The news you didn’t hear about
It’s been a very sluggish few months in Scottish politics news, with only the significant but rather dry matter of the Brexit power grab to talk about, so you’d imagine that the publication earlier this month of some important new statistics concerning the Scottish economy would have raised some media attention.
Yet fully three weeks after the figures were released we can’t locate a single word of coverage from any newspapers or broadcasters, and that’s odd.
After all, whenever some economic figures pop up showing Scotland in a bad light – especially when some financial thinktank has also passed comment – the press isn’t usually slow to jump all over them, so oh wait we see what’s happened here.
Perhaps go and take a look for yourself. Because you’ll grow very old waiting for the Scottish press to tell you about it.
You got the link to this report, Stu? Thanks
“You got the link to this report, Stu? Thanks”
DOESN’T ANYONE CLICK THE BLOODY LINKS?
Inconvenient truths
And that says it all =)
So Scotland is haemorrhaging revenue which must also be bad for england, so why does parliament allow this drain?
If and when we attain independence will Scotland be in a position of strength to renegotiate with the whisky and oil industry or simply nationalise the oil? I know it’s a bit OTT but I bet that would get them scurrying back to the table.
they mis-inform us
they dis-inform us
they non-inform us
they then wonder why we dont respect them
keep em coming, rev
Could Gordon Brewer, Leski and the BBC explain who
Their avoidance of these major economic statstics?
No ! they could because they are as biased as hell.
Guilty on all charges by a unanimous verdict.
If the stats had shown our economy has shrunk by one
Thousandth of a percent it would have been Headline news
For weeks across the entire UK Mdia’s corrupt network.
Let us unite and remove these lying parasites from our country.
Any good news stories about the Scottish economy or the Scottish government achievements doesn’t suit the agenda of the British nationalists and their media.
This is basically the accounting trick that GERs is based on….
1) If a business HQ is in London then the profits / taxes aren’t Scottish output.
2) Scotland gets billed for a share of UK resources (i.e HMRC / Army) but often these jobs are located outside Scotland.
3) Similarly : Scotland gets billed for a %pop share of UK debt. Even in years when we were net contributors….
link to taxresearch.org.uk
Peter McCulloch @ 11-49am
…which is precisely why a truly independent broadcaster is imperative.Lets bite the bullet and fund it.
When there’s no news, it must be good news.
Sssssssssssshhhhhhhhh!
Or you may as well suggest they read Schumacker’s ‘Small is Beautiful’ – especially the bit about the politics of secession.
So just keep it down there! or they’ll be wantin cream in their coffee next!
Sssssssssssshhhhhhhhh!
I’m going with the theory that they want to ‘McCrone’ the hell out of this.
Reposted (more relevant on this thread)..
Ok, so the usual Pavlovian dog stuff has started on social media regarding a new Scottish currency.
I have listed some of the claims and a suggested response after each.
Claim: Scotland will be like Greece
Response: Scotland has more in common with Greece just now in that it has no control over the issuance of the currency it uses. Moreover the currency issuer (U.K. government) buys into the neoliberal idea of austerity. Compare us with currency issuing states which float their currency and come back when you have a better argument.
Claim: The currency will devalue.
Response: Devalue from what? It will have to be issued first and it will likely find a value which will be below other currencies. However, we have a very strong export base. The lower valued currency will increase the competitiveness of our exports. As exports increase so will the value of the currency. It is likely Scotland will run a trade surplus, something which rUK simply cant do.
Claim: no one will want the currency
Repose: firstly, we will HAVE to use the currency domestically, creating a demand for it simply because we will be taxed in it.
So how about investors? Well what would you do if you want to make money on currency foreign exchange. Think of a currency at issuance which is undervalued. Look at the export potential of the country. Ask yourself what is likely to happen to the value of that currency as exports increase?
(Investors don’t get caught up in ideological crap. They want to make money)
Claim: No one will want to buy Scottish Bonds.
