Alert readers will recall that this site has expended some energy on debunking the lazy myth – which suits the media and Labour alike – that a significant factor in the unexpected Conservative majority in May’s general election was voters being scared back to the Tories by a fear campaign about the prospect of the SNP influencing a minority Labour government.
This week, as the UK’s new Conservative government brought forward a bill to impose tax on renewable energy projects, just seven Labour MPs turned up to oppose it.
You know these guys that you used to see wandering round the city centre with a sandwich board telling us “THE END IS NIGH”? It seems they were right.
Yesterday we listed some of the nastier items from George Osborne’s horrifying 2015 budget that Labour had said they wouldn’t be opposing, including the public-sector payrise freeze, the reduction in the benefit cap and the slashing of child tax credit for families with more than two children.
The first five words of “The Vow” – the solemn pledge made by all three UK party leaders on the eve of the independence referendum – are “The Scottish Parliament is permanent”. This is what happened in the House of Commons this evening when the UK government was asked to make good on that pledge.
For the last month or so, the Unionist parties have briefly enjoyed the opportunity to taunt the SNP in the Commons over Full Fiscal Autonomy, challenging the party to bring forward proposals and accusing it of being afraid of the policy it campaigned and won on in the election. The Nats called the bluff, and today got the unsurprising result.
The reason given by Secretary of State David Mundell – who declined to appear on today’s edition of “Good Morning Scotland” to defend or explain the decision – was that FFA “would cost every family in Scotland £5,000”.
And we thought that figure had a rather familiar ring to it.
Dan on Still Time To Save Her: “Ooh, or maybe those taxpayer funded well renumerated folk in positions of power and influence near the top of organisations…” Oct 10, 18:14
Aidan on Still Time To Save Her: “Have you been on the bubbly this morning?” Oct 10, 16:07
sarah on Still Time To Save Her: “Rev, I think I’ve had a brainwave on who could fund the remaining £370,000. I’m putting it on here in…” Oct 10, 11:57
Alf Baird on Still Time To Save Her: “As Prof John Mearsheimer stated: “The primary goal of states is to survive and this drives and structures its actions”.…” Oct 10, 11:32
Bea on Still Time To Save Her: “Looks as if others have also had this, although maybe not accidentally followed a link. While of course possible we…” Oct 10, 11:16
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “It’s straightforward really. If, to preserve their anonymity, a covert agent or source attached to a state agency must engage…” Oct 10, 09:21
Mike on Still Time To Save Her: “Even if Murrell is forced to pay the money back, he’s entitled to 50% of that house. Plus he has…” Oct 10, 08:51
PhilM on Still Time To Save Her: “We’re talking about different things by the sound of it. So what are YOU saying exactly with the words ‘would…” Oct 10, 03:31
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “cont. The wording of the Act is as follows: 84. In respect of Scotland, national security is a reserved matter,…” Oct 10, 00:53
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “You’re wrong, sorry… “Because national security and core intelligence powers are reserved, the UK legislation still takes effect in Scotland…” Oct 10, 00:25
Alan Scott on Still Time To Save Her: “Where’s Franz Fanon when you need him? We could achieve true liberation through revolutionary decolonisation if he was amongst us…” Oct 10, 00:25
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Still Time To Save Her: “Issue related to this site. Scrambled small blue text entirely filling the screen. Have encountered it a few times spread…” Oct 9, 23:41
PhilM on Still Time To Save Her: “No. A few people on this forum in the last few years have misunderstood this bill and its application to…” Oct 9, 23:24
sarah on Still Time To Save Her: “I too got that blue/black area on my laptop this evening. I closed and tried again but still there. The…” Oct 9, 22:59
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “Not experiencing similar so it may be your device which is the issue as opposed to this site.” Oct 9, 22:43
Southernbystander on There May Be Justice: “Hm, I think the general opinion is that Burnham’s victory was not decisive enough to warrant an early GE. Despite…” Oct 9, 22:38
Bea on Still Time To Save Her: “Cntd (in case of use) … From browsing history, links seem to have been to (or redirected through): goldfishouncereburial dot…” Oct 9, 22:22
Bea on Still Time To Save Her: “Apologies if someone has already commented and for being off-topic, but wings main page seems to be hacked/hijacked in some…” Oct 9, 21:32
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Still Time To Save Her: “DAVE: Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL. Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL. Hello, HAL, do you read…” Oct 9, 21:30
Steve Ashton on Still Time To Save Her: “Cca global,,,, setting the standard in customer operations….!!!???” Oct 9, 21:27
Alf Baird on Still Time To Save Her: ““It’s Shite living in a Colony !” Hopefully mony mair Scots are starting to realise the fact that colonialism is…” Oct 9, 20:32
David G on Still Time To Save Her: “I hope Stu is suitably appreciative that he is being blown off and given the runaround by a CCA Accredited…” Oct 9, 20:05
Willie on Still Time To Save Her: “Just more of the toilet that is Police Scotland and the COPFS. Scotland’s arms of the state is rotten and…” Oct 9, 19:43
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “Perhaps due consideration should be directed towards… Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 “The Covert Human Intelligence Sources…” Oct 9, 19:27
Dan on Still Time To Save Her: “Aye, and folk should also remember that a remarkably similar modus of dubious activities and procedures by certain organs of…” Oct 9, 19:23
BigJay on Still Time To Save Her: “Something that has always piqued my interest was the resignation of then Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Sir Iain Livingstone.…” Oct 9, 19:08
sarah on Still Time To Save Her: “Rev, is there any idea from your legal team as to the likely timescale for the Protected Costs procedure? It…” Oct 9, 18:43
Anna on Still Time To Save Her: “This will probably do more damage to the police , Sturgeon is being protected. The police are being undermined ,…” Oct 9, 18:27
James Barr Gardner on Still Time To Save Her: “Scotland has not just got a political deficit, it also has a Justice deficit ! It’s Shite living in a…” Oct 9, 18:01
