update2/
Oh I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.
And this post is a great example of why less is more. There is no need for a discussion or explanation from the Rev. The screen shots speak for themselves and once again (Not) Labour is hoisted by its own petard.
Keep ’em coming Rev.
@boris
From the report … brilliant pic ….
https://gscott123.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/11174908_899738300083865_2185826260044367931_n.jpg
Yes, cutting corporation tax was a bad policy when the SNP proposed it, and it’s a bad policy when Yvette Cooper proposes it.
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”
I thought The Labour Party paid lip service to Karl Marx but the above quote is from Groucho and it seems to sum them up better than anything you’ll find in Das Kapital.
There isn’t anyone in the Labour Party, north or south of the border, that inspires anything in anybody — they are dead in the water.
Scottish labour should break away and throw its support behind independence. Do that and they might redeem themselves.
Kevin Evans says:
19 May, 2015 at 2:37 pm
“When are labour going to realise this kind of nonsense is what destroyed there vote in Scotland”
Not just their vote, I had a wee smile on my face last night when I flicked over to Scotland 2015 last night to hear about 10 minutes in Ian “bayonet the wounded” Davidson say to Sarah Smith
“Labour Party membership which is particularly small in Scotland will blah blah blah….”.
Particular to what, the rest of the UK? You wouldn’t have thought so up to 3 weeks ago, you’d expect a party that almost 70% of the seats in Scotland to have a larger proportion north of the border. Didn’t hear that during the election 🙂
The problem with trying to increase income tax too high is that the rich who pay the highest rate of tax are also the most mobile and so can and will leave the country if it goes over a certain threshold (I presume 50%). Unfortunately the highest rate of tax payers contribute to 30% of tax income and and therefore increasing tax rates can actually decrease tax revenues.
Not sure about income tax though… certainly there are lots of reasons why large companies would still want to remain in a country even if their tax rate went up. Not that many of them pay tax….
I’m a simple soul and I do pay Road Tax and TV licences. Then I see these big international companies dodging their tax obligations. But as I pay my licences, even for fishing or driving why don’t we just charge these big companies a licence fee to operate in the UK? If you want in then, Mr Amazon, this will cost you £3B. It’s not a tax it’s an operating licence. What’s so hard about that?
ffs, LA, is it no aboot time ye goat that irritating cough seen tae?
And stoap sayin “Sorry for going O/T” because yer no and anyway its in the site rules – its allowed and expected, just as long as its no within the first half dozen or so posts because the Rev considers that to be downright rude.
btw, thanks for that twitter link (@2.09pm) to some of Team56 in the HoC. That’s the first one of them i’ve seen. Jist a bit disappointed the big fella wae the horses tail wizzny in it.
🙂
Plodmore: cutting corporation tax was a bad policy
The weather was bad today.
In what way ‘bad’?
Cold, overcast and hailstones.
You mean ‘bad’ where you were?
I suppose so.
Well, it was warm and sunny where I was.
Yoda 3.29
Your point is a valid one,but I’d argue that high income people paying 50% tax would still be able to enjoy a high standard of living and excellent quality of life in Scotland.Some would,no doubt,go but I’d suggest theyd be particularly selfish and greedy people with no commitment to our country.No great loss.
Not long before Labour change their name to The Conservative 2 Party.The desire to be back in power will finally drive the last nail into the coffin of Socialist pretention.
Seldom have I seen the desire to be elected drive such a wedge between a Party and its history.They really have gone beyond the pale ,at least as far as the watching Scottish public will be concerned.How can North Labour try to overcome what is happening with their main office ? .I do not think they can.
More ammunition for Holyrood elections in 2016.
HMRC is not fit for purpose, along with the the Labour/Unionists. £Billions are being tax evaded by (foreign) multinationals making vast profits which pay no tax. Thatcher established the tax havens to line her associates and the fraudster bankers coffers. Thatcher defrauded Scotland of the equivalent of £Billion of Oil revenues. Westminster taxes the Oil sector in Scotland at 70% while (foreign) multinationals evade tax through the City of London and pay no tax on vast profits. A two tier tax rate on Scottish industry. Labour/Unionists including Balls crashed the banking sector badly affecting businesses. What does Evette Cooper know about business. Nothing at all.
Non Dom resident in the UK tax evade, and pay no tax at all. Total fraud. Westminster has spent £Billions on Trident/illegal wars.
When the ConDems came to power £600Billion a year was raised in tax revenues. Now £466Billion a year is raised in tax revenues in the UK. £134Billion a year less. Not enough to protect essential services and pay off the debt.
All the five contenders, is it five or seven? I am not sure because I can’t count beyond the fingers on my left hand, are Blairites and you couldn’t put a Rizla between them.
That leave the Scottish Accounting Unit with their bums out the windae trying to get a message out to the Scottish electorate that they are:-
a) independent?
b) can have a different set of policies in and out of government, and implement them both within a United Kingdom?
It is impossible to square that circle but there will always be a Holyrood numpty willing to volunteer to try.
Worse is to come, as the rejected ones are currently plotting to make a bank balance come back in Holyrood, by deposing the incumbents so they can pick up lying and snouting in the trough they used to have at Westminster.
Please let them try and the Scottish electorate will give them the bum’s rush, as they did on May 7th.
The Labour Party in its current manifestation would die, pretty sharpish too.
In short, boys and girls, Labour in Scotland has been abandoned by London and is fucked.
Ken500 rightly condemns the capitalist multinationals which actually run the country, through their domination of the European Roundtable of Industrialists. He rightly condemns their expensive foreign wars.
The Labour party of course goes along with all this. So does the SNP. So do most voters – see the election result. So how do we beat the capitalist class? Oh, yes, split the working class, so we have two weak smaller states.
As Lenin wrote, “socialists, generally speaking, sympathize with the elimination of boundaries between nations and the formation of more powerful states …”
Sorry Stoker about the apologies … it’s just habit and as you well know … old habits die hard … especially this old habit! 🙂
I’ve tried everything for this darned *ahem* cough Stoker and nothing seems to work. If it is annoying for you just think for a sec how annoying it is for me to have to type *ahem* and *cough* every time. 😀
@stoker, 3.41pm
Chris Law is in the picture. He is sitting in the front row three along from the aisle.
Hi Stoker.
I guess you mean Chris Law? He’s on the front bench, three to the right of the aisle, with the brown boots (and the visible ‘tache). Angus Roberson is three further along.
My apologies as this has several links and will take ages to appear, but I like to show my workings…
High income people, paying high tax, now let me think where about does that happen…
oh yes, Norway, amongst other places. That country with a sovereign oil fund. Gosh it must be empty of folk earning high incomes eh?
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/norway/emigration-rate-of-tertiary-educated-percent-of-total-tertiary-educated-population-wb-data.html
http://www.indexmundi.com/norway/net_migration_rate.html
It’s not! Why-ever not?
Tell me it has a very relaxed set of financial regulation, that shurely is the only thing keeping it afloat and not a basket case like Greece (which got in it’s state because nobody paid the tax they were supposed to pay amongst other reasons)?
http://www.finanstilsynet.no/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_evasion_and_corruption_in_Greece
I just can’t imagine why people earning high incomes would stay in high tax countries, can you?
It wouldn’t be because of a social contract between the populace and the government, would it?
Why isn’t Statoil’s headquarters based in Aberdeen where it’s much cheaper than Norway?
Why don’t Norwegian firms employ cheap labour?
Why don’t they use zero hours contracts for jobs that are actually permanent positions that should be properly funded and have access to employment protection?
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/comparative-information/national-contributions/norway/norway-flexible-forms-of-work-very-atypical-contractual-arrangements
In short, if the way Westminster wants to run the UK of GB and NI is so bloddy great, why is it only the US that seems to also be pursuing the agenda?
A country described as a third world country with a first world economy. That’s where we want to go is it?
Dundee Law.
Alex Salmond from The Courier, on the subject of Murphy and Labour’s problems ….
“People were worried about the direction of the Scottish Labour Party. Under Murphy’s direction it was neither Scottish nor Labour and they certainly were not having a party.”
Neither Scottish, nor Labour … Spot on!
So does the SNP.
More bollocks from Plodmore.
So how do we beat the capitalist class? Oh, yes, split the working class, so we have two weak smaller states.
55+ million English people will be just fine, if they really do want no change, like a PR Westminster, a properly regulated and taxed City of super rich spivs, illegal and unwinnable wars, tax dodging newspaper owners etc.
Norway is a great example of small is better socio economics but again it depends on how intelligent and honest their politicians are.
SLabour have deservedly gone now from Scotland but a new Labour might be smart enough to have their own renaissance. It’s unlikely the neo fascist media in England and Scotland or our ever more aggressive but suicidal BBC in Scotland will allow this renaissance to happen but if they have the guts and the brains, Scottish Labour might rise from the dead.
Cheers, folks, ah kin see him noo.
🙂
@ Lesley-Anne 2.09 noo here,s anither picture that might appear,its to big tae get in the HoC chamber,but would really put the wind up them parked outside Westminster.
http://www.facebook.com/YesDundee2014/photos/pb.440378819346855.-2207520000.1432052538./893818914002841/?type=1&theater
The Labour Party got about half of the unionist vote in Scotland.That surely isn’t too bad,is it? OK,it didn’t translate into many seats in a fptp election,but I don’t think Mr Murphy need resign over it.
Paxman predicted Scotland would leave the UK, a prospect he described as “neither depressing nor unlikely”.
Dave King is the only man in the world you can call a “glib and shameless liar” without worrying about him pursuing you for defamation of character. The reason for that is that he was found guilty of over 40 charges of fraud in South Africa and it was a judge who declared him so.
What’s even more startling when you think about the recent history of Rangers (IL) and their tax avoidance, is that King was specifically found guilty of tax fraud.
Now, today, in Scotland, the SFA have declared him fit and proper to run the new Phoenix Rangers / Sevco.
How can that be possible? What would you need to do to fail the fit and proper test? Aren’t they going to look awfully silly if/when “the” Rangers go bust in view of what happened before with Craig Whyte?
Cut corporation tax and redistribute wealth?
Bollox.
We don’t live in a trickle down society, we live in a trickle up society and anyone who thinks any differently is either delusional or not paying attention.
I am writing from Europe (UKIP: “boo! hiss!”) at the moment and their media are full of stories of the petitions in England demanding to join Scotland, Leicester declaring independence under a Scottish flag…
Yes, these are quite light-hearted at the moment. But they will gather momentum until there is a real movement and will as the ghastly and destructive economic and social policies pursued by the “four shades of Westminster grey” (c Leanne Wood), i.e. the four Tory parties, bite and the good ship UKOK develops leaks all over the place.
What I thought was a pivotal moment was Wee Nicola welcoming Dave to Bute House. It looked all the world to me like a meeting between two foreign heads of state. Now the Scottish Parliament is challenging the UK Parliament over issues like the Human Rights Act.
The national animal of the whole UK should be the pushmi-pullyu, as both heads are pulling in opposite directions. And I still say independence will come in an unexpected way in 2017.
More hypocritical shit from LIEbour.
Why anyone is bothering i don’t know. They are stealing SNP policies now and keep telling us SNP pastes and copies their shit AYE RIGHT.
Zombie party. No one listens anymore.
PS.
FM Nicola Sturgeon has a column in the EE.
worth a read.
https://archive.is/QHc1y
Seating arrangments in HoS will be rec-tillyfyed shortly, Chris Law will have 3 hard boiled eggs for breakfast every day ( stink bombs arent allowed to be used in Chambers) but the Winds of Change cant be stopped either.
For the last few weeks since the election, we have had constant bleating from SLab that the SNP stole all their ideas for their manifesto.
This goes unchallenged on Radio Jockland as expected.
So here we have proof the LYINGBORE party steal SNP ideas.
The Lyingbore party,
No vision, No idea, Not a Fu*king Clue.
Ronnie.
😀 😀 😀
screenwash !!!
‘Ken500 says ”HMRC is not fit for purpose, along with the the Labour/Unionists. £Billions are being tax evaded by (foreign) multinationals making vast profits which pay no tax.”
ahundredthidiot says ‘’Cut corporation tax and redistribute wealth? Bollox. We don’t live in a trickle down society, we live in a trickle up society and anyone who thinks any differently is either delusional or not paying attention.”
I attended a meeting last week to discuss wages and conditions with a group of zero hour contract workers employed by a whisky company (whisky 25% of ALL UK Food and Drink export).
The individuals numbered amongst hundreds of ZHC workers who have to check a board every night to see if they are working the following day. Most have been employed by the whisky company for over 5 years. The ‘have to be available at all times’ policy makes it practically impossible for them to seek work with another company. Those who have tried to do so have been penalised by being laid off permanently.
Some of them had tried to claim JSA, on occasion, when they were unemployed but gave up due to the many problems they encountered (totally skews the unemployment figure).
One particular man explained that he had claimed around £400 in JSA (£80 in tax) over the last four years but had been informed by HMRC recently that he had claimed £5000 in JSA and owed them £1000 plus. Transpired a number of others were in the same boat.