Response: firstly bonds are just interest bearing accounts at the central bank. People buy bonds with EXISTING money. In other words the money HAS TO EXIST before you can buy a bond with it. Bonds are only a form of borrowing IF the government is USING a foreign currency. In other words Scot £ would have to exist or be created in exchange for foreign currency for someone to buy a bond from the Scottish central bank. The term ‘borrowing’ is a throw back to when currencies were convertible into gold.
So what happens if on the sale of the bonds no one wants to buy them? Well the central bank can buy them if it wants. Note the Bank of England owns one quarter of U.K. government bonds to a value of £445Bn.
Have a look round the internet to see if you can’t find examples of bond issuance which haven’t been fully subscribed. You won’t find any for countries which issue their own floating currency. Why? Because government bonds are the safest place to store money. The money in your commercial back account is actually legally the bank’s and can (and has in the past) be used to capitalise the bank.
Claim: who will underwrite the currency? And where will they get the reserves?
Response: The central bank underwrites the currency and can always pay out. If you have premium bonds through NS&I, have a look at the Ts&Cs. It states that your money is “100% backed by the U.K. treasury”. In other words you will ALWAYS get your money back (including prizes) since the central bank is the treasury’s bank and can always issue the requaired amonunt of £s. ALWAYS!.
The reserves question comes from the days of fixed exchange rates. Money used to be convertible to gold (pre 1971) and over the decades countries have tied their currencies to other currencies such as the dollar. This means the central bank has to be able to hold reserves in these currencies in order to convert from one to the other.
To issue more Scottish £ requaires ZERO foreign reserves (providing the currency is floating)
Claim: We will have massive inflation like Zimbabwe.
Response. Zimbabwe destroyed its productive capacity overnight. Scotland will be spending money to grow its productive economy. Hyper inflation could only result if the treasury starts spending money exceeding the max productive capacity of the nation. I would add that we have seen similar inflation in the U.K. where banks were deregulated and allowed to CREATE bank credit which far outstripped housing stock, resulting in considerable house price inflation and eventually a financial crisis. THAT type of inflation created by private companies destroyed lives.
Initial import inflation (higher relative costs of buying from abroad when the currency is weaker) is countered by import substitution (where possible) where things, where possible, are bought at home rather than abroad. For example folk might decide on summer stacation whilst the currency is lower in value but they will be competing with the large influx of foereigners who want to come here for a cheap holiday whilst the exchange rate is so good!
Think of the foreign resorts who would lose out on business that year. It is likely they will want to reprice their holiday for the current Scottish market to lure us abroad. Why wouldn’t they?
Claim: Mortgage payments would go up
Response. Common weal have done work on this in their book “How to start a new country” and also on their blogs.
If I was the Scottish government I would Be looking to guarantee that debt and offer people the one time chance to redenominate it into Scottish £, Protecting people from fluctuations between the two currencies.
I’m sure there will be many more project fear stories, but the bottom line, and the thing London fears the most is that Scotland will become energy independent and rUK will end u with a much bigger trade defcit. New nuclear power stations maybe their insurance policy but they will have to import rare materials.
O/T kind of.
Reading the wee ginger dug he points out the media’s lack of criticism of Ruth Davidson. It fits in with the other lies, Davidson was seen as the slayer of independence by the media. If they cover the independence rallies and the support that is still present in any depth their own lies are also exposed.
They don’t report the data above, but they do like GERS, one exposes the economic deficit Scotland obtains from the union, the other defines Scotland’s deficit by WM spending. In newsroom round the country they are convinced using the GNI data would not be balanced and impartial (they can’t find any ‘critics say’ to debunk the figures).
Meanwhile in a UK paper today – “Britain is a world leader in the space industry”.
The BS just gets dumber and dumber.
Tom Newton Dunn.
Just turned on TV did not hear it all,they were speaking about the fall of Tory members and he said it might be that the SNP might soon be the second largest membership and that would be catastrophic,are they worried.
