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Wings Over Scotland


Bungalow Bill

Posted on November 19, 2013 by

Earlier today, “Better Together” put out this bizarre graphic, before hastily deleting it.

dundeeuni

At the time of writing it hasn’t reappeared on their Facebook page. We’re not sure why it was pulled – perhaps they were just embarrassed by the sheer absurdity of this latest “too wee, too poor, too stupid effort”, or the ease with which Yes supporters could mock it as a claim that an independent Scotland wouldn’t be able to afford buildings more than two storeys high.

Or maybe it was something a little more fundamental.

Because there’s something weirder about the graphic than the UK Government appearing on both parts. Something odder than the fact that nobody seems to have paid for the roof. Something a bit more awkward to explain than who owns the stairs.

Because if you accept that the UK government paid for the top three floors of the Bioscience Centre, a question logically follows – where (or more pertinently, who) did the UK government get the money from in the first place?

taxreqiptsperhead

Oh yeah. Now we remember.

101 to “Bungalow Bill”

  1. So Scotland is the foundation propping up the UK is what I read into that graphic.

    Reply
  2. Iain says:

    @cynicalHighlander
     
    Just call it the Basement Taxx..

    Reply
  3. J. R. Tomlin says:

    So… in otherwords Scots paid for all five floors.

    Reply
  4. Macart says:

    Facepalm. 😀 LOL
     
    They really were truly desperate to try and derail todays report.

    Reply
  5. Mark Coburn says:

    Could this not lead into the argument about who owns what and what would we be entitled to post independence? Like 10% of the London Underground for instance?

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “Could this not lead into the argument about who owns what and what would we be entitled to post independence? Like 10% of the London Underground for instance?”

      I believe the rule is that all non-moveable things stay where they are and become the property of that country, otherwise the UK would also get 90% of Edinburgh Castle.

      Reply
  6. Hetty says:

    They can’t be too OTT making up fantastical stories that have absolutely no grounding and that are not based on any kind of fact, can they? They are ridiculous but then the desperate will do and say ridiculous things…not working bt.

    Reply
  7. cath says:

    Brilliant.  So we’re Better Together as part of a union that doesn’t even recognise the most obvious contribution we make to it – ie that all our taxes go to London.  Nope any spending in Scotland is subsidy,  charity,  handout,  generosity from the government in London we should grovel in gratitude for. You have to conclude they really,  really haven’t given any thought to this at all and are now floundering big time. 

    Reply
  8. Desimond says:

    So you’re questioning the foundations?

    Reply
  9. Ken500 says:

    How many students from elsewhere are getting a subsidised education in Scotland. A whole University full.

    Reply
  10. gillie says:

    They pulled it because it isn’t true. 

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “They pulled it because it isn’t true.”

      Details?

      Reply
  11. Ekindy says:

    Deary me. What a shocker !! Who is coming up with this stuff ?
    Think someone mentioned it before but BT must be running
    out of feet to shoot.

    Reply
  12. Tobias Hendry says:

    My guess is that they’ve put it up a day early and it will reappear if Dundee is named city of culture 2017. Then will come the threats to Dundonians that if they vote no the award will be taken off them.

    Reply
  13. benarmine says:

    The Never Ending Storey

    Reply
  14. Midgehunter says:

    If you take away the difference between North Sea Revenue Uk and Scotland and subtract it from the Scot total, then it’s roughly the same as the UK total.

    In other words Scot has without oil the same economic strength as the UK as a whole.
    Oil is as AS said a bonus.

    We’ed have built six floors and a wing for the study of International Haggis Relations.

    Reply
  15. Doug Daniel says:

    Well if rUK is going to take the top three floors of every building in Scotland, we’ll have 10% of every building, road and bridge throughout rUK. We’ll have 10% of all the rail tracks laid in rUK. We’ll have 10% of everything in rUK that was paid for with public funds.
     
    Then we’ll use all that to rebuild all those top three floors. Should have enough left over for a couple of extra floors as well, considering how much Scottish wealth has been spunked away on infrastructure projects in England.

    Reply
  16. twenty14 says:

    O/T- Scotland Tonight – Wullie Rennie alert ! Wullie Rennie alert ! – incoming pish

    Reply
  17. Jingly Jangly says:

    twenty14
    More than Pish absolute jobbies. Mckay was a joke as well.
    Rennie is nearly as bad as Lamont, maybe he should have won Debator of the Year!!!