Anyway they had to deal with this themselves such as contacting the DWP to get copies of all JSA claimed for the relevant period (major problems accessing this information too).
They eventually sent off, by recorded delivery months ago, the paperwork / proof to the effect that they didn’t owe this level of tax at all; in most cases no tax at all.
They have all received threatening letters even although staff at HMRC state (after spending hours trying to get through to them on the phone) that they are so ‘bogged down’ and ‘short staffed’ that there is a 3 month backlog and they haven’t yet accessed their paperwork.
As per usual it’s one rule for the rich and another for the poor in this country.
I’m getting dizzy! They change policy more often than leaders.
Alloa chairman on BBC Sportsound playing an absolute stormer arguing for fairer funding for Scottish football.
@Famous15 says: 19 May, 2015 at 1:39 pm:
“You are so anxious to assert your left wing view that you fail to observe that i may share most of your opinions other than those to do with courtesy.”
Courtesy is it? Please show where I showed discourtesy?
If you imagine saying the opinion you stated was balderdash then you really do need to grow a thicker skin. BTW: If you imagine the views I expressed were extreme left wing you have no idea what extreme left wing is.
“Trickledown,boil over,rise up etc etc. does not matter a toss if there is nothing to move up or down.”
Oh! Get real – I told you there is no real shortage of hard cash in the United Kingdom. There is more than enough when you see the income our elected representatives award themselves or the bonus on top of salary the bankers & financial sector awards itself.
Watch an average day’s TV and you see programmes where people are spending vast sums buying property, tarting it up and selling it on for big profits. Sports stars of doubtful talents paid exorbitant sums yet, for example, football, was at its height when the stars were limited to £25 per week and many had done a shift before drawing a team jersey over their head
“If there is no food,shelter or clothing to distribute who gets the pebble to suck matters not!”
The point is these is no shortage of food, or clothing and people with cash are buying property as a hedge against inflation. Labour are talking about mansion tax for God’s sake. There is plenty cash – trouble is it is all in a very few bank vaults. Look at last weeks record high price paid for a few daubs of paint on a canvas while on the other side on the World children are dying for want of a few quid.
“One of the levers an independent country can use to increase jobs and wages is the power to alter the tax on corporations!”
Indeed but what has that got to do with the price of a square meal for a starving child?
As I pointed out, there is a finite sum of cash in the UK; there has just been a set of statistics published that those on the Rich-list have increased their incomes by 2.2 times; and Food-banks have increased out of all proportion – thus as the economy is virtually stationary – the only place those rich-list people doubled their wealth was by taking it from the poor.
Remember that old saying, “Follow the money”, and the trail leads right to the Rich-list people.
Ronnie Anderson, ROTFLMAO…and it takes a lot to get this auld biddy to do that!
@ YESGUY Whit hiv you been telt many many times, read the bliddy health & equipment safety manual, nae eating /drinking on site, nooo git that mess cleaned up before the Wife see,s it LoL.
@Yoda says: 19 May, 2015 at 3:29 pm:
“The problem with trying to increase income tax too high is that the rich who pay the highest rate of tax -…
Aye!
Richt!
disappeared post. anyway, Ronnie Anderson, I just about split my sides laughing – tried to describe it using abbreviations but the post disappeared. Its not often an auld biddy like me laughs out loud like that till me bahookie is falling off 😉
Apologies if posted already, more about the BBC http://stopwar.org.uk/news/bbc-admits-breaching-its-own-rules-by-broadcasting-pro-israel-propaganda
On the subject of tax, I highly recommend the book ‘Treasure Islands’ by nicholas Shaxson.
It takes a look at tax avoidance around the globe and how the city of London is the central player. Last chapter takes a look at the city of London itself – a real eye opener.
New labour and a certain Kirkcaldy mp were instrumental in relaxing the tax rules for large companies especially banks in the uk
@ fionan mind how you get up aulder bones get brittle, ah dont mean tae cause injury tae Wingers. Ah,ll need tae calm doon ah bitty or the Rev,s gonna ban me or you,s I,ll need insurance to come on Wings lol.
On Misreporting Scotland – Creepy Jim swaggering around Holyrood as if he owned the place – is there nothing capable of puncturing his massive ego.
His latest statement is that he will not be standing in any election for Leader of the NB Accounting Unit.
Of course when one examines that statement it means that if The Exec rejects his ‘resignation’ next month there won’t be any election – talk about eels being slippery they’ve got nothing on our hero.
Our wonderful media is still treating us to wall to wall Murphy with the by now normal issue of fresh photos every day.
Whisky companies (Diagio etc) evade tax and do not pay what they owe. They use Scottish resources eg barley and water and pay nothing back.
The British Labour Party:
The party of THATCHER.
@ fionan yer bahookie fawing aff lol an here,s me thinking they add-on,s were fur young people.
I don’t think this one even needed Rev Stu’s skills. I mean it wasn’t that long ago: even I had not forgotten
@ gus 1940 A pile of E Mails on Tricia Marwicks PC might concentrate minds in Hollyrood.
C mon Wingers lets get this stopped Jim & His tame Media swanning around OUR Parliament holding court.
RobertPeffers@
I did NOT say you were extreme left wing though reading more of your analysis you are indeed more left wing than I am. I know the defects of capitalism but i want to modify it to be fairer. I do not see myself as a socialist more a social democrat and there we may part company.
I have no problem with the position of the SNP on the left/right scale . I will take no lessons on poverty and its destructive effects from anyone . I hear no tumbrils rolling and it does not enrich me to destroy the wealthy. I would however ensure that all contribute a fair share for the good of all.
I saw on twitter that Jim Murphy reckons that labour will play a blinder in the EU referendum. I think that is his plan for his next job. It is to be a rerun of the Scottish referendum: Deutsche bank already on board
The tax authorities can make any mistaken demand. The burden of proof is on the recipient to show they are not due tax. This nigh impossible if there is not any amount owed. The tax authorities can sequestrate and take money from bank accounts etc. People have lost their homes and families because of tax authorities mistakes. HMRC are law unto themselves, and it can be extremely expensive to counter their claims. The tax authorities use expensive advocates to pursue people with fraudulent claims based on mistakes. Or demands they did not get based on a different address, name or insurance number.
Some people who did not owe tax have sued and ended off worse off, because of the expense even though they were in the right. A costly business. Sometimes people wonder who are the criminal. HMRC do not listen.
RT reporting:
“UK inflation rate turns negative for first time in over 50 years”
@ Stoker. Only on the preferred measure. All these assertions are guesses. CPI excludes house price inflation, and that makes a difference.
@ Ken500
That is drivel.
Chill dears.
Lesley-Anne says:
19 May, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Sorry for going O/T but it appears that there are a certain group of Westminster M.P.s doing a wee bit of *ahem* s***e stirring. 😀
Lesley Anne, that’s nothing! Look at today’s seating arrangement.
https://archive.is/aiIRl
Mealer wrote:
“The BBC are to be giving away free Labour Party membership with every TV license.”
I fucking love this place
I FUCKING LOVE IT! 🙂
We created change on September 18th 2014 which lead to more change on 7th May 2015, more change can be done by other groups,
“By ignoring Englishness Labour has enabled UKIP and the Conservatives to take ownership of English identity and values. English history, for example, is widely read and understood from a conservative perception alone. The radical strain – from the Diggers to the Chartists to the Clarion Movement – has been erased, with Labour complicit in failing to champion the people of England and their story.”
http://www.bluelabour.org/2015/05/19/labour-and-the-english-question/
Big or small, HMRC tax business like this, “how much tax would you like to pay?” If it seems ok, HMRC take the offer. This info often comes as a surprise to PAYE earners. The bigger the business? well you work it out and keep in mind HMRC staff numbers are continually slashed by UKOK.gov, same one that cooked up BBC Project Fear last year and another round of job losses coming soon to a tax office near you.
From rancid Graun
Those cuts had come at the cost of around 80,000 jobs, Penman said, leading him to … “The DWP could lose 20,000 to 30,000 staff, the HMRC could lose 10,000 to 15,000 ..
From google search
Under Crash Gordon and the Flipper, both now seriously minted ofcourse.
HMRC has shrunk from 104 000 staff in 2004 to just over half that number in 2014. And figures shared with PCS in November last year show that more than 18 000 further job cuts are planned by 2019 through the Change Programme alone.
Tax Avoidance
£120 billion avoided, evaded and not collected annually
chalks,
“Price Waterhouse Cooper and Ernst and Young are government tax advisors so tax reform will never ever happen whilst the governments listen to them, I’m amazed they get away with it”
As a lawyer, why don’t you also highlight the lawyers’ role in this?
All those tax avoidance contracts are made by lawyers aren’t they?
Who made those PFI contracts which even the SNP government hasn’t been able to overturn?
The vast majority of lawyers are the lowest of the low in our society, far worse than the bankers and tax advisers.
They are the ones who keep us bound in chains we can’t break free from.
I hope Greece defaults on its debts and breaks all those legal contracts drawn by lawyers and signed by corrupt politicians.
Following on from Ronnie Anderson’s pic of Chris Law and ‘The Spirit of Independence’.
The pic at the link below was taken on St Andrew’s Day last year, in Dundee.
I know from talking to him, that he follows Wings. At one of the the City Square rallies pre-referendum, which had the YES Bus, the Business for Scotland bus and ‘The Spirit’ there, he gave me a Spirit of Independence pen, which I used for my referendum vote and for my vote in the recent GE.
I only use it for elections…
https://sites.google.com/site/webgaffer/home/uploaded-pics-page-8/DSCN0160-1000.jpg
BTW: there are a load of videos on YouTube, documenting the Spirit of Independence tour around Scotland last year, where Chris interviewed various peeps, including Brian Cox, Humza Yousaf, Tommy Sheridan, Craig Murray, The Yes Inverness Campaign Factory, the Aberdeen Freedom Convoy, and so on.
I don’t think he managed to capture Chunky Mark.
You can browse them at this link – worth bookmarking for those times when you’re looking for something to pique your interest.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV4R507DPh65Kp70J44X5Kg
Petra,
“aptly by Polly Toynbee as “a jester, toff, self-absorbed sociopath and serial liar”.
However disgusting he is, Boris Johnson has more credibility than Polly Toynbee, The Guardian’s warmongerer-in-chief.
On the OT subject of seating in the HoC. Have researched this, my understanding is it isn’t the SNP who are being awkward. They should sit in the area, which includes a front bench, which the third party traditionally use. Pre 2010 coalition the LibDems sat there.
Labour (Skinner etc) moved in as LibDems vacated.
Now that the SNP are No3, they, by tradition should get that area.
Labour won’t budge from the ‘SNP bench’ and won’t discuss the situation. So SNP have retaliated by sitting in Labour benches.
The reality is somewhat different from the trash the gutter media spew.
Stoker,
“ffs, LA, is it no aboot time ye goat that irritating cough seen tae?”
“ahem” to that, Stoker.
At least she hasn’t mentioned her solitary brain cell recently.
@ scottieDog is 100% correct about Shaxson’s “Treasure Islands”, hands up all youse as huvnae read it?
@Will Podmore is confusing his Lenin with his Hitler again.
It strikes me that the seating war is a bit childish, also thought the seat in question had been claimed by Skinner since the 80s
Update 3
http://caltonjock.com/2015/05/18/margaret-thatchers-scottish-rat-pack-hurt-and-dangerous-they-wait-patiently-to-strike-update-3/
Yvette Cooper’s offer to cut tax for big biz will be opposed by the rebranded “Independent Scottish Labour Party” …….. So while Southern Labour will go to the right the new branch office will pretend they’re socialist ……… As they strive to supply lobby fodder for Southern Labour at Westminister
Dennis Skinner isn’t really the issue. He has sat in that vicinity for a fair while.
Often the House is half empty and people have plenty of room. For special events and big votes it is a shambles with 650 MPs trying to sit on 460 seats.
No wonder they spend so much time in the bar.
O/T Stephen Paton is running a fund raiser for LeftScotland. He is exactly the sort of young talent we should be encouraging, There’s only two days left to donate and he deserves our support. We ALL win with guys like him doing his thing. The future’s bright, the future’s Scotland.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/left-scotland-digital-channel-launch#/story
@Lesley-Anne , Very proud of my Member of Parliament Michelle Thomson for showing the Westminster/Establishment that our 56 insurgents are going to be seen and heard and carry the flag and mandate of Scotland`s citizens.
Dennis Skinner was one of the 34 “rebel” Labour MPs that voted for the 40% rule for the Scottish referendum of 1979 that ultimately brought in Thatcher.
When The Child Poverty Group was founded in 1965 the poverty rate in the UK was 3% lower than it is today- at that time the level of poverty was regarded as profoundly shocking.
We should remember that escalating poverty kills real people and austerity has the opposite effect that its enablers would have us believe. Austerity increases unemployment, reduces people’s spending and slows down the economy. Does the current WM regime deserve any acknowledgment for ‘fiscal prudence’? Are they really acting for all in UKOK? We know for example that the bank bailouts have not stimulated the economy but are stashed in offshore bank accounts making the 1% wealthier and most of the defense money doesn’t actually create domestic jobs in manufacturing and technology but goes to foreign contractors to pay for non recoverable costs e.g.fuel for fighter jets.