I log into Talking-up Scotland to find all the stories that we never hear about just one of them.
link to sbnn.co.uk
Rev hope its ok to show this link.
of course, by scottish press u mean london press?
The news that must be kept hidden at any cost.
Better together -my ar&e.
Robbers cheats liars and just about every negative word you can think of describes them all to a tee.
We can do this by providing this information. Top work again Stu.
The Art of Propaganda
1. Hype (Royal family, Cool Britannia, Dunkirk Spirit)
2. Spin (BREXIT has positive outcomes)
3. Sanitisation (Saudi arms deals, Palestinian/Yemeni genocide)
4. Verbatum repetition (The UK Single market, blah blah blah)
5. Image Manipulation (Indy March – minimise)
6. Ommission (uncomfortable truths – ignore)
7. Obfuscation (unavoidable facts – downplay)
The British Nationalist media are masters at this game.
Wish you would bold those highlighted paragraphs…they’re affy faint on the page Rev?
I would bet you £1,000,000 quid if the Scottish economy shrank by just £5, it would make banner headlines in every paper.
I just don’t have the words to describe these people without using expletives.
Any time that anybody says to me that the Scottish press is impartial, they will be receiving my size 13 hiking boot straight up the Butt.
It’s time for the sovereign people of Scotland to take back control from the UK.
The mainstream meeja and Westminster establishment parties on all things Scotland in the current political climate.
Silence, evasion or misrepresentation on such issues which paint Scotland, its population or the Scottish government in a positive light, apparently pretty much ensure there’s there’s no love lost between former readerships/listeners/viewers/voters and their one time favourite sources.
A who knew(?) moment if ever there was one.
IMO the total value of all accredited, transferred and denied assets comes to £5billion per annum.
Sorry, that should read £5trillion, the (English) government admit to £5 billion for whisky alone.
Macart says:
21 May, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Silence, evasion or misrepresentation on such issues which paint Scotland, its population or the Scottish government in a positive light, apparently pretty much ensure there’s there’s no love lost between former readerships/listeners/viewers/voters and their one time favourite sources.
Diminishing returns. Once a person’s eyes are opened, he/she will never, ever believe the British media again.
Our job is simple, to gently wake people up and point them in the right direction. No persuasion required. But be patient! Just highlight a few fake news examples, let nature take its course, watch the penny drop (eventually) and keep your popcorn supplies topped up.
Makes us sound like some kind of colony.
It comes to £10Billion+ a year. Plus the loss of £10Billion kept invested in Scotland.
Scotland raises more in tax revenues (£10Billion). Does not have a balance of trade deficit. Exports pro rata £10Billion more, without Oil revenues. Scotland has lost £Billions to Westminster mismanagement and misappropriation. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Cost Scotland £Billions.
Merkel spoke about North Sea Oil resources (Scotland) at a recent press conference with Putin.
ScottieDog 12.17
Interesting – but in the end irrelevant.
An independence referendum needs to be fought on the basics.
On basics like
“Take back your country!”
“We decide – not Westminster”
Involvement in complex arguments allows the ‘no’ side to sow seeds of doubt.
Keep it simple!
Time to wake up, Scotland!
Scotland – it’s time to wake up!
Wake up for god’s sake, Scotland!
Scotland why are you not awake?!!
Will you EVER wake up, Scotland?!!
O/T – but not that far…
We shouldn’t forget that indy Scotland having a new Scottish Currency would actually have a good chance to be a stronger currency than rUK. Because we’d be a Petrocurrency. (link to en.wikipedia.org)
Granted that would only be until we run of of oil and gas, but even if we left it in the sea it’s something we can use as a reserve to back the new currency.
And when we did run out of oil and gas etc, we’d be up an running as a eco energy independent nation so we’d be fine going forward.