    Reply
  18. Marcia says:

    When I saw the figures for the amount of tax from Scotland and the UK from yesterdays report, I realised that the No camp have shot themselves in the foot. Both feet actually.

    Reply
  19. Jon D says:

    Rev,
    Have I posted something overtly contentious on a previous thread that is preventing me from making a jovial comment on this one?

    Reply
  20. Theunicorn says:

    Our share of the UK’s assets should be at least 20% of the total pot. After all, we have contributed more to the empire in terms of ingenuity and invention, revenue and people. Whereas the UK’s debt burden should be disaggregated on the basis of where the corresponding assets and costs were incurred. This would go someway to addressing the mis-appropriation of our oil money.

    Reply
  21. Embradon says:

    “They pulled it because it isn’t true.
    Can’t just be that – most of their stuff isn’t true.
    I suspect Rev Stu is right – they just illustrated that Scotland effectively paid for all of it and it was bound to be sussed. Just a bit too late in pulling it though. Bungle – oh Bobby?

    Reply
  22. Ewan MacKenzie says:

    The figures in that table that jump out at me are the corporation tax amounts: £537 per head for UK, £580 per head for Scotland. I’d like to see where all that comes from, given the number of big company HQs in London and the SE.

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “The figures in that table that jump out at me are the corporation tax amounts: £537 per head for UK, £580 per head for Scotland.”

      Aye, I noticed that. I also asked Stewart Stevenson (who first tweeted the pic) what the “other” category referred to, but sadly no reply.

      Reply
  23. Embradon says:

    “I believe the rule is that all non-moveable things stay where they are and become the property of that country, otherwise the UK would also get 90% of Edinburgh Castle.”
    They can have that  obscenely oversized Union flag with its XXXL flagpole and stick it anywhere it fits.

    Reply
  24. msean says:

    I’m voting yes ffs,who wants to stay with all those doom mongers.At least sg have a positive outlook.

    Reply
  25. Grant_M says:

    Ah, that’ll be the graphic to accompany this press release.

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “Ah, that’ll be the graphic to accompany this press release.”

      Oh, top work.

      Reply
  26. Dorothy Devine says:

    OT but has anyone seen the latest guff in the DT from the bearded wonder?

    I do wonder just what kind of ” honesty” he craves – it may be ,of course that he is so dishonest himself that he can’t possibly recognise it when he meets it.

    Reply
  27. caz-m says:

    O/T

    Is Wullie Rennie morphing into Stan Laurel.

    link to age-des-celebrites.com

    Reply
  28. KOF says:

    If one compares the pulled graphic and the press release.
     
    “According to the University, the bottom two floors of the 4 story bioscience centre were built using a mixture of Scottish Government, UK Government and Charitable grants. However the top two floors, and the equipping of the centre, were funded by a £12million grant from the UK government’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund.”

    The press release says it is four storeys, yet the graphic indicates five storeys. One of them is wrong, surely?

    Reply
  29. MartinCoull says:

    Grant_M
    Wow – how did you find that one! Wonder why the MSM didn’t report that…

    Reply
  30. HandandShrimp says:

    Grant M
     
    I wonder if they pulled the picture because it sank in that Scots pay taxes too? Better Together are made of pure unadulterated bell-end.

    Reply
  31. Linda's back says:

    Brian Wilson full of vitriol as usual  (or is that Vitol?)
     
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  32. Mark Coburn says:

    Non-moveable things – perhaps. But surely we must be entitled to overseas assets. 😉 And, what about this wee story that no-one really bothered about?

    link to scotsman.com

    Reply
  33. Atypical_Scot says:

    I thought NHS Scotland paid loads? There’s the rub, maybe the BT press man forgot NHS Scotland is separate?

    Reply
  34. HandandShrimp says:

    Linda
     
    Oh I think it is most definitely Vitol
     
    😉

    Reply
  35. Ivan McKee says:

    @ Rev
     
    “The figures in that table that jump out at me are the corporation tax amounts: £537 per head for UK, £580 per head for Scotland.”
    Aye, I noticed that. I also asked Stewart Stevenson (who first tweeted the pic) what the “other” category referred to, but sadly no reply.
     
    The source data is GERS 2011-12
     
    link to scotland.gov.uk
     
    The split of revenue is on Table 3.1
     
    GERS doesn’t do per-capita, it just gives total numbers, but you can see the full details of the breakdown there.
     