It requires radical polices to reduce inequalities and recognise everyone’s right to a decent standard of living and access to a minimum level of resources-that would mean that citizens would not have to choose between eating and heating. This will not be delivered by the current WM UKOK regime and its devices of zombie neoliberalism which have been ironically rescued and propped up by the sovereign state.
David Cameron argued in his 2006 Scarman lecture ‘…some people lack those things which others in society take for granted …In the next twenty-five years, I want my party to be in the vanguard of the fight against poverty’. Hollow words from a member of the 1%-geographically, economically, psychologically distant from the 99%.
Scotland’s 56 SNP MPs should act as ballast to an otherwise fractured union of nations- it will be our parting gift as we exit this malfunctioning system.
No offence I like this site but I also like math. £100000 for each of the last 2 years. Is no one gonna ask whats it being spent on? Why only one writer (who is on his hols)? Sorry Rev but Im going to ask why not get some employees? You got double for what you asked for, hence wages.
Robert Whyte…rhyming slang?
Ach well , tonights entertainment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29869960
Been watching the re-election of the speaker and the swearing
in of the new mp’s.
…………………………………….dumbfounded!
@Tackity Beets
That is absolutely marvellous!
‘Look Alex of course is soon to be yesterday’s man because the sun is setting on his career and it’s time for a new generation of my age and younger to be more involved and get involved in shaping Scotland’s destiny.’
Jim Murphy and Scottish Labour – they’re the young generation, and they’ve got something to say…
Well, we’re all waiting.
OT: Breaking News
Ken Macintosh to stand for Scottish Labour leadership
Robert Whyte, people interact on this site in several ways, mostly covered by – constructive, instructive, amusing.
Your posts are none of these.
Jim Murphy and Scottish Labour – they’re the young generation, and they’ve got something to say…
Hey hey, we’re the monkees? Is that it?
@ Robert Whyte.
It is Rev Stu’s site so it is up to him
Donations are people’s private decision so it is up to them
Question of trust, really. I like the site the way it is and I see evidence of where the money goes all the time – surveys, the subway ads, all good stuff.
It is obvious Rev Stu works incredibly hard, because he must have to read a lot of dross to get the stuff he does and with such regularity. Could you do that? I couldn’t
But somehow I don’t have the impression that he is temperamentally suited to collegiate working. Could be wrong about that. I see it as a strength for this board, and naturally there are others with a different approach, which I also value
Can’t honestly see the problem, if, as you say, you like the board.
That Ken Macintosh guy will go nowhere.
Lost to Jola last time and cannot even spell his name right.
He should just have retired.
Hoss,
I know a few MacIntoshes, and not a K to their name, even one spelt Mc.
Stephen.
I see Labour have dropped the ‘mansion tax’…they’re a right principled party that lot.
I was dreading the 1000 extra nurses on top of any number of nurses the SNP could muster; a battle of SNP v Labour nurses fighting to see which side could save mair life’s than the other side.
Would’ve ended in a real bedbath!
(I’ve already goat ma coat oan)
(No archive available unfortunately 🙁 )
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/93572578-fe24-11e4-9f10-00144feabdc0.html
@Hoss
“That Ken Macintosh guy will go nowhere.”
I hope not, his (relatively) moderate and (vaguely old Labour) manner could win back Labour support.
Err that should of course have been ‘I hope SO’
@ “Rock” unless you make it clear that you were attempting to be amusing about our village idiot – you may find yourself in very very deep water.
This is the link to that ‘mansion tax’ article lifted from Rev’s twitter, link seems to work from twitter but not from the opened article, so am just testing here.
http://t.co/IfcbjKTAQa
Wee bit of background on Ken Macintosh, for those who know little about him…he’s best pals wi Jim, gosh what a ‘new’ direction for the branch to take…they really listen, they do, honest.
https://commonspace.scot/articles/1378/new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss-5-things-you-should-know-about-potential-scottish-labour-leader-ken-macintosh
Same old same old. Another year to get rid of the lot of them. Enjoy the honeymoon. Scotland needs the SNP in Holyrood, so Scotland can be protected in Westminster. Pincher attack. Simply the best. Better than all the rest.
Independence has to come soon for this generation, not running out of time. People want to die happy in an Independent Scotland. They have waited a lifetime. Let it happen now. Not too little, too late.
Rock @ 9.57
Stand down Sergeant
________________________________________________________________
Tackety Beets @ 11.43
I couldn’t eat another bite, Im stuffed. 🙂
___________________________________________________________
K1 says @1.41
“I was dreading the 1000 extra nurses on top of any number of nurses the SNP could muster; a battle of SNP v Labour nurses fighting to see which side could save mair life’s than the other side.
Would’ve ended in a real bedbath!”
There are some people you can take an instant dislike to…..
but your not one of them, whoohahahahahaha. 🙂
get yer coat aff!
___________________________________________________________
Chic McGregor says @1.43
“Err that should of course have been ‘I hope SO’”
I should hope so as well, you know we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead! 😉
Dear Lesley-Anne,
Please do not change a single lovely thing about yourself and how you post =)
@Lesley Anne
I really appreciate you posts, your humour and the interesting links you find. You and Nana seem to have a vast network of contacts keeping tabs on what’s going on around the web. Keep up the good work!
Mornin’ John
I see the fireworks have already started in Commons. 😀
Another belter from Paul:
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2015/05/19/sitting-uncomfortably/
Lesley Anne? Extension’s nearly done darlin’. 😀
Anybody heard from our other first lady of links Nana?
@ Macart
I’ve just been catching up on Wee Ginger Dug and agree. The 18th and 19th May posts are spot on.
Morni Sam
I hope Chris Law sits behind Ian Murray and flicks his ear, and when he turns round shows him a photo of a DECENT man Neil Hay and give him the death stare.
@Capella
A rare wordsmith and always gets a daily visit. 🙂
I’ve just been catching up on Wee Ginger Dug and agree.
No disrespect to ‘Paul’ Wee Ginger Dug; a man who always brings a smile when I read his work, but I’m perplexed by the number of people who open a blog and then start asking for donations.
I earn my living by my professional skills yet can write my political blog on a reasonably regular basis working or unemployed. I presume, therefore, people asking for money are devoting their entire day to the task? Or am I wrong?
The tax authorities (banks etc) will hound individuals and small businesses to death, while (Foreign) Multinationals will blatantly lie about their commercial activities in the UK to tax evade and pay no tax. Wealthy Non Doms, who are resident in the UK (all their lives) will claim (hereditary) non Dom status,tax evade and pay no tax. Ie right wing Lord Rothmere owner of the ‘Daily Express Group’ right wing propaganda. Immigrant benefit scroughers’, stirring up racial hatred. The tax exile Barclay Bros., two mile off the coast – helicoptering back and forward. To obtain tax free status in the UK, there is (was) only a 90 days visiting visa. Only allowed 3 month a year in the UK. ‘Jack Flash’ Jagger is reported to have spent time hiding behind settees on illicit visits from the French Villa. Very rock and roll.
Hartnott, the ex head of the ‘not fit for purpose’ UK tax system colluded with the major tax evading Multinationals, and received gifts and favours (McFall received gifts) and resubstantial substantial remuneration package and then went to work as a consultant at one of the large accountancy firms. The tax investigation officers were left messages on their desk telling them ‘not to go there’ by the Treasury Officials when trying to investigate major tax evadence by major firms. ‘The Untouchables’.
Tesco were operating a major accounting fraud, which being investigated. Declaring false profits No one has been charged. The suspects responsible all got large pay off. No one has been charged or gone to jail. Vulnerable people who have been sanctioned and left to starve, have been charged for taking food waste from restricted areas at the back of Tesco’s stores.Next is the latest major firm to be accused of hiding and not declaring profits. Asda – US Walmart.
Philip Green (retail) has everything inthe wife’s name and she is a tax exile abroad in Monaco, while Green is operating in the UK and stays there frequently. The commercial activity is all in the UK Tax evasion damages British business. British firms who pay their taxes can’t compete. It is an illegal unfair market, against the Law.
Blogs ask for donations, which supporters are willing to contribute, but don’t give a bank a/c (name) or address for a cheque (anon), for folk who want to pay that way, for various reasons. The result is they lose contributions. Bateman (who delete and bans – BBC habits die hard) Newsnetscotland is the same. There used to be account details to contribute. Torrance presence put folk off.
@ John King
Heh, I’d love to see a wee bit of fun injected into that chamber. I’m just waiting on the first halfwit to pipe up with a condescending tone on Mhairi.
Oh jeez, that’ll be an event. 😀
Surely there should be a retirement time for MP’s Dennis Skinner 83. Let some new blood in.
Mhairi will be full of surprises. Should take over what’s left of Skinners right wing seat
WoS earns every penny!
Just listened to BBC r4 tory boy world interview Nigel Farahahahaage for 25 minutes. That’s 25 minutes of national public broadcast BBC radio devoted entirely to a far right banker/politician and even Farage sounds sick of his own voice. This may be their point at tory boy BBC but yesterday Call Kaye devoted her whole show to usual bunch of red tory propaganda all vote SLab 2016.
SO keep em coming WoS.
People have no problem with the filthy rich who pay their taxes. The problem is they don’t.
I have a lot of problems with them, Ken500. You do not speak for me.
Wee green trolls speak for themselves
I see in the past fortnight it’s a case of “move on there is nothing to see here” and “carry on regardless” by all media outlets after the landslide. They just will not accept that their union is coming to an end. It’s extremely frustrating.
Being rich means you have power.
If a large company or corporation wishing to avoid taxes there is a way you can feel you have beaten the system though in reality you might well have paid out an equivalent amount avoiding taxes.
So, rather than pay proper tax amounts, use a similar amount to donate to a political party, buy a politician, employ a brace of top level accountants, two lawyers, a manager, and a PR man, and then a whole load to register a company name in the Cayman Islands, and then buy a large expensive house on Jersey to stay out of harms way.
And if you’ve still saved money that should have gone in taxation buy a yacht and pour money into that, its crew and docking.
Why give your money to the state to squander it on people who are not your family?
They just will not accept that their union is coming to an end. It’s extremely frustrating.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-32802373
Or, this how our BBC pisses all over Scotland’s democracy, day after day after day, until we all agree to vote how this creep show tells to.
Its the British way don’t you know.
They just will not accept that their union is coming to an end. It’s extremely frustrating.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-32802373
Or, this how our BBC pisses all over Scotland’s democracy, day after day after day, until we all agree to vote how this creep show tells us to.
Its the British way don’t you know.
Heedtracker: yesterday Call Kaye devoted her whole show to usual bunch of red tory propaganda all vote SLab 2016.
You mean, BBC Scotland educational radio? 😉
https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/mack-the-knife/
The experts view so haud yer weesht! Who!!
Talking about my generation.
—————————————————————
A second independence referendum should not be held for at least 15 years, according to a group of devolution experts.
The academics also warn that the SNP’s call for ‘devo max’, or full fiscal autonomy, would break up the Union, in a new report published today.
Called A Constitutional Crossroads: Ways Forward for the United Kingdom it calls for the abolition of the Barnett formula, which helps to calculate the block grant to Scotland, because it does not offer a fair solution across the UK. .
The group also recommend a new ‘charter of the Union’ to protect the UK, English votes for English laws at Westminster and greater decentralisation within England.
Last night the SNP said that a second referendum on independence would be a matter for future Holyrood elections and the Scottish people.
Last week SNP sources suggested that Scottish ministers did not need David Cameron’s permission to hold another vote.
Technically, the legal right to stage a referendum lies with Westminster.
In recent days the Prime Minister has outlined his opposition to another vote.
But the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said he has no right to rule one out.
The report, compiled by experts including Professor John Kay, a former adviser to Alex Salmond, Prof Sir Jeffrey Jowell, director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, Prof Linda Colley, from Princeton University, Prof Adam Tomkins, from Glasgow University, Prof Tony Travers, from the London School of Economics and devolution expert Alan Trench, suggests a Scottish independence referendum be held “no more than once in a generation…. (and) a generation should be considered at least 15 years.”
On devo max, the SNP’s preferred option, it warns: “Such an extreme form of devolution would seem designed not to preserve the Union with the rest of the United Kingdom, but to break it.”
The report recommends a new ‘charter of the Union’, enforceable by the courts.
The present Barnett formula governing funding arrangements for the devolved governments “does not deliver equity between the various parts of the UK” it concludes.
“The way forward is a grant mechanism based on clear criteria such as relative need with a discount for devolved taxraising powers and subject to periodic reviews,” it adds.
Earlier this week a Royal Society of Edinburgh working group called for an overhaul of the Barnett Formula, despite fears such a move could see Scotland lose billions of pounds.
SNP Justice and Home Affairs spokesman Joanna Cherry said: “Westminster needs to deliver the additional powers which Scotland has been promised – and the recent election result is a huge mandate for further powers beyond those recommended by the Smith Commission.