While I’m here, I’m not sure I’m keen on the “pound” I prefer something a bit more exciting like the Scottish Maxwell or Scottish Watt or Scottish AdamSmith – I realise those are all males so I also suggest Scottish Inglis or even something more inclusive the Scottish Gael or the Scottish Pict.
Yeah that last bit is well off topic Sorry!
@Luigi
Popcorn stores fully stocked.
Paragraphs from the report are worth quoting on forums regards the economy, and regards the currency and other, the likes of ScottieDog’s comment in the other thread (I’ve bookmarked it):
link to wingsoverscotland.com
OK GNI as percentage of GDP, estimates from graph, with 100% being equal, and anything better than 1 being good news for the country.
Scotland 94% (not bad should be better)
UK 98% – that includes GNI extracted from Scotland via HQs
Euro area 99.5%
Denmark 102.5%
Norway 104.5%
As stated by FoAI “Scotland has had a net outflow of income both to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world.”, with one factor “the predominance of company headquarters in London and the South East” which is something that can and will change with Independence.
So it can be presumed that the percentage of GNI to GDP for Scotland will INCREASE with Independence, and this is good news why? Because it means less of our wealth flows outside Scotland, and therefore stays INSIDE Scotland for our use.
link to fraserofallander.org
What I wonder is – if GNI to GDP were to become 100% of the GDP, can this be considered as equal in money terms, to the GDP increasing in itself to 106%, i.e. increase by 6% on top of the normal annual increase?
That would be the equivalent of an extra 6% growth in our economy compared to the UK which people always go on about.
The ‘UK’ has been one sided ever since it was signed sealed and delivered in a cellar, in Edinburgh, against the will of the people of Scotland. It’s why people rioted in the streets, they knew what it meant.
The ‘UK’ has been keeping Scotland poor and begging for centuries, while siphoning away Scotland’s great wealth, resources and revenues, and they say the Scots are ‘canny’ with money. Not canny enough it seems!
It’s really bloody sad actually, that Scotland’s people have been told how useless and poor they are by the Britnats, who also thrived on perpetuating that myth, by any means they could. Scotland’s very varied and lucrative ( to England) industries have kept England’s elite rich for a very long time, just have to look at the films about Scotland’s industries via the National Library of Scotland website, image archive, it’s blatantly obvious.
The last ten years has given Scotland a sense of worth, and self worth, but the britnats are determined to smack that out of Scotland’s people, the power grab. Can’t have people thinking they are worthy of good government, worthy of jobs, decent housing, infrastructure,social care, health care,education and
equality, oh no.
It’s not uptopia to aspire to a decent life for your people, it’s normal. The tories have instilled in peoples’ minds that their auserity is normal, while handing billions to their dodgy pals and propping up a disgusting arrogant elite.
Scotland, get away from that before it’s too late, and it’s not too late yet, but we are at the 11th hour!
@Tam the Bam.
21 May, 2018 at 11:54 am
I agree, we do need an independent broadcaster but how do
we go about creating and funding such an entity in this union.
Particularly when as I suspect Westminster would do whatever it can to undermine any independent
broadcaster.
Just look at what they were doing to RT because Alex Salmond has a show on the station.
I’ve talked about GDP on forums, and sometimes people point out that GNI is a better measure. The problem is that it’s GDP used mostly in comparative terms, in terms of debt to GDP, annual deficit, and considered by credit rating agencies.
So if able to justify an increase in that GNI percentage on the basis that companies operating in Scotland will have to have a registration in Scotland, hence an HQ in Scotland, and some tax in Scotland, even if part of a group in the rest of the UK, then if that can be considered an effective rise in GDP which I guess it would, means:
1). It lowers our debt to GDP ratio
2). It lowers our deficit % of GDP
3). It increases the factors that go to our credit rating, like A, A+, AA or AA+
4). Since the inceased GNI % wouldn’t happen overnight, it would DECREASE the time until we would have an AAA rating. With the UK currently on AA Negative outlook for S&P and Fitch, and Aa2 Stable on Moody’s, down from Aa1 negative outlook.