    The main elements in the ‘others’ category are Fuel Duty, Alcohol, Tobacco, Stamp Duty also Council Tax/ Non Domestic rates. But it includes all kinds of other smaller items like betting tax, insurance premium tax, landfill etc etc …

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “The main elements in the ‘others’ category are Fuel Duty, Alcohol, Tobacco, Stamp Duty also Council Tax/ Non Domestic rates. But it includes all kinds of other smaller items like betting tax, insurance premium tax, landfill etc etc …”

      Cheers, Ivan.

      Reply
  36. The Man in the Jar says:

    If the IFS report plus add-ons like this are being used as a smokescreen for a SNP finance paper. What in the name of the wee man will they have “up their sleeves” for The white paper due out next week?
     
    The boggle minds! 

    Reply
  37. Ian Mackay says:

    The Scottish Government have set up a Scottish EU Research and Innovation Steering Group in order to best support Scotland’s sciences in getting in on a new EU fund for Science Funding called Horizon 2020. 70 Billion Euros worth of funding for science are up for grabs!!
    link to scotland.gov.uk

    Reply
  38. HandandShrimp says:

    Stu
     
    I was going to try and do something with this but am such a clutz at this interwebs thing.
     
    link to hefce.ac.uk
     
    As you can see Scotland’s share of round 1 allocation was 5.4%

    Reply
  39. Doug Daniel says:

    The graphic is wrong. The building in question (the Centre for Translational and Interdisciplinary Research – CTIR) is only the FRONT part of the building in that picture.
     
    The back part is actually the Wellcome Trust building, which was completed in 1997. It cost £13million, £10 million of which was from the Wellcome Trust, and the rest fro various other backers, including Scottish Enterprise. The UK Government is not amongst those names in this press release: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/handov.htm
     
    Here’s an article in the Courier about CTIR, and the picture is clearly the one BT ifted to make their own image: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/new-life-sciences-centre-to-attract-200-research-jobs-for-dundee-1.53180
     
    And here’s the website for the building itself, again making it clear that the only new bit is the front extension: http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/other/ctir/building.html
     
    So, BetterTogether not only caught getting their figures wrong, but also straight out lying. Neither is new, of course.

    Reply
  40. jake says:

    Aye, what Doug says.
    Here’s the link to Dundee Uni and their version of events:

    link to dundee.ac.uk

    Reply
  41. rabb says:

    All this shit today inspired me to write my first poem. It’s a play on a John Cooper Clark classic called things you’ll never see.
     

    The debate you’ll never see
     
    Alistair Darling relaxed and calm
    BT playing the ball and not the man
    United with Labour’s invisible sham
    A Labour MSP called Johann
     
    Willie Rennie without a smug grin
    A BT leaflet not fit for the bin
     
    A balanced debate on the BBC?
    None of these things you’re likely to see
     
    A BT activist with a clue
    A Scottish Secretary standing up for you
     
    The unionists presenting the positive case
    Blair McDougall with a smile on his face
     
    A BT guest challenged on STV?
    None of these things you’re likely to see
     
    A coherent argument from wee tory Ruth
    Anas Sarwar telling the truth
     
    For all of these things I’ve searched high and low
    It’s over to you now to have a go.

    Reply
  42. Embradon says:

    Was it a Bobby Bunglehouse press release? A tall storey from a man who’s stairs dont reach the attic.

    Reply
  43. A2 says:

    Do we get 10% of the trains then? 🙂
    Is there actually rules for these things? Who made them up?

    Reply
  44. A2 says:

    oh well how about a graphic with the top 10% of Big ben built with Scottish money or 90% of Glasgow city chambers built with the proceeds of tobacco slavery.

    Reply
  45. Billy Thomson says:

    How about the £400million of North Sea Oil money spent on upgrading Londons sewer system. Literally pissing our money down the drain. Skitter Together

    Reply
  46. Peckers says:

    link to scotland.gov.uk

    This is actually the correct figures of total revenue of scotland and the percentage wise to the uk, obviously in a more readable table but still. It is from the Scottish government website so i seriously doubt it is inaccurate, which doesnt bode well for the table used in this article. Whether people are for independence or not it is better to get the facts and stats straight before a decision is made. Scotland do not make more than the UK in revenue, infact are nowhere near it. But this does not mean it would not be able to increase that figure and become a more developed economical efficient power house.

