Yesterday, when they were mad
To mark the day when Scotland would have become independent had it voted Yes in 2014, the Scottish Conservatives have hired someone who sells dog food (not very successfully) for a living to produce a 37-page dossier about how absolutely dreadful Scotland is and how it would be the most bankrupt country in Europe – poorer than Greece, poorer than Latvia and poorer than Cyprus.
It wasn’t supposed to be released publicly until tomorrow, so that all the papers could splurge their loads on it, but someone found a copy that had been left on a bus and sent it to us. It’s incredibly dull, but if you really want to read it, it’s here.
All you actually need to know about the contents of it can be found in this post, which has the advantage of being a lot shorter. So here’s some music.
Holy christ! I’m no Kevrage but this must be the most powerful argument today for NOT letting another country your economy.
And its from a tory unionist zealot.
We’re doomed.
He has tiny little Malta (population 423,000) doing better than the whole of the UK economy?
Looks a bit like the Aonach Eagach eh.
Err… where’s Norway or would that be TOO painful to show?
“An Objective Analysis”.
Comedy gold!
30 odd pages of Kevrage says Scotland’s a load of shite but ends with, Scotland is bankrupt and shite and the only ways out would have been
There are really only three ways this £9bn pa could be achieved;
1. Reducing public spending (compared to that allocated to Scotland in GERS)
2. Increasing public revenue through raising tax rates
3. Increasing public spending through real economic growth
How come Kevrage left out borrowing, what every other economy does do do, in particular Scotland’s neighbour England, currently running up historic but not yet crisis levels of debt and deficit, unless you’re the UKOK working poor, disabled etc?
We know you’re a WoS reader Kevrage/ColinRippey, come tell us why Scotland couldn’t borrow please.
First problem is that it is based on GERS. All his workings come from that source,which as he acknowledges himself are occassionally based on survey data,and (may be) accurate to about 95%. Which can be around half a billion in some cases.
Whar he does not say is that the majority of GERS figures are purely estimates because there is no way to accurately track what revenues were created in Scotland.
A couple of examples are whiskey which is an industry which provides 3.9 billion to the UK economy. Where is it on GERS? It is not there.
Supermarket chains and big business with Scottish outlets pay tax direct from their HQ which is usually in London. Where is that indicated on GERS ? It is not.
Robert Peffers has informed us about oil. On GERS we get a per capita share of whatever the revenues actually are. I use actually because nobody but the oil companies and the Treasury know the actual figures.They have been well hidden in the past.
A flawed analysix can only be the resulg when you use flawed figures. Useless.
The data is meant to illustrate how rubbish the Scottish economy would be as an independent country, however what it actually seems to illustrate is that even with oil and gas revenues, the UK ranks 20th. out of 28 European nations. And we’re supposed to think that’s a strong argument for staying in the UK?
I’d like to see his plot of UK without Oil, Gas or Whisky.
Omission of Norway a bit obvious though.
The uncontrollable egomania of the guy demands a term of enforced seclusion.
I had a colleague who took much longer than everyone else to do his work. He said it was because he was thorough and diligent. It wasn’t – it was because he was slow and could not see there were other ways to do tasks. He was completely and utterly wedded to certain outdated, fixed ways of thinking and believed no one knew any better.
He too had a ‘gold medal’ from his undergraduate days. He told us every time we questioned his methods. We joked he probably polished it and wore it to bed.
Eventually he was asked to take early retirement. Our department flourished and we never looked back.
True story.
For Fuck Sake,
What a piece of absolute shit in his “about the author”any potential employer would be launching his CV to the shredder
and as for OC&C a pretty poor web site and gives the impression of being a bunch of (add your own words)Strategy? A profession?
the first three words apply.
Cheaper, and better served with “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu Ebay or Amazon,either will do
Who is funding this ? A long report like that takes a great deal of time to produce , which as a MD of a highly indebted company he should not have. His efforts are not free to the world , he is being bankrolled by unseen wallets. Let’s call him out.
You just need to look at his blog to realize his mentality. For example
GERS 2014-15: Reasons to be Cheerful
Oh superb! They truly haven’t a fecking clue about people.
Way to go Ruthie.
A wee heads up for the tank commander. When attempting to win friends and influence people? The very last thing you do is remind a fairly sizable chunk of your electorate of one of the most emotionally painful experiences of their lives and rub their face in it. However if want to see a veritable tsunami of truly pissed off people redoubling their efforts to flush your sorry ass out of politics, this cunning stunt is the very dab.
Oh, brilliant plan! How stupendously crass do you have to be to come up with that moronic strategy as an election stunt? Right on the back of a budget which underlines the tories credentials for sociopath of the month award.