Since these are experimental ScotGov statistics
link to gov.scot
I daresay we’ll be seeing some of this sort of stuff in the forthcoming weeks of the revived Indy campaign after the 400 page SNP Growth Commission report is released.
Artyhetty says:
21 May, 2018 at 2:29 pm
but the britnats are determined to smack that out of Scotland’s people, the power grab. Can’t have people thinking they are worthy of good government, worthy of jobs, decent housing, infrastructure,social care, health care,education and equality, oh no.
Aye, just like putting toothpaste back into the tube. All they will end up with is a constitutional mess. All we have to do is continue existing, and (eventually) we win.
Even if, heaven forbid, we don’t win the next IndyRef, the fight goes on. The media would of course say “It’s all over” in that event, but who the hell are they to speak for us?
No no no, it’s only over when we say it’s over. And
ifwhen we win, it’s only the beginning. The fight goes on (for as long as it takes).Maybe it depends on who your contract is with:
Option A :The people of Scotland
Option B : The Powerful Rich Elite
I am not in the SNP but I believe things have improved since they have been in Government albeit with the limited powers they have at the moment.
I also believe the Government and the people have a social contract with each other and I trust the SNP to do the right thing, I will never vote Labour,Conservative or Lib Dem’s.
I am not saying the SNP get everything right,all of the time,but on all of the big ticket items that matter to me,they have consistently delivered on them and earned my respect/trust (+ Jeane Freeman).
I think we all know who Better Together,The MSM and the BBC have a contract with and it’s not Option A.
As I posted here on 18th May, a notable feature of the Fraser of Allander Institute’s (FAI) comments on the GNI data is the use of language. The FAI states (with my emphasis) that “These estimates of GNI CONFIRM that Scotland is a wealthy and prosperous country.”
So the interesting GNI data are not revealing something wholly new regarding the wealth and prosperity of Scotland but, by implication, CONFIRMING what the FAI already knew based on other evidence.
And yes, this was ‘news’ I too heard nothing about. Where is Douglas Fraser, the BBC Scotland guru on business and the economy – on holiday or waiting to broadcast about a less favourable statement to emerge from this or similar ‘authoritative’, ‘independent’ ‘expert’ bodies? Will the FAI’s assessment of Scotland as wealthy and prosperous be given as context when Fraser and others dissect the forthcoming Growth Commission report? And has anyone told Jackie Baillie and Murdo Fraser that Scotland’s economy is not sh’t after all?
Funnily enough luigi, I was thinking in the event of a failed second indy ref. Instead of us all sitting at home depressed, we take to the streets and have a party in the knowledge that we are almost there and we WILL be independent in a few years time. I think we should also go into the next indy ref stating that if we loose then every election both Scottish and UK if the Scottish people return a majority of pro indy MP’s or MSP’s we will take our independence. Notice I didn’t say a majority of the people? The UK was not born out of fairness, the UK does not play fair, the UK should die in a scream of how UNFAIR it is.
@mike Cassidy
Irrelevant?
So your happy to let the no campaign fire out all these false claims without recourse? Im not.
And David Leask is still a wank.
@aing french says: 21 May, 2018 at 11:32 am:
“So Scotland is haemorrhaging revenue which must also be bad for england, so why does parliament allow this drain?”
Nah! It isn’t, of course, bad for England and I’m at a loss as to why you might think it was?
Let’s just consider the Scotch Whisky, Gin and other alcoholic beverages for a moment. Among the largest whisky companies are Diageo and The Pernod Ricard-owned Chivas Brothers. These are London based companies and that has many bad consequences for Scotland. They pay their tax as English companies but they also mainly export the produce of Scotland via English ports and airports and HM Government counts these as English experts and that is reflected in their calculations as a boost for English figures and a loss for Scottish figures.