    Reply
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

      “This is actually the correct figures of total revenue of scotland and the percentage wise to the uk, obviously in a more readable table but still. It is from the Scottish government website so i seriously doubt it is inaccurate, which doesnt bode well for the table used in this article. “

      Sorry, there are numerous tables in that link and I can’t even figure out which one you’re referring to.

      Reply
  47. The Penman says:

    There’s a parody in here somewhere – a picture of Whitehall shaded similarly, with the text: “First two floors ignoring Scotland’s interests; 3-5th floors actively lying to Scotland”. 

    Reply
  48. john king says:

    Linda’s back says
    “Brian Wilson full of vitriol as usual  (or is that Vitol?)”
     
    That story by Brian Wilson reminded me of a scene in a Jim Carrey film where he’s a lawyer in a gents toilet  hitting his face off a wall, and throwing himself to the floor in an attempt to cause injury to himself and when he goes back into the courtroom he presents a picture of a man who has been attacked in an attempt to get a recess.
    what?
    oh the name of the film?
    LIAR LIAR 
     
     

    Reply
  49. john king says:

    Can I make a little prediction here.
    The award of city of culture is revealed today
    whats the betting Dundee gets it, not because I think they are any more deserving of the title than the other cities but because vested interests want them to have it,
     watch this space 

    Reply
  50. Alan MacD says:

    Found it!

     
    -2
    Comment number516.
     Major Tom 
    19TH NOVEMBER 2013 – 13:21

    471 Drunken Hobo

    There is one good reason for keeping the Union….

    The Union Flag/Jack is the greatest and most iconic flag in the world. 

    It’s going to look a sorry sight indeed with 2 red crosses on a white background.
     


     
     

     

    Reply
  51. Juteman says:

    @John King.
    My thinking too!
    Dundee gets ‘City of Culture’, then gets told it will be taken away if we vote No.

    Reply
  52. Bunter says:

    @john king
    I think Dundee is a dead cert as too good an opportunity for the naws to miss. Can picture the headlines down south of more bribes given to the Scots and much gnashing of teeth Lol…I don’t think Dundonians will be swayed by baubles such as these when it comes to the vote though. I always remember Thatchers popular right to buy scheme in the 80s. She was quite perplexed as to why the popular policy was not reflected in the polls up here. Might have been to do with the numerous others policies we hated.

    Reply
  53. caz.m says:

    @john king

    William Hill have them in last place.

    William Hill City of Culture 2017: 2/1 Swansea, 9/4 Leicester, 11/4 Hull, 7/2 Dundee

    Reply
  54. JLT says:

    Very good point, Rev.
     
    Last night, the news at 10, had the First Minister visiting the new complex at Dundee University. I’m led to believe he did a quick one-to-one session in one of the auditoriums, with staff and students, where the latter bounced questions off him.
    Disturbing then, that the only point that the BBC raised in this session, was a question which asked, ‘Who, or how, will we pay for Research in an Independent Scotland?’
     
    For me, I’m slightly perturbed at the attitude of some of our lecturers and professors. Don’t they get it? If we vote, ‘No’, and the Barnett Formula is cut, then Free Education in Scotland is gone. It is gone! It will become a fee-paying tuition system, just like in the rest of the UK.
    Let’s be honest. The vast majority of Scots can’t afford to find £6,000 to £9,000 a year to pay for Further Education. The numbers of attendees to Further Education in the rUK have dropped; Scotland’s is at record levels in the modern era.
    What happens in the first year of a fee-paying Scotland and the numbers drop off severely? Are they going to demand that the fees should rise to cover the short-fall, and thus put even more people off from further education?
    So, seriously …why can they not see that a ‘No’ vote would be detrimental to the education system in Scotland. To me, the lecturers and professors really would be like turkeys voting for Christmas!
     
    I really hope that our lecturers and professors do come out and say that they back a ‘Yes’ vote. I would be stunned if they said, that they backed a ‘No’ vote based on purely financial reasons to protect research, when in reality, it will finances that will lead them to scream that they don’t have the proper funding to do research because not enough students are attending Further Education.
     
    I hope this was pointed out to them by the first Minister during that QandA session!

    Reply
  55. Arabs for Independence says:

    City of Culture 2017 – Hull? Unbelievable!!
    Fucking Hull over the great City of Dundee? 