“In terms of a second independence referendum, that is a matter for future Holyrood elections, and whether or not there will be one is ultimately a matter for the people of Scotland.”
…………………………………………………
In the Herald won’t archive. 🙁
Ken500 says:
20 May, 2015 at 8:52 am
Wee green trolls speak for themselves
Unless you are an elected representative everyone speaks for themselves
‘BBC Jockland’, ‘Radio Jockland’, ‘Good Morning Jockland’, ‘Jockland 2015’ and ‘Reporting Jockland’ are the naming conventions we should all be using now.
Jim Murphy is Westminsters man in Scotland.
Ken McIntosh is Jim Murphys man in Holyrood.
So we can expect The Scottish Labour Party, to elect Jims ‘puppet on a string’ Ken McIntosh, to continue the work of wrestling control of Scottish political power back from the SNP, and bringing it under Westminsters control.
It wouldn’t be long before Holyrood would be re configured in such a way, as to ensure we nationalists never ever again get into the position of being close to breaking up the United Kingdom.
Don’t forget that before Jim Murphy was elected senior Labour figures had already warned that after Scots voted No, the Labour Party intended bringing the Scottish Parliament down a peg or two.
If I remember right, it was Ian Davidson who said the Scottish Parliament would be as well meeting in some pubs upstairs function room, for all the powers it would be left with, and some old nomark Kelly also piped in with a similar prediction.
Johann and Gordon Brown also mentioned that although some powers may come to the Scottish parliament, some powers may also be going the other way! of course they did not say what powers would be coming or leaving, as this may have been politically embarrassing for Labour, but you can rest assured that if it had been an increase of powers for Scotland, Labour would have been singing from the rooftops.
So folks, lets make no bones about it, it isn’t just a case of Labour being finished in Scotland so it doesn’t matter who they elect as leader, if they elect the previously failed leadership contender and best friend of Jim Murphy, Ken McIntosh, it should shout loud and clear to us that Labour in Scotland are still very much the enemies of Scots and willing to do Westminsters bidding at the Scottish peoples expense.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It is illegal to evade taxes and blatantly lie about commercial activities. The Law is not being enforced by Westminster Unionist politicians, who are themselves crooks and criminals. Using the Official Secrets Act to illegal, cover up their crimes. The Unionists financial arrangement are being kept secret, by members of Unionist political Parties, ignoring the Law. Where is the Chilcot verdict being delayed by unelected civil servants.
The MSM are still blatantly lying. What’s news. They are just not believed, anymore. The despair of the MSM.
@Grouse Beater
In Paul’s case you need to bear in mind that he went through terrible time as full time carer for his partner Andy who sadly died just before the referendum (although managed to make his vote just before the end!) and therefore had no ‘career’ per se to fall back on.
He’s in the process of trying to rebuild his life from scratch and I think all donations to help him through this period are gratefully received. I hope he does build a career in writing because his is some of the best that has come out of the referendum.
I was really glad to see him get some work with the National and have enjoyed his contributions. Problem is there isn’t much of our press who see things the way Paul (and the rest of us) do, so unlikely to get much work from there.
1) The Scottish people will decide when the next referendum is, not a small group of people who don’t want one. Not even if this small group call themselves “devolution experts”.
2) The Scottish people will decide if they want devo-max or not, not a small group of people who don’t want Scotland to have it. Please do continue to argue that we couldn’t go it alone because we need subsidies, because there’s nothing we Scots love more than to be told we’re beggars.
3) The Scottish people don’t need David Cameron’s permission, or anyone else’s, to have another referendum.
It’s this thing called democracy, see? Any attempts to deny the Scottish people their democratic rights would be anti-democratic and deeply sinister. We don’t live in a dictatorship – no matter how much you wish we did.
@call me dave
Who and what are and who pays for them are The Royal Society of Edinburgh ?
X-Sticks – many thanks for the specific explanation.
I guessed there must be an exception with Wee Ginger. I hope the National is generous. 🙂
In my own case, I began ‘in secret’ to test the strength of my views – holes and fault lines easily spotted when in written form – and stop using my wife as a sounding board. Soon folk started to applaud and I felt I had a duty to continue. But some of my motivation is an anger over the way Scotland is ignored and ridiculed.
Mrs Balls talking Balls. No doubt the Labour apparatchiks will be tweeting that Labour will be cutting Corporation Tax or whatever U-turn they do in the future.
A right wing ‘think tank’.
Scotland has lost £Billions because of the Barnett formula because Westminster Gov secretly took all the resources and spent them on London S/E , Trident/ illegal wars, banking fraud and tax evasion.
Scotland would be better off abolishing Barnett and running it’s own affairs completely. Not following Westminster economic policies which deprived investment in Scotland and spent Scottish revenues in London S/E. Unemployment and poverty in the North was a price worth paying for jobs and prosperity in London S/E, Westminster policy.
Devolution has brought prosperity to Scotland. Independence and the Scottish Gov following their own economic policies will improve the Scottish economy. Not spending on Trident/illegal wars, tax evasion through the City of London, banking fraud, not paying loans repayments which has not been borrowed or spent. A tax on ‘loss leading’ drink. Scotland would be better off. £10Billion? Invest in the Clyde, CC in the coal industry for cheaper fuel, exploration in the West could create 1/2Million jobs. End unemployment and poverty in Glasgow/West. Build liners, wind turbines, frigates etc. Norway builds 100 vessels a year.
It is always Scotland doing the ‘caring and sharing’ which is not reciprocated. 70% in Scotland want full fiscal powers. It is only the SNP Gov in Scotland which is protecting Scotland from Westminster policies. The ‘room tax’, mitigating welfare cuts £100,000, prescriptions, personal care, SNHS/Education.
“…’a generation’ should be considered at least 15 years.”
Who are these people to define what a generation should be to a nation?
Take a !**@**! hike!
I turn on Radio Scotland in a morning for a couple of minutes to reassure myself that the world hasn’t changed overnight.
Yes! Everything as normal, SNP bad on education, NHS, bad,bad,bad!
And if not, it’s the worst kind of trivia and nonsense!
So all is the same in the world! That’s nice.
It is only elected representative who can speak for others? No other organisations? Churches BMA, Professional bodies, Media, cultural, businesses. Thousands of voluntary, sport, tourist organisations etc. Political Parties.
@ gillie
i prefer BBC labour,radio labour,good morning labour,labour 2015 and of course reporting labour.
And todays theme is yes you guessed it SNP bad.
Willie to host ‘listening road shows’ around Scotland and try to build a volunteer base for the 2016 elections.
“The SNP have taken their eye of the ball” he said.
Aye right…your pail’s sitting round the back Willie!
I get as annoyed as anyone about the way GMS provides a platform to anyone who wants to attack the SNP government over the NHS and education, but I would be happier if the reports about the state of education had us back at the top of world comparison charts and with the respect and support for education from all sections of the population back where it was decades ago.
With respect to UK income tax receipts, I have had discussions elsewhere with Helena. These are the numbers that are potentially at the heart of any debate about how to get more tax from the “rich”.
In the whole of the UK, there are a total of just 313,000 people that earn over £150k per annum. These 313,000 people are the 1% that pay 28% of income tax receipts.
Of that 313,000, 108,000 earn less than £200k per annum and a further 161,000 earn less than £500k per annum.
29,000 people earn between 500k and £1m per annum
10,000 people earn between £1m and £2m per annum
5,000 people earn over £2m per annum. The average income tax bill for each person in this bracket is £1.86m per annum.
It is often said that the problem of getting tax from the very rich (those earning over say, £500k per annum?) is to do with their “mobility”. The mobility issues are not to do with where they physically live but where they actually pay tax. I have heard people say that they will happily help “pack the bags” of any millionaire that wants to leave the country for tax reasons. This is to totally misunderstand the issue.
Many of the “rich” have work, or lifestyles, that mean that they are in the UK for less than 6 months of the year. An extreme example, for illustration purposes, might be a successful Formula 1 driver. His work means that, for the last 10 years or so, he has actually only been in the UK for say, 4 months of each year. For 5 years, he lived (i.e. he has a home) in the UK – and paid tax in the UK.
Now, he still has a home in the UK, he carries on just as he has always done and spends the same amount of time in the UK as he has always done – but now he “resides” in in Monaco – and pays income tax in Monaco.
So with these types, whether we like it or not, it is a very tricky game with very high stakes for the country.
“Flower of Scotland” – the world has changed in the last few weeks – it’s only that BBC Scotland hasn’t caught up yet. Like kids clinging to the bully at school they are too stupid to think for themselves!
Biec
Do you have link to this ‘education report’ which the BBC keep referring to. I can find no report on the internet so not sure if I am looking in the right place. And when I go to the BBC my ‘security’ doesn’t like it!
Because you know, I just don’t believe them…. And who wrote the report and what is their connection to the labour party … Once I have satisfied myself on those points I may pay attention.
As a parent whose child is in P7 though, I can say I think this new curricultum is pretty good. Our children are learning to learn and learning to be more confident.
Heard a piece on the radio this morning about the SNP TU group. It was a surprisingly relaxed and friendly (had to check I was on the right channel 😉 )
I heard Kirsten say that the TU group in the SNP is now up to 16,000 members. That alone should make Labour pause for thought.
Wonder what the latest overall SNP membership numbers are?
SD tosses in a red herring: Individual high earners
The chase is on to collar major companies and bloody corporations. Try entering the reality of the 21st century so that you can see the billions and millions, not the thousands.
@ Grouse Beater
Income tax was discussed above Grouse Beater. I provided the information because I thought people might be interested. I have only provided facts and expressed no opinions other than pointing out the difficulty of trying to nail these types down.
If you can, just for a moment, forget the battle you want to have with me and consider the information, and share your thoughts on raising tax from these types. Its really is quite important stuff for anyone responsible for generating income tax receipts.
Called A Constitutional Crossroads: Ways Forward for the United Kingdom
Call me Dave
With Alan Tench and Adam Tomkins amongst others it is perhaps no surprise that this report seeks to cement devolution and try to clip Scottish wings at the same time.
That said I am sure Tellen and Co will be distraught that a political generation is only 15 years. I think they had 85 years in mind 🙂
They don’t want FFA or Barnett? Novel and contentious.
biecs says:
20 May, 2015 at 10:35 am
I get as annoyed as anyone about the way GMS provides a platform to anyone who wants to attack the SNP government over the NHS and education, but I would be happier if the reports about the state of education had us back at the top of world comparison charts and with the respect and support for education from all sections of the population back where it was decades ago.
“Where it was decades ago!” Cheap as chips tub thumpers are in season right the now. When was Scotland ever at the top of the pops world comparison charts though? Fair enough rule Britannia Britnats use any thing at all to attack SNP Scots.gov but you’re going to have to get used to Scots voters asking you stuff like this from now on.
or, check out this buffoon
https://twitter.com/DrScottThinks
Not a doctor Dr Scott’s job? teaching. You cant invent a bigger cluster of twerps out there in vote anyone but SNP teamGB land
Oh wait, an enraged BritNat speaks
https://twitter.com/Effiedeans
A Uni of Aberdeen academic also, he/she says:D
Total tax revenues raised in Scotland (including geographical Oil share) £54Billion (Corp tax for commercial activities in Scotland which go through London HQ’s. Scotland spends £54Billion (under Westminster policies) £35Billion Block Grant £15Billion (UK) Pensions/Benefits £4 Defence. Scottish Gov website search ‘Gers’ Look through tables.
Total Taxes raised in the UK £466Billion UK Gov website search statistics. 3 Documents. search for tables.
Total taxes raised in the rest of the UK £466 minus £54 = £412Billion + £90Billion borrowed.
Total taxes raised when the ConDems came to power £600Billion
Total taxes now £466Billion. ConDems tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, Loss £134 Billion a year.
Monaco is tax free for UK revenues. A tax haven that is why they live there. Tax exiles. Tax havens have little or no tax rates. Taxvexiles are only allowed three months of the year. They work the system. Tax avoiding companies Google for example, set up a billing office in Dublin and basically claim their commercial activities which they undertake in the UK is undertaken in a Dublin billion Office. A colossal fraud.
Just as historically Westminster claimed the Scottish Oil activity took place in London S/E. Ridiculous and (secretly) took the revenues off the Scottish balance sheet and added it to the London (HQ) Westminster accounts, and spent the money (equivalent of £Billions) in London S/E and claimed that Scotland was subsidised. A total fraud. Fraudulent accounts. A breach of human rights for Scottish citizens, creating unnecessary poverty. Spent the revenues on illegal wars, supporting unemployment. 1 in 39 people in London are $millionaires.
The wealthy avoid death duties, they establish Trusts and pass on their vast fortunes, 7 years before they die to avoid tax.
Sorry if I have offended people but holding the media to account should apply to this site as well. Blindly giving over a £100000 a year and not asking questions is why people buy the MSM rubbish.
Aberdeen Uni is having a clear out. Don’t fancy some loud mouth academics chances.Chancer.