Not only that but every penny of the duty levied upon alcohol goes to the Treasury in London and believe it or not, 70% of the UK produced Gin is made in Scotland. The same goes for much of the produce of Scottish farmers and fishers – the produce leaves the UK via England and gets accounted as English Exports.
Now have a look at the oil & gas companies and remember that not a penny of oil & gas revenues is credited as Scottish for the UK say it comes from, “Extra-Regio Territory”, but up to 98$ of it comes out of internationally recognised Scottish Territorial Waters that are under Scottish Jurisdiction.
Then we have the other great con-trick – National Grid Connection charges. The Free Market Economy rules that producers of anything, especially scarce commodities demand the highest price the consumer will pay. Not, though, if that commodity is Scottish. Westminster rules that the further from London the producers of power are the higher they must pay for each kilowatt of energy they add to the national grid and Scotland has always been a net exporter of electricity – but Westminster takes this a step further for Westminster actually subsidises those electricity producers in and around London.
It doesn’t stop there either. Road fuel is not only taxed and all Road-Fuel Duty goes to the Treasury in London and the prices are usually higher in Scotland but also every litre sold at the pumps carries VAT charges.
That’s only scratching the surface of how Westminster is fleecing Scotland.
“When, not if, Scotland takes back her independence all that tax and duty upon Scottish Produce and all business tax of Scottish business will flow into the Scottish Treasury instead of to Westminster and that will include the income tax of English people who come to work in Scotland. Furthermore, such as ASDA, TESCO and other UK Wide companies will pay tax on their Scottish outlets to a Scottish Treasury.
Col @ 3:32 pm
“The Dream Shall Never Die!”.
Col@ 3.32
While I don’t think that we will loose the next referendum.
We only need a few % .
If the vote is lost and once again it was the lies and outside interference that did it!
Then I think we should give up on referendums and achieve Indy through the General Election process.
Referendum was our preferred process…. and if they can’t stop meddling in it!
So that Scotland can have a clear and demonstrably fair result.
Then we need to start using their own system against them.
Each and every General Election should be fought in Scotland on the premise that an SNP majority will mean ending the Treaty of the Union..
We don’t need to accept any new articles of Union either…..as they do not change the Treaty
One Parliament can’t bind it’s successor, so any new representatives from Scotland are as entitled to change any and all laws, as much as they were before any change in the acts/articles of Union
So, it seems the unionists and london worshipping ‘scots’ are really rather terrified at the indy campaign starting again. You only need to look at the deluge of anti independence nonsense rhetoric coming out in the last few days to realise just how feart they are.
And now they’ve dug up that great champagne ‘socialist’ and wannabe Tory Alistair Darling, who now resides in the unelected and wholly undemocratic house of ‘lords’.
And here’s the thing, the indy campaign hasn’t officially started, and they are scared witless already.
That’s because they played all their top lies last time around, and have none left this time. Red tory/blue tory, no f*****g difference.
Oh yes. Things are starting to warm up nicely.
Oh and while we are at it, hey unionists, remind me, what are the benefits of this disgraceful and unwanted union with England, aside from ‘royal’ weddings and ‘rule Britannia hubris’??
Liz g at 417pm.
Wholly agree about elections. They should have done it the day they had more than fifty MP’s. People say they couldn’t because it wasn’t in the manifesto – like their are ‘rules’.
Westminster observes no ‘rules’ and nor should Scotland. Majority of MP’s in Scotland SNP = end of the union immediately.
I posted the FoAI link on The National website, hope someone picks it up and runs with it. Also mentioned this article.
Seems to me Wings and The National has a good symbiosis, while maintaining independence from each other.
@Colin Alexander says: 21 May, 2018 at 1:06 pm:
“It’s time for the sovereign people of Scotland to take back control from the UK”.”
The sovereign people of Scotland were doing that before and after the Treaty of Union was being forced upon Scotland. They were rioting in the streets and stoning the Paircel o Rogues that sold Scotland’s birth right to Westminster.