    Reply
  56. Gordon Smith says:

    Why not redo the Income table to differentiate the “London City” income taxes from General r,UK Income taxes (if any estimate is avaiable). Then redo to spread it over the UK, as happens with NS revenues as a special case. This will show in the first instance how much the UK (less London), produces, and the result in Taxation averaged if Scotland takes it’s City share (as happens with NS shared revenues)?

    Reply
  57. Bunter says:

    ha ha ha , so much for my prediction as the UK city of culture is Hull. All Dundonians should now gain revenge next September and vote YES!!

    Reply
  58. john king says:

    Well who knew?
     Hull! we were wrong
    Maybe that proves there are still some people in the UK who have integrity?
    and don’t do things for ulterior motives!

    Reply
  59. Juteman says:

    As  a Dundonian, great news!

    Reply
  60. caz-m says:

    O/T

    The First Minister of Wales paying us a visit today, to tell us, on behalf of the UK government, that we should be voting NO next year.

    Reply
  61. Craig P says:

    rabb – much likey 🙂
     
    Penman – or a graphic of the BBC HQ at pacific quay, shaded in with ‘this is what you get’ and a nine storey high block of shading next to it saying ‘and this is what you pay for in TV license’?
     
    John King – if Dundee gets city of culture expect Leicester and Hull to join Portsmouth in blaming the Jocks and their referendum.  

    Reply
  62. Wp says:

    Love all these replies,10% of Big Ben etc. but remember the dirty tricks haven’t even started yet. The British empire needs us and will do anything to prevent a Yes vote.
     

    Reply
  63. caz-m says:

    @John King

    @Thank god Dundee never won the City of Culture. It would have been wall to wall , relentless coverage by BBC Scotland and BT (Brian Taylor).

    Reply
  64. twenty14 says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong – but did the UK Culture Secretary just say the Hull won because it was the most Poetic City in England ( on Daybreak ) – please tell me that’s not the criteria

    Reply
  65. Barontorc says:

    Well Hull it is. A breakthrough for real democratic will, or a designed slap-in the face for anything Scottish – you choose!

    Reply
  66. Liz Quinn says:

    Re City of Culture decision – I think that they know we are going to vote Yes. To award it to Dundee would have created too many problems for them. YES it is!

    Reply
  67. Simon says:

    JLT – the lecturers and professors get paid from the funding councils. They don’t care if their students are subsidised locals, or wealthy Americans and Chinese.

    Reply
  68. Arabs for Independence says:

    A slap in the pus for Dundee.
    Hull makes Dundee look like Beverly Hills

    Reply
  69. Training Day says:

    The BBC stooge on GMS this morning asked the Director of Dundee’s bid whether the referendum was an issue in the decision (the Director said No).

    So let’s be clear. Scotland doesn’t get the city of culture because of the prospect that we might vote Yes, but ‘gains’ a denuded Govan and Scotstoun which a Yes vote will remove completely. Unionism is very confusing.

    BTW, the BBC’s Hayley Millar described Salmond as ‘looking pensive’ at the launch of the economic levers paper yesterday. She knows his goose is cooked. All at the BBC do.

    Reply
  70. Brian Powell says:

    caz m
    The Welsh FM might like to explain why he thinks Scotland should get £4billion less per year and the Barnett formula scrapped!

    Reply
  71. caz-m says:

    Daily Telegraph running with the story of Labour MSP’s raging that Alex Salmond won’t be at work next Tuesday.

    Maybe he has a prior engagement.

    link to telegraph.co.uk

    Reply
  72. DougieDouglas says:

    Indeed, where does Westminister get it’s money from? 
    US
    I love the whole threat that we will not get our geographical share of oil also – are we to expect that we will get 8.3% of the Thames’s jelly eels or our share of Morecambe Bay cockles?
    Yes exactly.

    Reply
  73. MochaChoca says:

    I wonder whos idea it was for the FM of Wales to come to Scotland?

    Reply
  74. faolie says:

    Hull? UK City of Culture 2017? That’s it! I’m voting YES!

    Reply
  75. Taranaich says:

    @MochaChoca: I wonder whos idea it was for the FM of Wales to come to Scotland?
     