It’s insulting some Unionist academics do little research and canvass against the Scottish economy – lying and insulting people, while being paid vast salaries by Scottish taxpayers. Talking down, Scotland, it’s culture, history and community. In total ignorance and arrogance. When do they undertake their research and teaching duties? They seem to spend plenty of time lying and canvassing against Scotland. They are totally biased. Academics should aim for impartiality.
sensibledave says:
20 May, 2015 at 10:43 am
In the whole of the UK, there are a total of just 313,000 people that earn over £150k per annum. These 313,000 people are the 1% that pay 28% of income tax receipts.
You mean people identified as having and declaring such an income, as opposed to those who divert ‘earnings’ and ‘income’ to tax free investments, dividends as opposed to income, and any other method of obtaining or keeping money without having to declare it subject to income tax.
Just watched Sir Ian Wood on Bloomberg admitting the Yookay Government has ruined the Oil Industry and also thinks that the SNP are very good in Government
He also said he was forced against his will to speak out during the Referendum and if there were to be another one soon it would return the same result because economically Scotland can’t afford Independence
He thinks there will not be another Referendum for ten years and that Scotland now gets a good deal from the Yookay
and then Qualified everything he was talking about by saying
he was looking at it from an Oil and Gas perspective
So we should all listen carefully to a man who says he was forced to speak about Scotland in his own and the Yookay Guv interest, didn’t mention the rest of the economy in Scotland
but he’s telling the truth now “Honest”
I said at the time this man is dangerous senile idiot
Ken500. But apart from that, otherwise OK?
Inaccurate facts are not sensible.
‘The very richest in Britain are now at something of a loss where to put their money. But they are very good at hiding it. In the UK we have no real idea how much the truly wealthy own- just a series of estimates, non of which are reliable…What we do not know is what the entry bar is to joining the 1% in terms of wealth…Today the UK Office for National Statistics estimates that to be in the top 10% of households, you have to have total assets of, including illiquid assets of almost £1million, while entry into the 1% requires assets of £2.8 million…The ONS appears to have no idea how much wealth the 1% hold. They know far more about the wealth of the other 99% in society , even though it is tiny on a per capita basis in comparison’ ( Dorling, 2014).
Which is alarming isn’t it as we move towards a feudal system with the majority serfs becoming segregated and huddled together as the pauper classes and the state assets are stripped out and sold off. All the more reason to overhaul the banking system (especially the private banks who are associated with large-scale tax evasion)the taxation system, the collusion between politics and corporate business and move towards an open and fair democracy.
Security of Electricity supply. Live debate Holyrood.
http://www.scottishparliament.tv/?vid=live-committee-room-4
OR more exciting in WM
The swearing in of the newbies.
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/bc085cdc-ec99-4795-b2c2-bd8fee57e2e9
Eilidh Whiteford does it in English and in Scots.
Swearing in ceremony SNP Ms Whiteford affirming in English/Scots toungue
@ frances says Do you have link to this ‘education report’ which the BBC keep referring to.
Additionally I notice that no one mentions the impact that Westminster ‘austerity measures’ and resultant poverty have on a childs ability to concentrate / learn, their IQ level and test results.
Yea Sdave they are important but at this moment pretty irrelevant,the loss of taxes from this group is small potatoes compared to the loss from corporations who not only dont pay their share but are also out to grab as much of the public taxes into their own pockets as they can with the help of westminster.
this is neo liberalism and if conservatives think this has anything to do with conservatism then they are thicker than i thought,just another bunch of sheep following an ideology that no longer exists.
@Ronnie
Snap!
I see the beast is in his usual seat keeping it warm.
Anyhoo! Braw to see such a large Scots representation.
@Macart says: 20 May, 2015 at 7:38 am:
“Heh, I’d love to see a wee bit of fun injected into that chamber. I’m just waiting on the first halfwit to pipe up with a condescending tone on Mhairi. Oh jeez, that’ll be an event.
Aye! Macart, Any Unionist Hooray Henry accustomed to the badly infected Scottish Cringe former members from Scotland who assumes Oor Mhairi is going to be overawed in their supremacists presence is in for a bit of a shock.
This intake of, fully legally elected, Scottish members of the UNITED KINGDOM Parliament will not be talked down to by anyone. These are a new breed of Scottish United Kingdom Members of Parliament. These ones had to actually fight their way to an election victory.
SD: If you can, just for a moment, forget the battle
This is the problem with trolling – the jerks always declare themselves innocent, they only post facts, and everyone else is wrong, and got it in for them.
No matter how well their drivel is batted away they find a reason for returning with more drivel.
You’re a pain, but then that’s your intention. You’re a pain because you know you keep discussion at a spurious or mediocre level. With you, there’s always doubt to sell.
Call Me Dave: Braw to see such a large Scots representation.
I enjoyed Mhairi Black’s comment that our team is content to be breathing down the back of the necks of those on the front bench!
But what a pile of dung is the House of Commons.
Some students will never be able to read or write to a high standard, especially to former ‘standards’ years agol The 11Plus plus segregated children and only 10% went through (‘higher standards’) There are late developers, mature students (people) get a second chance.
Some people have high skills in Maths/science not in English. Engineers etc. The brain has different spheres which come to the fore. Technology means reading and writing are no so prominent. Computers have replaced learning skills. Pupils use technology for spelling, reading, researching and writing. Basic skills are not so essential to be high.
Helping the pupils to reach their full potential. Some children have additional needs (an increase -older parenthood?) Dyslexia, Ashbergers, Autistic in mainstream schooling. Teacher get no training in additional needs at University – a few days unless they specialise. A tenth of their pupils will have additional needs. A tenth of their training should include ‘additional needs’. It would help teaching the other pupils. It would be advantageous for the Scottish Gov to implement ‘additional needs’ in the Teacher training programme.
Doctors get no training in Alcoholism at University, unless they specialise. A tenth of their patients will have alcohol related problems. A tenth of Medical training course should include Alcohol awareness.
looks like Stewart Hosie has ah seatwarmer on the Lab front bench, Gaelic & Scots MPs taking the oath are getting cheered.
Are the MSM deliberately limiting Westminster coverage? Or is the Parliamentary business limited.
I see the beast is in his usual seat keeping it warm.
A case of perceiving the House as his local pub.
Robert Whyte says:
19 May, 2015 at 11:39 pm
No offence I like this site but I also like math. £100000 for each of the last 2 years. Is no one gonna ask whats it being spent on? Why only one writer (who is on his hols)? Sorry Rev but Im going to ask why not get some employees? You got double for what you asked for, hence wages.
The Rev published an account of his expected expenses in his fund raising. He also listed costs for various projects in some of the articles, I see enough of the work done that the question does not really arise for me. If you wish to ask where your £10 or £50 went then go ahead I am sure the Rev will be happy to list the work done, and work commissioned.
I know some of us love our media-fix hit but its hard work for anyone to do just one rather than several articles a day and stay relevant and sharp. The Rev has been pretty good, albeit possibly courting burn out and still facing a couple of years of elections and EU referendum.
@ Call me Dave I don’t speak Gaelic nor much fluent Scots but it sure gladdens the heart to hear it spoken at the seat of Westmidden.
Where will the £1.8Billion Wood Fortune go? Not a happy bunny. You can’t take it with you. Health is important. Too much wealth can be a curse.
Robert Whyte says:
“holding the media to account should apply to this site as well. Blindly giving over a £100000 a year and not asking questions is why people buy the MSM rubbish.”
Folk on here are not shy about coming forward if something is bothering them.
You seem to be a very lone voice.
There is no relationship that I can see between the people who contribute to Rev Stu and Wings and those that waste their money on the biased crap from the MSM.
Anagach: £100000 for each of the last 2 years. Is no one gonna ask whats it being spent on?
He publishes a breakdown of how he wishes to spend the sum he needs to operate as a means to invite contributions, and then at the end of the year how any excess was spent. His accountant and the tax man do the rest.
I stand to be corrected, but as example, he had a sum left over during the Referendum and used it to put an advert on Glasgow Labour’s subway trains – to magnificent effect.
@sensibledave says: 20 May, 2015 at 11:12 am:
“Income tax was discussed above Grouse Beater. I provided the information because I thought people might be interested. I have only provided facts and expressed no opinions other than pointing out the difficulty of trying to nail these types down.
Yawn! Truth is the great thing, sensibledave, and the truth is that since the Labour Party began the move from Direct Taxation, (on income & wealth), to Indirect Taxation, (Upon Goods & Services”, the government’s main revenue shifted from the rich paying the main bulk of revenue, (those best able to pay), onto the poor.
It is a well known fact that indirect taxation is designed to make the poor pay a larger proportion of the overall tax burden. That means, for the hard of thinking, that income tax is becoming less and less important.
Witness the Tory/LibDem governments very first acts upon first gaining office from NuLabour was to increase indirect taxation, (VAT), and to increase the items that it had to be paid on. Their next move was to cut the highest income tax rate – and this was said to be making us, “All in it together”.
This reply, Sensibledave, is not for your benefit but for anyone tempted to believe your trolling.
@ Ken 500 Go on to Westminster Parliament TV ( not BBc Democrecy Live)
@ Anagach 11:39 am
You wrote: “You mean people identified as having and declaring such an income, as opposed to those who divert ‘earnings’ and ‘income’ to tax free investments, dividends as opposed to income, and any other method of obtaining or keeping money without having to declare it subject to income tax.”
… yes, correct. Except for tax on dividends which, I believe are included in the figures. see: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/404155/Table_2.5.pdf – and scroll down to page 3 for 2014/15 numbers.
Dennis Skinner’s seat will be the one with the sawdust in below it. 🙂
Yesterday’s National had an article by Mike Russell promoting the use of the Scottish Ensign instead of the Red Duster. It’s use on ships goes back to the 14th century apparently whereas the Red Duster’s is only 200 years in its present form.
Off sailing later in the year, must get one! 🙂
HandandShrimp
The size of the House of Commons chamber was deliberate.
It was bombed in WW2, and proposals were put forward for a Chamber where every member could be seated.
Churchill vetoed the proposal. His logic: a small chamber means that it looks less empty in lightly attended debates, and on high occasions having MPs standing makes it look fuller
@Ken500 says: 20 May, 2015 at 11:39 am:
“Inaccurate facts are not sensible”.
Neither is, “Creative Accounting”, and HM Gov are experts at that. If they were to properly account the facts then Scotland would show up as a very wealthy country.
There are hardly any properly accounted Scottish things in the UK’s Accounts and any that are properly accounted are on the debit side of the books.
They even cheat on the wording by such as crediting Scotland with having earning just 8.4% of the Oil & Gas revenues on a per capita basis instead of a geographic basis.
In fact not one penny is accounted as Scottish being all classed as from, “Extra Regio Territory”, and all taken by the Treasury as such. That is they take the entire revenue, keep the entire revenue but say Scotland contributed 8.4% of it.
The list of scams is far too long to list and will only properly be accounted for upon Scotla nd’s independence.
Sensibledave, is not for your benefit but for anyone tempted to believe your trolling.
No amateur has the expertise, ‘facts’, information and knowledge he purports to have on any topic posted. Following cut ‘n paste and opinion is a fool’s occupation.
Fred @ 1.01 pm
Regards Mike Russell promoting the use of the Scottish Ensign
Too bloody true!
Scotland really has to do this
What you might not realise is that it would be a nice little earner for Scotland.
As it would mean that Scotland would have its own Maritime registry
Little Isle of Man has its own Maritime Registry http://www.gov.im/ded/shipregistry/
Click on fees and charges (top menu bar)
AND
The Isle of Man has its own Civil Aviation authority and registry
http://www.gov.im/ded/aircraft/
Click on fees and charges (Left side menu bar)
No doubt we will be told that Scotland is too wee!
The size of the House of Commons chamber was deliberate.
The House of commons is an extremely unpleasant place to be. Visitors see only a few well dusted areas.
https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/a-tale-of-two-parliaments/
@ Grouse Beater 12:06 pm
“No matter how well their drivel is batted away they find a reason for returning with more drivel”
@ Robert Peffers 12.47
“Yawn! Truth is the great thing, sensibledave, and the truth is that since the Labour Party began the move from Direct Taxation, (on income & wealth)….” .
Drivel, Truth, Trolling?
If you both continue to interpret dry data as the enemy of truth or drivel or trolling then you are going to get upset an awful lot.
The information supplied by me was about income tax receipts from a dry, facts only, report produced by HMRC. It isn’t “political”. It isn’t a comment on indirect taxation and it isn’t anything do with Scotland Versus England or SNP versus Tory. It is a report on Income tax receipts in the UK by earning bands.
The subject of getting more tax from the “rich” (and I have got no skin in that game) is relevant to all governments regardless of geography or political flavour – but not to you it would appear.
I’m okay with that. I understand that you are all about dogma and that you (Robert and Grousey) are not actually responsible for bringing the money in so you can, again, sit on the sidelines and throw rocks rather than contribute enlightenment. I understand that you need to keep going with SNP (good) v Tory (bad), Scotland (good) v England (bad) thing and that you must never be diverted from that course.
I understand it – but you do look increasingly silly.