The legally sovereign people of Scotland are not the problem, Colin. It is those who believe they are not sovereign that are the problem – and that is the stone cold truth and, “rock”. solid, (cough!), information.
Where are the hungry for news Chief Reporters when you need them to bring the public actual facts? Usually nowhere to be seen when the “news” shows Scotland in any kind of positive light.
Fair enough, maybe your average Scot probably wouldn’t know what GDP was never mind GNI. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be reported, I’m sure your average Scot had never heard of the GERS figures either other than what’s been reported on the BBC and in the papers when it suited them!
I truly despise the MSM not just for the falsehoods but particularly for making deliberate choices not to report Scotland in any kind of good light whatsoever.
Robert, come on now. In reality. How would the world look upon a Scotland that just lost a referendum on indy and then declared independence?
I see Baron Splendid of Darling and Nosferatu Murphy are reliving past moments of glory at a Union Jack Waggling Contest with other noted lefties like Ruth Davidson and Arlene Foster.
Do we know if they remembered to invite Viktor Orban?
ScottieDog
I’m not saying dodgy claims should be ignored.
I’m saying they are irrelevant to the indyref2 debate.
It is in the interests of the ‘no’ campaign to drag the debate into areas where ‘yes’ debaters get stuck in the mud of detail.
If indyref2 is to be won, there is one lesson the Brexit campaign can teach.
Keep it simple and keep it clear.
Robert Louis @ 4.22
Well, I bet the SNP were kicking themselves after they put it in the manifesto in 2015.
But they did, and I’m glad they stuck to it.
And for two reasons…
Firstly…
While I am done sticking to the Westminster rules that seem only to apply to everyone but them.
That manifesto commitment was made to the people of Scotland,and I do expect -that- to be kept.
Secondly….
The trick wi manifesto commitments in the Westminster system is The Lord’s.
They are not “supposed” to interfere with anything that’s going through.
If it’s a manifesto commitment that the people voted for,they have to let it pass.
Not to do so has repercussions for Westminster that they won’t want going forward,up to and including their Supreme Court.
So we either would mess up their system or the Lord’s could not try to get in the way of the Treaty being struck down.
As I said use there own system against them,but we can only do that if we respect manifesto commitments…
Which by the way would also include the Indy ref two mandate.
If the 2015 manifesto was stuck to,and that was a bloody hard thing given the election results.
Then the 2017 must carry the same weight?
Remember: Unless WM makes a law making a referendum binding, it is only advisory. Such was the EU-Ref.
“People didn’t know what they were voting for.” It was a referendum: Leave or Remain. That was the choice. Referendums do not give policies, guarantees or commitments.
For EU-ref and Indyref any tripe could be argued, promised, threatened – and it was.
The Edinburgh Agreement was not legally binding – it was a gentleman’s agreement. Part of the Edinburgh Agreement promised a fair contest. Then the BBC acted as the UK state propaganda machine. The Scot Govt and YES could do nothing about the Edinburgh Agreement being breached; it was worthless.
There will be no WM law made making indyref2 legally binding. If one is going to be held, it will be legally challenged as ultra vires. If it goes ahead anyway, and it looks like YES could win, the Unionist parties and UK Govt will not contest the referendum: they will officially boycott it and then the result will be ignored by the UK state, if YES wins.
Even if 100% vote YES, the UK will argue: as the Unionist parties etc, did not campaign for the Union, the result was skewed in favour of YES. And it was only an opinion poll anyway.
Having said all that, I support indyref, as that’s what the Sovereign people voted for. Once it’s held and has achieved nothing constitutionally, the SNP will be forced to adopt indy by election.
“You have the national income of a country like Portugal.
You have the population of a country like Slovakia or Finland.
I see no reason why Scotland can’t take its own place as a proud independent nation”
The words of one Mark Littlewood on BBC Question Time on 16th February 2017. Who he? Only the Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs.