    Indeed. I don’t want to alienate any Welsh readers, but the Welsh situation is vastly different from that of Scotland on several levels, so it’s a bit rich for the FM of a principality to tell the people of a bona-fide country to remain in a toxic union – especially since the Welsh people don’t have that opportunity themselves.

    Reply
  76. HandandShrimp says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong – but did the UK Culture Secretary just say the Hull won because it was the most Poetic City in England ( on Daybreak ) – please tell me that’s not the criteria
     
    Can Hull match the wonderful, the sublime Topaz?
    I don’t think every event or award is in the grasp of Better Together so it was always a slot up for grabs. Surprised Swansea didn’t get to be honest. It must be the turn of a Welsh city.
     
    The Armed Forces day is another matter. The timing and choice of venue has to be the most politically motivated staging of anything outside the former Soviet Union that I have seen in some time. It is so unsubtle and heavy handed as to quite possibly lending itself to parody and ridicule and therefore backfiring.
     
    As I said last night, Scotland only got 5.4% of the Research Funding pot (all of it towards part of the Dundee building) so I am wondering if Better Together (aka the Uncle Tom Society) pulled their graphic at the last minute because they realised the figures didn’t stack up. Or have they gone with this story after all?   

    Reply
  77. Brian Mark says:

    City of Culture, Who’s culture?

    Reply
  78. Ken500 says:

    The FM of Wales can’t count, doesn’t understand the Barnett Formula, and is a Labour place man.

    Why do these Unionist keep on defending the indefensible.

    Wales is underfunded by Westminster.

    Scotland pays higher taxes and receives less revenues than the rest of the UK.

    Total revenues raised in Scotland £60Billion. Scotland gets £48Billion back. Pays £4Billion loan repayments on monies it doesn’t borrow or spend.

    Total revenues raised in the UK £610Billion (including £40Billion Royal Mail theft?)

    Total spending by UK gov £720Billion. To be borrowing and spending the same Scotland would need to be spending £70Billion.

    What about the EU funds intended for Scottish farmers, who get the lowest CAP in the EU, the UK Treasury kept the monies.

    Reply
  79. JLT says:

    Simon says:     
    JLT – the lecturers and professors get paid from the funding councils. They don’t care if their students are subsidised locals, or wealthy Americans and Chinese.
     
    That’s true! The lecturers and professors do get paid by the council …but their work and research doesn’t! That comes from various sources such as governmental investment, private investment and of course …student grants.
     
    At the end of the day, they WILL care if they suddenly see a drop in money which will fund their research. If the students are forced to get loans to attend Uni’s, and the number of students drop off, then we have the vicious cycle, where those lecturers and professors start to demand even higher fees for students to attend so it can cover the shortfall in funding, which in turn, forces more would-be-students to turn their backs on further education. And around and around we go.
     
    Education should be free. It is not a God-given right just for the elite. A nation is built on its educational systems, and from it, we get a wide array of knowledge, culture and arts …which in turn, all nations are built and defined on.
    God help us, if we vote ‘No’ and we are forced to make our brightest and best, and force them, to pay for their own education. This is not the way! 
    I’ll happily pay extra taxes if it spares our youngsters the threat of a burdensome debt or the psychologically damage, where they are made to feel inadequate because they could afford to go to university or college to further their knowledge. No one should carry those burdens!

    Reply
  80. Ken500 says:

    Did anyone really believe Dundee would get it?

    Totally political.

    Scotland has been named by travel associations as the best place to visit, including Dundee. Next year Scotland will be heaving. Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games.

    Reply
  81. tartanarse says:

    As a Dundonian I always thought my city was a bit of a sh 1t hole. I joined the Army and spent many months doing some training in a place that made Dundee look like Milan.
     
    It was called Hull.
     
    This was a view of Hull that was infact shared by myself and the residents of Hull with whom I became friendly.
     
    Nice people though.

    Reply
  82. Ken500 says:

    The majority in the UK would pay more to protect NHS/Education.

    The ConDems elected to protect NHS/Education, cut £3Billion a year from both.

    Research funding is world wide.

    RGU are investing in new Oil & Gas research Unit.

    Reply
  83. Thistle says:

    OT
    “The Economic Case for Scottish Independence” by Business for Scotland

    Join us for BfS presentation and Q & A session from The Glad Cafe & LIVE STREAM and ask your own questions online or ask them in person!

    BfS are branching out from promoting the case for YES to business and putting it to the public, so please give your time and help promote this event.