The issue of corporation tax is effectively the ukgov’s attitude to the economy in microcosm. I run a small business, and am forced to pay ct on every penny profit made; this is cash I don’t then have to invest in the business, including training of apprentices. Yet the biggest businesses are asked to pay only the same percentage ct, though no doubt creative accounting reduces this to near zero.
Why can’t ct be banded? Or, better still, the first £20,000 profit not subject to it? This is money that would be redistributed among the employees as wage increases, or suppliers.
In Scotland, we have now recognised that SNP offer us an alternative to the sham 2-party system. The North of England have nothing credible to cling to. I suspect that these areas, and poorer areas across England, will make their feelings known soon.
Maybe the establishment will soon see that Eton and Oxford don’t teach enough about the population of a country is actually made of real people.
SD: “You do look increasingly silly
An excellent aspect of Stuart’s stewardship is the way he hones attention onto the core subject for discussion, verbiage is tossed aside.
You’ve already been answered by others about middle-income earners and tax.
Like the rouse of fox hunting on the last topic, you waste people’s time tossing in the red herring of individuals on medium to high salaries.
They’re all to a man subject to an accountant and hundreds of taxation staff checking returns, in Scotland’s case at East Kilbride. Small office accountants do not want to lose their licence or jobs and so are loathe to include iffy items in personal or small business tax returns. Individuals are subject to hefty fines or imprisonment if they hide or camouflage other income, such as investments.
Major companies, international corporations – the ones we subsidise with grants and low interest loans taken from taxation – plus banks and investment houses had their business dealings deregulated enough to shift profits around the globe, hiding them from the tax man in labyrinths of phony subsidiary companies.
Joe Public is not the target.
Those are the ones we must discipline or jail!
Now stop wasting our time.
@ X Sticks its no worth the effort to reply to RW,its there to read should he want to search the Archives.
@ Grouse Beater 1:21 pm
“No amateur has the expertise, ‘facts’, information and knowledge he purports to have on any topic posted. Following cut ‘n paste and opinion is a fool’s occupation.”
Just keep going Grouse Beater, you are proving to everyone how silly you can be. Are you really suggesting, that when discussing income tax receipts, having facts to hand is amateurish? Is citing an HMRC report that I have referred to in a comment, a fool’s occupation?
@Ronnie Anderson, 12:29pm
Aye, and when did we ever care to watch MPs being sworn in at Westminster?
Liked the sound of the guy who was sworn in speaking Cornish!
@ Grouse Beater 1.51
I’m sorry that you consider information about income tax a “waste of your time”.
One option would be not to read it? That would kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, you wouldn’t have to get bogged down facts and then, secondly, you will have more time to try and stoke some more anti-Tory, anti-English stuff – which you seem to take great delight in.
@ Betty Boop (speilings improving ah goat your name rite lol),Betty you know ah care, but there,s never been a broadcast before, or am I wrong.
SD: One option would be not to read it?
You mean leave the field to you to clog with verbiage.
ok in reply to posts saying things about the subway advert, Rev said/mentioned that this site got the money back. So again do we not hold this site to account or are we like other people following msm?
Grouse beater resorts to abuse, the refuge of the loser. The SNP backed NATO’s illegal assault on Libya.
The SNP rightly denounced Labour’s support for NATO’s illegal war on Iraq, but forgets that it backed NATO’s illegal war on Libya. When you are in NATO/the EU, you have to end up backing the NATO/EU wars.
Sturgeon backed NATO’s illegal attack on Libya claiming it would ‘protect the Libyan people from Gaddafi’s regime’.
So just a bit like Labour then: peace in words, war in deeds.
@ Robert Whyte Your like ah Bear wie ah Sore Arse, stop uasin Pine Neddle’s tae wipe wie. Noo fuckoff an gies peace,& take the ither clown wie ye.
Will Podmore
You just made that up ‘NATO’s illegal war in Iraq’to suit your argument,about Libya to attack SNP.
There was no NATO agreement for war on Iraq.It was a coalition of the willing (US,UK,Poland and Spain).No UN or NATO agreement,as you know fine well.
‘NATO as an organization had no role in the decision to undertake the campaign or conduct it.’ from NATO web site 11th Nov 2014 re Iraq.
Why would you lie about that Will ?
SD@2:04,WP@3:07
‘Talk to my ass cos the face ain’t listening’
It may suprise you that the people of Scotland have looked at ALL aspects of the main UKOK parties and reached our decision.
This is not a protest and we are not ‘breaking bad’ as is often claimed by UKOK/MSM/BBC,this is a total rejection of you and yours.
Please stop trying to score points on single issues (we have been through all this already,boring) we know we are not perfect,but are inclined to do something about it.
To put it in ‘laymans’ terms,the people of Scotland have been viewing politics in high definition for years now,stop pitching us your low expectation,low definition version,believe me when I tell you that the universal reaction will be.
‘I smell shite’……now be good chaps,run along your stinking up the place and take your dishonest,morally bankrupt,power crazy,bullying,Westminster establishment types with you.
@ Dr Jim, 11:39am
Re: Ian Wood:
Plus, of course, he picked up all those lovely fracking licences in the central belt as soon as the UK gov made them available and changed “his mind” about how much oil is left in the North Sea.
Chameleon would be too nice a description.
@ Ronnie Anderson, 2:23pm
Ronnie, I’ve no idea if there’s been a broadcast before; think that’s the point :-).
If there has been, however, I doubt many folk would have been interested enough to watch the same, old troughers sign up for more of the same. Changed days, eh…
Oh, and ta for taking care with the typing thumbs 🙂
@ Ronnie Anderson @ 12.49m
Re Parliamentry TV, thanks. It should be live/or recorded on BBC. It is such an important occasion of interest in iScotland. Instead it is blanked out, with two doses of the ‘Royals’.
@ carjamtic @ 4.20
You wrote: ‘I smell shite’……now be good chaps,run along your stinking up the place and take your dishonest,morally bankrupt,power crazy,bullying,Westminster establishment types with you”
With regards to the generality of your comments, once again, for reasons I cannot fathom, you seek to interpret a discussion about high rate tax payers, their tax receipts (or lack of them) as a Tory/SNP, Scotland/England thing!
I fear that your prejudices are now so entrenched that you are completely incapable of having a normal conversation with anyone other than a SNP supporter.
You wrote: “stop trying to score points on single issues”. I think you actually meant “stop showing me facts that don’t fit with my preconceived, set in concrete, dogma – or I might have to actually think – rather than just keep shouting that all people south of the border are “dishonest, morally bankrupt, power crazy, bullying, Westminster establishment types” (I put the spaces in for you).
@ carjamtic 4:20 pm
I just replied to your post, but since pressing the “submit” button another thought has occurred to me.
Would you like English people to think about the SNP as being represented by the, much admired down here, Nicola Sturgeon – or do your thoughts and prejudice represent the real SNP?
@Robert Whyte
Have you contributed to any of the fundraisers for this site, if not what’s your point? You are comparing passion fruit and ugly fruit, how many of the MSM are transparent about their income/ expenditure, damn few to none and the majority appear to be on life support. Holding the press to account as you put it does not include their finances, it’s their non/content that’s the problem.
As to your statement regarding blindly giving to this site, I would assume that, as with myself, monetary contributions were made, by others, after consideration of the benefits provided, no strings attached.
The gold wings badge in my possession reflects my thoughts on the worth of this site and my faith in the man that runs it, to put my contribution to good use.
My considered opinion on your posts? – give it a rest. 😐
Can we get some super glue onto Skinner’s seat
What the hell is going on on this site all of a sudden?
Have the 77th had a passing out parade?
Betty Boop: Plus, of course, he picked up all those lovely fracking licences in the central belt as soon as the UK gov made them available and changed “his mind” about how much oil is left in the North Sea.
Exactly. And what wonderful timing he has. SNP barely in their Commons seats and up he pops with his apology for pointing out Scotland can’t survive on its own… a neat way of making a second public pronouncement on a nation’s hopes. Another businessman with a troubled childhood.
Dave McEwan Hill: Can we get some super glue onto Skinner’s seat
🙂
Ok SD,my final comment to you,do not assume everybody on this site is an SNP representative.
You are too late,we all know the score,the games a bogey,your political methodolgy has been tried and comprehensively debunked on so many levels.
When the establishment parties turn on their own people,you know the games up,the days of the imperial masters are over.
John King: What the hell is going on on this site?
We have a guy in the States with no association to Scotland telling posters they are losers, and another in London, more EDL unionist than Tory unionist, filling posts with soggy rice pudding and telling anybody who hates rice pudding they are useless at debate.
What is amusing is their notion we are compelled to answer their utterances diverted from the job of moving Scotland ahead of its imperial masters.
Oh, and somebody wants to know why we don’t have Stuart show us his annual accounts as proof he spends our donations responsibly.
I think this thread has hit the buffers. 🙂
John King 6.23
They’re back alright.(77th BDE)
Fighting a ‘rearguard action’, poor cannon fodder.
Suppose they still have to justify their existence 🙂
@sensibledave
Most amusing! You are still trying to muddy the waters, I had thought you would have given up by now.
Of course you are correct that the richest 1% pay 28-30% of Income Tax, why have you excluded the effect of VAT, NIC and all the other indirect taxes?
I can only guess you are trying to make a case for reducing tax for the wealthiest.
That facts are when you look at ALL taxes paid to the UK government as a proportion of total income, the poorest 20% pay of average 36.6% of total income in tax. Whereas the richest 20% pay 35.5% of their total income in tax.
When it comes to indirect taxes the difference is stark with the bottom 20% paying 29.4% and the top paying only 14.4.
In other words, the poorest pay twice as much indirect taxes as the richest according to their income. this is despite the FACT that the poorest are spending their money on the essentials for life like food, yet the richest may be buying Mercedes or BMW’s.
Your stats, though correct fail to tell the whole picture. I can’t say I’m surprised.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/household-income/the-effects-of-taxes-and-benefits-on-household-income/2011-2012/etb-stats-bulletin-2011-12.html#tab-Summary-of-results-for-all-households
Robert Whyte says:
20 May, 2015 at 11:35 am
Sorry if I have offended people but holding the media to account should apply to this site as well.
Robert, I am pretty new to all this politics stuff, but I am sure that is exactly what the Rev does here, hold the media to account.
If your asking if the money donated to this site, for the purpose of exposing the truth is wrong, I disagree.
The Rev is worth every penny donated.
Thepnr 7.46
Podmore was on earlier using the same tactics saying SNP just as bad as the Westminster war criminals because they are in favour of joining NATO and would have to get involved in illegal wars.
He/They deliberately conflate being in NATO with the illegal war in Iraq which was absolutely nothing to do with NATO.(Not that I am saying NATO are all sweetness and light).
These unionist agents are very devious in their methods of trying to undermine our fight for a progressive independent Scotland.They take our beliefs and arguments and then twist and contort a rebuttal with a mixture of half truths and lies to create doubt.
They are a microcosm of the lying,obfuscating unionist MPs and MSM,and they are certainly not casual visitors/observers to this site.
The establishment are still dangerous peddlars of propaganda who will fight to the death.
@ Thepnr :46 pm
You wrote: “Most amusing! You are still trying to muddy the waters, I had thought you would have given up by now.”
… and then you continued to write a whole load of other absolute tosh that was as wrong headed as it was irrelevant.
The data I provided was about income tax receipts. Not VAT. Not NIC. Not Foreign Policy. Not Green Policy. Not Council Tax. In fact, it was “not” everything else – it was just income tax! More particularly it was about trying to extract income tax from the rich.
The subject was income tax receipts and the difficulties, for any government of any flavour in any country, anywhere in the world, trying to extract more tax from the richest. Nothing to do with Tory or SNP policy – and nothing to do with Scotland V England.
But you are so damned pig headed, together with a few others here, that you see everything as part of some fight. You wallow in your perceived victim hood where everyone has got a downer on the Scots and everything is about Scottish Independence – or its about the 10.5 million “Toffs”in England that earn less than the high rate tax band! Do you have any idea of just how silly that is?
In the event that Scotland achieves the ability to vary income tax, or achieves FFA or Independence, the reality of this issue will come crashing down about your ears – as it does with any any government. And here’s a bet Thepnr, I bet you a tenner here and now that an SNP government, when it has the opportunity, will not put the higher rate income tax to 5% above that which it is in England. Are we on?
Do you really think that you, uniquely, have some special insight that the governments of the likes of USA, France, Germany, etc have missed? All those countries want more money from the rich, why don’t they just hike up income tax rates and corporation tax rates. Come on man, share your wisdom with us. But you wont answer the question, you will spout another diatribe of nonsense that demonstrates that you haven’t got a clue about the grown up issues that every government of every flavour has to face.
Data and facts “Muddy the waters” apparently – you are beyond parody.
The thing is, Wings is only as good as the last few posts.
Stuart did the site for quite a while before putting out any appeal for money. He was persuaded to do that by a reader who realised there weren’t enough hours in his day to do the job properly as the referendum campaign was ramping up, given that he periodically had to break off and write something irrelevant to pay the rent.