If you’re on twitter, you may be familiar with Colin Dunn. He has the site indyposterboy.scot where he has dozens of info-graphics, one of which is the above quote and I’m currently putting 5,000 of them through doors in Hamilton with another cracking graphic on the back which shows how bad a Scottish pension is compared to other INDEPENDENT european countries. They were remarkably cheap too, £54 all in at instaprint. If you can afford to do so, they are an excellent resource and I believe they are already having a positive effect in Ross-shire and Sutherland. Haven’t had any feedback here yet but nobody has chased after me with a cleaver so all good so far!
Not only will the profits leave Scotland and never be spent or invested here but the TAX that is paid on those profits, the tax paid on the PAYE as well, will show as being where the HQ is ie London.
This means that any jobs in Scotland, paid through their HQ will LOOK as though the taxes are in London. It means that the Corporation Taxes generated will LOOK as though they are generated in London. This is how our tax system works.
Check your payslip for ‘Employer’s Code’ if it starts 961/etc then your tax is going through Centre 1 and will LOOK Scottish as your company is BASED in Scotland. ANY OTHER three digits before the ‘/’ and it is OUTISDE Scotland and both the PAYE for your wages and the Corporation Tax will be paid OUTSIDE Scotland. NB this DOESN’T get you out of the Scottish Tax system in case you were wondering, THAT is based on the EMPLOYEE’S address.
Many large employers, retailers like TESCO or Boots, the Civil Service, Armed Forces use a tax office outside Scotland (we only have ONE for PAYE – Centre 1) The retailers CT will be collected at the office nearest their HQ, Manchester for the Co-op, for example.
For this reason, and others, Scotland will ALWAYS look as though it is much poorer than it is. The 94% is an UNDER estimate…
@harry mcaye
Well done you, that’s called using your initiative and getting off your arse. Thanks for the idea and the costings.
What i want to see prior to the next indy ref is full disclosure as to the true nature of Scotland’s financial position – the wealth of this nation – follow the money. I want it to be something every voter has a chance, a good chance to see, read, understand and absorb.
It’s gonna take time and money, but it’s so important. There’s often a lot of talk about ‘what we could be’ post Indy. But i want people to know ‘what we are now’. Most keen Yessers are clued up, up to varying points, but we don’t have all the info we need…it’s not out there.
Business For Scotland; Common Space/Weel; Bella Caledonia, SNP; Greens; Wings; everyone who can contribute towards spending the time, and money (raising it too if needs be) to accumulate the facts, as best as is humanly possible to put people in a place of knowing.
If people know about the wealth of this nation, and what’s been done to obfuscate the truth from the Scots regarding our vast resources and potential wealth…i think it renders moot a lot of what the No side might throw at us.
I work with loads of guid folks. But most of em don’t have much of a clue or interest in politics, but a lot of em hate Nicola, often because of one single act of legislation…and i think if they had access to a simple clear clean document or report that laid it all out…well I’m 100% sure it cannae hurt.
I’m fuckin desperate for Indpendence. It depresses the hell out of me, a lot of the time, living in Scotland, things as they are…a nation not in control of its own economy and (cultural) narrative. We’re so rich, we have so much…more than most know…but it has to be on the page.
Harry McAye 5.45pm
That sir is just the kind of comment I’d love to see more of on here.
A couple more examples of our pounds spent in Scotland but all going to England. Car Insurance (London HQ), Scottish Power payment collection centre, Worthing. BT payment collection centre also England. There must be hundreds more.
Also I recently purchased goods online from a Glasgow Shop. Turns out all online orders go through a London warehouse, so my pennies are supporting London jobs not Glasgow.
Even our local community council newsletter comes with a return address in Reading stamped on the back of the envelope!
I did
And posted it in The National.
Figures were published 3 weeks ago?
Surely the National headlined a hugely positive story like this.
If they haven`t, why not????
mike cassidy at 4.48
Exactly,Mike. I have been shouting about this for months.