    On Tuesday 26th November 2013 join us online or at The Glad Cafe, Glasgow for a presentation and Q & A session with representatives from ‘Business For Scotland’ (Michelle Thomson, Ivan McKee, Eric McLean)
    Find out the real figures and have your say on independence…

    Event: link to facebook.com

    Brought to you by Scottish Independence Live Events
    link to facebook.com

    Reply
  84. JLT says:

    Ken500
     
    I agree mate. After the hoo-ha over Portsmouth and Govan, I think a lot of folk in England would have really moaned, that once again, the Scots are getting it all.

    Reply
  85. jake says:

    Craig P said
    “…or a graphic of the BBC HQ at pacific quay, shaded in with ‘this is what you get’ and a nine storey high block of shading next to it saying ‘and this is what you pay for in TV license’?”

    When BBC Scotland operated out of Kelvinside in Glasgows West End they owned the premises. They just rent the premises at Pacific Quay. If the BBC pull out after independence we’re left with diddly squat but a rent book

    Reply
  86. jake says:

    Listening to the telly last night i heard some civic big-wig from Dundee saying that winning was important because it would get them recognition and investment that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to attract. Really? Now just where have we heard that “we cannae dae it” attitude before?
    So I’ve two pieces of advice for Dundee:
    1) wake up and smell the marmalade
    2) grow a pair

    Reply
  87. theycan'tbeserious says:

    Someone mentioned before in a different thread,  re education, that teachers and lecturers are still very much affiliated to the labour party. Here lies the problem with facts and honesty regarding the referendum and independence being passed on to the students.
     
    A parcel of rogues or educated idiots, biting the hand that feeds them, because of selfish misplaced loyalty! 

    Reply
  88. MochaChoca says:

    Is there any way to ensure that all publicly owned moveable stuff isn’t ‘relocated’ south between a YES vote and actual independence day?
     
    I can imagine the new director general of Scottish Broadcasting walking into Pacific Quay and there being nothing but a answering machine redirecting calls to Salford.

    Reply
  89. KOF says:

    @ Doug Daniel 00:44
     
    “So, BetterTogether not only caught getting their figures wrong, but also straight out lying. Neither is new, of course”
     
    hehehe! Now, who would have thunk that? 😉

    Reply
  90. Vambomarbeleye says:

    There is a very nice statue of old queen vic with a public lavey underneath it. So they definatley have a sense of humor. In recent years there has been a lot of work done on the city. Train station has been revamped. Don’t know if all the old bomb sites that were being used as car parks are gone. Hull was the most heavily bombed city in the UK during the war. So they have had a hard struggle to rebuild with various underfunding from westminster. There is a wee street called the land of green ginger. Hard to beat that.

    Reply
  91. Cumoangerraff says:

    If Dundee’s case for UK City of Culture 2017 is that good, they should walk it when they compete for Scottish City of Culture 2017. After independence, presumably Scotland will continue with the City of Culture competition. The easy answer for Dundonians is to vote YES!

    Reply
  92. liz says:

    @theycan’tbeserious – not necessarily true about teachers and lecturers being  still very much affiliated to the labour party.
    I am an ex teacher now lecturer and there were many collegues who were pro indy and SNP.
     
    The main issue is the unions – the EIS are mainly all Labour and they are the biggest union in education.
    This is because anyone in different parts of education can join whereas the main other  Scottish union is SSTA and only secondary teachers can join that.

    Reply
  93. Ewan MacKenzie says:

    Peckers says:

    link to scotland.gov.uk

    This is actually the correct figures of total revenue of scotland and the percentage wise to the uk. Scotland do not make more than the UK in revenue, in fact are nowhere near it. 
     

    What figures are you reading? Tables show that, with 8.4% of the population, Scotland contributes 8.3% of the taxes (ignoring oil). That’s not “nowhere near it”.
    Of course, if you add the oil revenue then we’re paying much more than 8.4% of the taxes, as shown in this article.

    Reply
  94. Xander says:

    @Peckers,
    The figures which you link to were published by ScotGov in June 2011.
    The most recent sets of figures, including adjustments to previous years, were published in March 2013. You can see these figures by following the link provided by Ivan McKee above, or to save any scrolling, you can try these links if you don’t have a spreadsheet app:
     
    link to scotland.gov.uk
     
    link to scotland.gov.uk
     
    Hope this helps.

    Reply


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