The first fundraiser ran for about eight weeks and it was touch and go whether it would raise the target at all. Stuart was saying he could maybe go full-time for six months and then try another fundraiser, or something like that. However donations picked up again towards the end and the £30,000 target was reached.
The second fundraiser took off like a bloody rocket, passed its £54,000 target by tea-time on the first day, and ended up doubling it. That’s a measure of how well people regarded the first year’s value for money.
The third fundraiser was after the referendum. Maybe people would be less inclined to fund the site? The target was a bit less, at £45,000. It took off even faster than the second one, and surpassed the previous year’s total.
Nobody is holding a gun to donors’ heads. However he’s doing it, Stuart is providing what his readers want, and he’s doing it sustainably over years now. His success in comparison to other independence-related fundraisers is phenomenal.
But if readers stopped liking what he was doing, they’d stop donating. In a heartbeat. That’s the sanction. So far, there’s no sign of anything like that happening.
I wish more people would donate to NewsShaft. I think they’re totally worth it, but the fundraiser has pretty much stalled.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/news-scotland-cic-newsshaft-and-beyond#/story
Aggh FFS , I put in a good shift working and this has become my entertainment for the last 2/3 years .
I contributed to this site more than 2 weeks effin hard earned Pay plus a good few quid to PR wee pressie only to find it strangled tonight.
Quite frankly , everyone who contributed did so in support of the site in good faith . Remember trust is still with us.
I’m confident that we all want Stuart to EF Off on a few weeks holiday,well deserved.
It may be strange for onlookers to understand the 1000’s who are addicted to this hoos , thankfully its generally a happy hoos, a happy we faimly.
I even contributed to Morag’s link to the cat & WGD , all thanks to this site.
To those , and you know who you are , can you gies peace .Please EF Off too !
Sorry folk its dooing ma heid in !
Moodie vision next.
BTW BOB W @ 5.15 and others did the goody bags get sent out yet ?
@sensibledave
So you provided some data about Income Tax, big deal.
Income Tax makes up only 25.7% of forecast receipts for the UK government 2014/15, NIC 17% and VAT 17% for 2014/15, the other 40% is made up of indirect taxes such as fuel duty; excise duty blah blah blah.
The point is that the poorest in our society are in FACT taxed more highly in terms of income than the richest.
You and those like you deny that, you point ONLY to income tax which is perpetuating a LIE. As i pointed out earlier Income tax is only 1/4 of all taxes. If you were an honest poster and not a troll you would accept such.
http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn09.pdf
You then talk of Scotland v England, Tory v SNP? How absurd is that?
I has never on this website talked of either that you mention. I decry the type of Nationalism that you am implying! I am not even an SNP supporter! That is why you are nothing but a fool! You know nothing about Scotland or the Scots.
I am a member of the SSP not the SNP. A Socialist, do you even understand what that is?
Next you slag me me off accusing me of being “pig headed” hahaha I reckon you beat me when it comes to the pig headedness stakes. You won’t shut up even when beat in an argument.
What is your objection to Independence or FFR? Tell me that do you deny that we should take the responsibility of looking after our own affairs, if YOUR government will ALLOW it?
Why are you still so bothered sensibledave? You’ve got the government you wanted so why are you still hanging around here like a bad smell?
You say that I haven’t got a clue about “grown up issues” I would suggest that it is you that has yet to grow up. Your grasp of politics and economics is pathetic. Your arguments are pathetic.
Sensible Dave is still an oxymoron and still Pretty Ugly.
SD 9.51
‘everything is about Scottish Independence’
We never profess otherwise.
What could be more important than the people of Scotland governing our own country.
What is it all about for you,why are you fretting over what rate of tax indy Scot would use ?
For you guys its all about keeping your last colony.
As we all know,you are just here to ‘muddy the waters’and I’m sure you and your crew are well paid for your efforts.
@SD
It’s about standing up for ourselves pal. It’s about making our own decisions & learning from our own mistakes.
Maybe it’s time you stopped living with your parents and joined the big world of grown-ups.
@Tackety Beets
Not the latest ones, my gold badge is from last year.
Stu tweeted a picture of the hard back version of the WBB today and said in the same tweet he expected delivery of the badges in the near future.
@ Thepnr 10.26
“So you provided some data about Income Tax, big deal”
By George I think you’ve got it!
It was indeed no “big deal”. You are absolutely correct at last. I provided some data about income tax which I thought was interesting for all to consider. I hadn’t seen the information before so I thought I would share it. I didn’t express any political points. I didn’t suggest any policies. It was entirely apolitical. It was , indeed, no big deal.
And yet…
You wrote: “Of course you are correct that the richest 1% pay 28-30% of Income Tax, why have you excluded the effect of VAT, NIC and all the other indirect taxes?”
and … “I can only guess you are trying to make a case for reducing tax for the wealthiest.”
and… “.. facts are when you look at ALL taxes paid to the UK government as a proportion of total income, the poorest 20% pay of average 36.6% of total income in tax. Whereas the richest 20% pay 35.5% of their total income in tax.
and… Your stats, though correct fail to tell the whole picture. I can’t say I’m surprised.
@ 10.26
You wrote … “You and those like you deny that, you point ONLY to income tax which is perpetuating a LIE. As i pointed out earlier Income tax is only 1/4 of all taxes. If you were an honest poster and not a troll you would accept such.”
and … What is your objection to Independence or FFR? Tell me that do you deny that we should take the responsibility of looking after our own affairs, if YOUR government will ALLOW it?
and … “Your grasp of politics and economics is pathetic. Your arguments are pathetic.”
Do you see “Thepnr”?
I simply shared some data – and, because of your prejudices, you decided, all on your own, that I was arguing! You somehow decide I am against Scottish Independence? You assume that I want to reduce taxes, you assume many things – without one scrap of evidence – other than your pathetic prejudices.
dakk says:
20 May, 2015 at 10:32 pm
SD 9.51
‘everything is about Scottish Independence’ “We never profess otherwise”
… Didn’t Ms Sturgeon say, and didn’t the SNP Manifesto say, that the recent general Election was not about Independence?
“What could be more important than the people of Scotland governing our own country”
…. If “the people of Scotland want to govern their own country” … then, IMHO, they should. You know that the problem we are all (north and south of the border) trying to deal with is that there was a landslide win for the SNP in the recent GE to represent the people of Scotland at Westminster – and a No vote in the Independence referendum. I don’t mind whether Scotland is in or out of the Union – but the Scots have decide what they want – I can’t.
“What is it all about for you,why are you fretting over what rate of tax indy Scot would use ?”
I wasn’t fretting about anything. I was trying to simply make the point that governments don’t get to choose the rates of tax they actually want to charge – they have to choose a rate of tax that they think they can get away with without tax revenues falling – because people might make other arrangements.
If we had a situation where either England, or Scotland, was charging lower rates of income tax than the other, then the head offices of companies, their Corporation tax payments and the income tax and NIC from the employees of those companies would cross the border either way, to the most favourable, very quickly – and there would be nothing we can do. EU law expressly allows such occurrences. And just to be clear, the trading address of the companies would stay the same, the employees would continue to live in the same place. The companies would carry out the same work in the same way – the only thing that would move is some paperwork. Do you understand that now?
You wrote “For you guys its all about keeping your last colony”
… I keep hearing that. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I say I don’t mind either way.
and finally you wrote: ” and I’m sure you and your crew are well paid for your efforts.”
… I don’t have a crew, I am not paid for my efforts. I don’t represent anybody. I am just a working class, UK citizen living in the south east of England that is interested in politics.
Maybe I should take it as a compliment that I am such a clever and threatening character that I must be a professional?
Sensibledave @ 12:26am
Dave, please rest assured we do not view you as a “Clever and Threatening” character or indeed a “Professional”.
You are entitled to your views as per the rest of us.
SD
THe Scottish Gov always had the ability to raise or decrease Income Tax by 3%,they didnt do it for the reasons you state,so you are not telling us anything we dont already know,so what is your point?
We are not all Nicola Sturgeon or the SNP,so the fact you lump us all into one category says it all.The GE was the GE but the ultimate goal is Indy,Nicola Sturgeon was perfectly open about that.Again what is your point?
SD says
“I simply shared some data – and, because of your prejudices, you decided, all on your own, that I was arguing! You somehow decide I am against Scottish Independence? You assume that I want to reduce taxes, you assume many things – without one scrap of evidence – other than your pathetic prejudices.”
Oh FFS its Norse warrior,
Been to night school for failed trolls Norsy?
Robert White says
“Sorry if I have offended people but holding the media to account should apply to this site as well.”
Yea well you have offended me that’s for sure, so just how much did YOU pitch in Robert? I put in as much as I could afford but in real terms it was less that I would have paid for a daily newspaper, When I DONATED the money I made no proviso as to how Stu should spend it he could have taken a world cruise for 6 months (richly deserved in my opinion) he didn’t he could have shredded it for bedding for the seperats, he didn’t, he could have paid off his mortgage (if he has one) he didn’t, he could have taken the money and pissed it up against a wall. HE FUCKING DIDN’T,
SO WHY DON’T YOU TAKE YOUR FAKE CONCERN AND FUCK RIGHT OFF, YOU SERVE NO PURPOSE HERE!
S/D says
“… I don’t have a crew, I am not paid for my efforts. I don’t represent anybody. I am just a working class, UK citizen living in the south east of England that is interested in politics.
Maybe I should take it as a compliment that I am such a clever and threatening character that I must be a professional?”
HIP HIP HOORAY for sensible Dave
Thank you for taking time out of your full daily schedule of looking in the mirror to lecture us proles however
I for one DON’T thing your BIG your NOT clever and your NOT welcome,
If we wanted someone to lecture us on the subatomic reasons why we shouldn’t be independent, we would ask a scientist from the large Hedron Collider not a squaddie, so why don’t you report back to your C/O and tell him you have failed in your mission and ask to be reassigned to some easier duties like trolling ISIS?
o/t
Great to here that SNP MSP Sandra White is doing something to help ordinary people, she has launched a bill in Holyrood to make it an offence to park on pavements, (long overdue in my opinion)
I get sick and tired of seeing people parking their cars and motorbikes on pavements as if they had some god given right to deprive pedestrians of the use of the pavement and force (as a council van did several years ago to my wife as even though she had our grandson in his pushchair and it was busy main road the council worker point blank refused to move his van to allow her to pass safely on the pavement) people to step out onto busy roads to get round the obstruction and wheelchair users, and elderly ,and disabled ,and blind people and young women with children in prams having to risk their lives to accommodate an ignorant motorist!
Apparently the award was made by The Royal Society for the Blind, and Willfully ignorant of Scotland. 🙂
here=hear 🙁
@john king
I made a mistake in addressing sensibledave, he obviously loves the attention that he finds on this site by such as myself replying to his drivel. No more for me at least.
Bye Dave, you working class hero from the South East.
Mornin Alex. 🙂
Who’s turn is it to take wee Willie Plodmore oot for his daily pee?
I did it yesterday. 🙂
JK @ 6.44
Bizarre , my friend was charged in Elgin way back in early 90’s .
He decided to stop @ Chipshop but there were cars parked opposite ,so as to not block the road he nipped his near side wheels on to pavement to avoid blocking the road .
On his return a few mins later the Police were there , if my memory serves me correctly , it was a traffic Offence to be on the pavement ?
Either way he certainly had to cough up , a gie dear bag o chips !
Thanks for the update Bob W
I’m no loosing sleep over it , I was kinda hoping to wear my badge with pride especially for voting etc . Nae worries , as we say ” It a cums oot in e waash”
It’s significant (to me anyway) that I’m spending more time zipping past posts that irritate me than reading content these days.
Why, in God’s name do you give these ‘chancers’ the scope to pollute this site replying to their goads?
Seriously, get a grip guys.
Don’t know where Rev Stu is, hope he’s having a ball, but the odd postcard would keep things bubbling on, doncha think?
Tackity Beets @ 8.01
I would have thought that parking on a pavement was always an offence as well TB!
But an update by BBC Scotland expresses doubt whether the Scottish government COULD amend the law as some parking regulations are “RESERVED”!
Why by all that is holy could it be possible that parking in Scotland would in any way be deemed to be a reserved matter? SERIOUSLY the level of control that lot hold over us is intolerable.
It would seem that something in my post about the BBC in Pacific Quay receiving an award last night as being captured by the monitoring system TWICE but for the life of me I cant understand why?
@John King
Good advice by the Rev a long time back. We don’t like how people engage with others on threads, then walk on by. Its far better for the blood pressure and personally I can’t afford to lose anymore hair. It can get lonely for folks when all they receive is a deafening silence. 🙂
On the parking? A common sense and long overdue initiative by Ms White. Good on her. A lot of narrow streets and pavements around my town and folk are forever forced into the street because of poorly parked vehicles. Hell, most of the time you find yourself jumping into the street just to let grannies, mums and prams past, never mind the choobs who stick their wheels up on pavements.
Why can I see the missing posts on the iPad as awaiting moderation but I can’t see them on the desktop?
@ john king 6:34 am
“If we wanted someone to lecture us on the subatomic reasons why we shouldn’t be independent…”
… There you go again. Again, and please try to comprehend this, I, like many others really don’t care, either way, whether Scotland leaves the Union or not. Its the 55% that are your problem – not me and others like me.
If Scotland has FFA then my only area of concern would be around the areas I discussed – with people moving companies’ registered offices, either way, across the border. However, and as seems most likely, if Scotland had higher income tax and corporation tax rates, then that would probably be to England’s benefit and therefore not good for the people of Scotland – which would be why I would be concerned.
Read through all of the comments above and on most other threads here and, if you do, then even you might spot a trend. All the proIndy invective is aimed at the English, the press, the westminster types, the tories, labour, etc. – but not the 55%!
As far as I can see, I don’t think I have seen a single comment from a Scottish No voter? Why is that?
Within the comments on this post, we have a masterclass in how to destroy a blog by trolling – and by those who entertain trolls. It is the two together which turns others off.
I would like to add my VOICE ( see shouting again)to Barontorc 8.08 Please Please resist the TROLLS wind up,s , it destroy’s the Thread,all Indy sites are for sharing of Information,WOS are top of that list. Sharing is to the benefit of our Aims & our People,NOT for people of small UNIONIST minds.
Sheeeesh & Desist PLEASE.
My brother in law works in the tax offices in the west country in the vat section.A number of years ago the income tax/corporation tax section was joined up with the vat section which was seperate.This according to him is still a shambles mainly because of lack of staff which is a problem throughout the uk.Unless the HMRC is staffed properly the situation re recovering tax is not going to improve.
sd
You know fine and well that the Scottish Gov White Paper before Indyref detailed plans to reduce Corporation Tax and abolish APD,in order to grow the economy,so you are lying through your teeth about taxes most likely being higher.
The truth is you are terrified of competition to your part of the country.
The opposite of what you say is true,and that is why Westminster/you are so resistant to FFA or federalism.
@Ian
Indeed. But the plan is to cut another 10,000 jobs instead.
Do not forget, either, that much of what used to be benefits administered through DWP was transferred to HMRC, too: So the amount of work increased there too. And HMRC had no experience of “paying out” rather than “collecting” and no idea at all of how to deal with emergencies. Because in their core function, the taxpayer has the money till they pay and so there are no drastic consequences if service is slow and thorough.
John King
Apologies John,I know we must use facts and persuasive arguments and not indulge/feed the trolls.
I sometimes forget we must educate,on matters concerning tax,I wrongly assumed everyone would know about,the proximity of Jersey,Douglas,Dublin or perhaps the system the use in the USA (each state can alter taxes to suit their own needs).
None of this has led to a race to the bottom,why would it ? trolls only scaremongering as usual,as we know INDYREF was last year but the trolls keep throwing it in there,we have accepted it and moved on,apparently they have’nt (a policy also during GE by the 3 main unionist parties,look how successful that was).
I vow/pledge to stop feeding the troll,if he needs answers to any questions he can do what everyone else does,check the www. all the information is out there. 😉
P.S.
I see the change.org petition to allow the North of England to join Scotland is over 43 thousand signatures now, #takeuswithyou impressive.
How does Norway manage so well? I dont believe they mess around when large corporations and individuals avoid/evade paying tax.Maybe we could learn some lessons from the most successful economy in the world ,but maybe not knowing the arrogance of our “political elite”.
Fiona;It seems the whole crumbling set up plays directly into the hands of the tax avoider thats unless you are PAYE or indirect tac payer they are always the easy target.Independence would give us the opportunity to completely overhaul the whole tax system and would be considerably easier as it would be a lot smaller.
@ Ian
It is by design.
Tories of all colours are very keen on simplistic slogans and metaphors such as the economy is like a household budget, when it suits them
So here is another: businesses keep employing more staff until those staff do not generate more income/profit than they cost.
Wonder why that is not applied to HMRC?
“It would seem that something in my post about the BBC in Pacific Quay receiving an award last night as being captured by the monitoring system TWICE but for the life of me I cant understand why?”
Two reasons: “Janus-faced” probably fell foul of the word filter, which includes “anus” because I couldn’t get people to stop using it as a “hilarious” substitute for Anas Sarwar’s name, and secondly the incredibly long list of adjectives was probably interpreted by the spam filter as the sort of thing a spambot would post.
The latter automatically bins a lot of stuff that’s really badly-formatted, even before I get to it. If people can’t write in paragraphs and with something at least approaching proper punctuation, the filter is quite likely to see it as auto-generated gibberish.
“auto-generated gibberish”
that should rule a few trolls out then,
keep up the good work STU
Trolls (or should that be Cybertwats).
Ban, delete, exclude them and they’ll bleat about censorship. Do what I do and just scroll down when you
a) see their name at the top of a post
b) see their name atop someone elses post replying to them
So simple. Life is too short. There are countless gems in comment threads, but absolutely none in troll posts. If you argue with an idiot, who is the idiot?
It staggers me that people still reply to these saddo’s, including some of our most esteemed commenters. Don’t mistake a troll for someone with a differing opinion to yourself. They are not reasonable and cannot be reasoned with.
They have obvious social problems. They also use multiple aliases and take up differing sides in the debate. See their name, have a wry smile to yourself, think ‘awww wee shame’ and scroll past.
I’ll hopefully attract some lengthy troll replies to this post that I can amuse myself with by completely ignoring.
I’m reminded of an old story, hopefully true, maybe someone else can refresh.
In the pre digital age we had to correspond with pen and paper. Did Irvine Welsh not once have an argument with himself using the letters page in The Scotsman? One week he’d write as a Leith bam, next week respond as a Morningside caker, then a back & forth ding dong between the two?
Different times.
@ Dakk 9.45
“The opposite of what you say is true,and that is why Westminster/you are so resistant to FFA or federalism.”
OK Dakk, I’ve tried normal conversational language format, but you seem incapable of basic understanding and comprehension. Let me try another style to see if you can understand better.
I don’t give a fig whether Scotland gets FFA, Federalism or Independence.
Have you got that?
Is their any room there for you to misinterpret that as me wanting to keep Scotland in the Union? Do let me know and I’ll try again using pictures for you.
The SNP MPs have just been elected to Westminster (Westminster types?). As far as I am aware, at this time, the SNP have no plans to hold another referendum? The party went out of its way to say that the GE was not about Independence? Again, as far as I am aware, no announcements have been made by the SNP that they will be including another referendum in the Holyrood elections that are up next.
So, as far as I can see, no one in the SNP hierarchy are arguing that the Scottish electorate should have another opportunity to vote on the subject of Independence any time soon.
If you want a personal view on things from me, I am happy to share. I don’t think that the SNP will call for another referendum in the Holyrood elections manifesto. Do you?
And yet, all of that somehow translates to people like me, sitting in the south east of England, as being part of some conspiracy to prevent Scottish Independence. Do you not see how silly that idea is?
Whilst I appreciate that I am a guest here and do not necessarily expect a warm welcome, it is surprising to me just how much invective and prejudice exists amongst some here, and how it is consistently directed at everyone other – than the 55% of your fellow Scottish citizens that voted No.
sd
No invective here.
I believe in competition including by tax variation,so I was expounding that and correcting you on your mistaken assumption/lie that the Scottish Gov would be more likely to raise taxes.
If you don’t agree with that, we’ll agree to differ,life’s too short.
Have a nice day.
Dakk
Agreed, you too.
@Frazerio
Wise words, I’ve heard and I hope we all have.
dakk, NATO powers the USA, Britain and Spain conducted the illegal attack on Iraq. NATO officially claims it wasn’t involved, sure, and Pontius Pilate claimed he had nothing to do with crucifying Jesus.
The SNP rightly denounced Labour’s support for NATO’s illegal war on Iraq, but forgets that it backed NATO’s illegal war on Libya. When you are in NATO/the EU, you have to end up backing the NATO/EU wars.
dakk said nothing to rebut what I wrote, but just resorted to recycling NATO propaganda. Which rather proves my point about the danger of the SNP’s policy of cosying up to NATO/the EU.
Plodmore: The SNP rightly denounced Labour’s support for NATO’s illegal war on Iraq, but forgets that it backed NATO’s illegal war on Libya.
Wrong again.
You conveniently avoid stating almost half the membership voted against NATO membership which, of course, we do not have. Only if we had regained independence were our elected representatives free to negotiate association. If we didn’t like the conditions offered we were free to say no membership of NATO.
Therefore your accusation is redundant.
I repeat, Scotland does not belong to NATO. We are dragged into its net by our UK-English warmongering friends.
Next time you lift up that literary pistol hold it to your forehead. Your country has the membership.
SD: OK Dakk, I’ve tried normal conversational language format, but you seem incapable of basic understanding and comprehension.
Another classic hallmark of the troll – boosting self-importance by demeaning all others.
Its the 55% that are your problem
Crap grammar aside, but the problem is yours and others of EDL, BNP ‘unionist’ affiliation. The figure is too close to 50% to relax, the reason you persist in dropping by to belittle posters.
@ Grouse Beater.
SD is a troll. You know this. Stop engaging with him. It is really easy
Grouse beater writes, “almost half the membership voted against NATO membership.” Which means that a majority of the membership voted for NATO membership. SNP policy is pro-NATO membership, and pro-EU membership. The two go together.
And the SNP, of its own volition, backed the illegal assault on Libya. Ms Sturgeon backed NATO’s illegal attack on Libya claiming it would ‘protect the Libyan people from Gaddafi’s regime’. But who would protect the Libyan people from NATO? Not the SNP.
The attack has wrecked the lives of the Libyan people, and the SNP backed the attack.
@ Grouse beater 2.40
“but the problem is yours and others of EDL, BNP ‘unionist’ affiliation”
Given the insult you clearly intended, hopefully I will be forgiven for observing that you have demonstrated to everyone that you are disreputable asshole.
@ Grousey again
… and “Another classic hallmark of the troll – boosting self-importance by demeaning all others.”
in which case Grousey, you must have a doctorate in trolling!
My friend is disabled and as the law changed in April to make it an offence to park is disabled bays without a badge, they are only as good as the police who are willing to get off their arse to come to a disabled persons need.
A workman had parked in his bay as he was at the shop with his elderly father, when on coming back, he found the workmen had parked in his car space, and although he was disabled, as was his father, they had to park at the very top of the road 8 blocks away and carry their messages home. When they told the driver off they were both threatened with a doing and told to fuck off you couple of fucking cripples. Threatened a disabled man with a hammer and an old age pensioner.
So he took snaps of the van and him and called the police. They turned up 28 hours later. Lazy bastards. And made an excuse up and refused to even look at his photos. An old neighbour of his needs to just lift the phone about any trivia and she’s got at least two squad cars at her door within 3 minutes. Why the difference? Her sons a chief constable. Bunch of effing skidmarks.
Stephen.
Plodmore: Ms Sturgeon backed NATO’s illegal attack on Libya claiming it would ‘protect the Libyan people from Gaddafi’s regime’
An impossibility – she had no such power at the time Westminster took that action.
Bugsbunny / Stephen
Aye , that’s one o my pet hates , perfectly able folk parking in disabled bays , despicable .
I’ll take the liberty of a wee admission , true story .
I’ll set the scene.
A few years ago I used a local Authority Sports Centre , inc taking my youngest daughter to swim pool.
Outside the door are the std disabled bays , next is P&C wide bays and beyond to bays for everyone else.
I often arrived to notice All disabled bays full . I checked as I passed and seldom could I see the appropriate badge , ggrrrr .
These people are here to run about and exercise , why the need to park at the door !
One day as we drove in I spotted a young lad , clearly fit & healthy and looked as if he had just been to the fancy gymn. He was nearing a Sub Impretza , blue with gold wheels , in Disabled Bay ….. Ggrrrrr !
Right ,” double quick” I exclaimed to my young daughter . My mind was on a mission , this fellar is gonna get a piece o my mind ! Nothing was gonna stop me .
I gathered pace but my we lassie dawdled for a few seconds ” Hurry up! ”
I was now approaching the young lad , preparing to fire both barrels, he had already thrown his bag into the back and now sitting in the drivers seat .
My eyes scanned the windscreen , ooooo here we go Nae badge , a few more steps and I’m on yer case laddie !
Suddenly his 2 legs pops back out from the drivers area and I could see he was about to dismantle his prosthetic leg .
FFS ! That was within a second of being a disaster !
I sail close to the edge in many ways .
@ Tackety Beets
Good and instructive story
I get weary listening to a lot of people who tell me that they know someone who lives in their street and who get disability benefits though there is nothing wrong with them. Or their budgie knows such a person. I will tell them your story in future.
Grouse Beater, in reply to my statement, “Ms Sturgeon backed NATO’s illegal attack on Libya …” wrote that this was ‘An impossibility – she had no such power at the time Westminster took that action.’
She backed it means she supported the illegal attack, she propagandised for war. I said nothing about power.
Grouse Beater, prove to us that she didn’t back the war; don’t muddy the waters with irrelevant comments.