These halfwits have the sheer neck to ask why people don’t listen anymore?
As for the author of this report being objective? Seriously?
So Kevin Hague publishes a graph showing how useless he thinks my friends,family,neighbours and colleagues are.What a dick.
The constant snide references to dog food only impress your die hard followers while losing the more grownup readers.
Play the ball, not the man.
Show that graph with UK without oil and gas vs Scotland with oil and gas. Shows that the UK relies upon Scottish oil and gas.
“It wasn’t supposed to be released publicly until tomorrow, so that all the papers could splurge their loads on it…”
Looks like they’ve already lightened their load over it.
GERS – it’s like living with your parents. And no offspring in the history of the entire world can ever do well if they ever decide to leave mum and dad – the GERS prove it.
@David Lyon.
In this case the man is the ball. He could also sell you a ball to play with if you wish.
Woof Woof
there’s a country missing. nordic, has oil, its name’ll come to me in a moment . . .
Is he Guinie pig Tory?
Who in their right mind would
Hire this guy to write anything credible?
This Pedigree Chump should stick to
Mucking out animal cages.
Could prove useful at the next Tory Conference!
Nearly two years, 135 blog posts and over 1,700 readers comments later, Chokkablog has become a trusted source of objective analysis around Scotland’s economy.
Well what can I say? 😉
No really what can I say against such a knowledgeable source on Scotland’s economy. Just as well there is no other possible well informed blog post out there in the ether that can surpass this Chokkawhatsit on EVERY level isn’t it! 😉
Oh wait a minute I seem to recall somewhere back in the mists of time that there once was a blog post of
equalsorry SUPERIOR quality. Now what was it called again? 🙂If memory serves me right it had something to do with birds flying all over some imaginary place called Scotland. 😀
O/T
Read a RMT Offshore Coordinating Leaflet today,(offshore trade unions working together) some of the things the Oil Companies are imposing on the workers are terrible (wish I could link).
75,000 jobs have been lost since August 2014….due to contractual changes imposed by employers.
FFS
Here is the bottom line. In order to trust GERS you would have to trust the source that compiles the figures. I.e. The UK Treasury.
Had the Treasury and Westminster always been completely open and honest about Scotlands finances then I would honestly say that yes we have to look seriously at how we would manage. ( and we could).
The problem is that we know the Treasury and the Civil service have made it publicly known they were active in keeping Scotland from being independent.
We also knos about McCrone,and the vast amounts of monies hidden from Scotland over decades.
We also know about George Younger denying Scotland huge sums through declining Barnett consequentials. Jack McConnell sent back 1.5 billion ,unable to “find a use for it.”
You clearly see a pattern emerging do you not?
Mr Hague may trust his figures,but I certainly do not.
I am genuinely puzzled how people like this can “do” their own country down.
Literally sickened by the lack of positive thinking from a mind, poisoned against our efforts and will to improve our country.
About The Author
Kevin Hague was educated at Islay High School and went on to study at Strathclyde University where he
gained a medalled first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Also kevrage, how come in your extensive and extremely impressive CV, you left out where you’re actually from?
Leaving out your nationality might be just another kevrage oversight Kevin but in such a ferociously UKOK anti Scotland thingee from you, dont we need to know you country of origin?
Its a bit like your pet shop supplies are all made in the great sweat shops of China, so we know what we’re buying from you, pet supplies wise.
So Scotland without oil and gas would be worse off than UK WITH oil and gas? Who knew?
A graduate of the Osborne School of Economics!
Our “fiscal position” is shit because we’re stuck in the UK with an economy that’s being run into the ground by a Tory government that is grossly incompetent on all things related to the economy. For true “objective analysis” on why the entire UK is in deep shit and Scotland needs to leave the sinking ship, see:
Budget 2016: austerity did not work then and it will not work now.
Spending Review 2015: the graphs you need to see.
Didn’t Ruthie also say she was going to send a “thankyou note for voting no” to every household in Scotland. That should bring out the vote. Not the one she wants though. Eedjit.
FM does a Salmond, Steel Saved
Kezia claims a slice of the victory because James Kelly went to a meeting, Phew! Thank god for that, coulda been a near thing there
@ David Lyon: play the ball not the man
The Conservative and unionist party employs a man who can’t sell dog food successfully to produce economic analysis for a political party hoping to govern Scotland
This is not fair game for absolute ridicule HOW?
How can 5.3 million people be worse off with 100% of oil income, yet 55 million are better off with that same income?
Show them the graphs Kevin……
Norman Lamb Lib Dem: Cannabis legalisation and regulation Bill.
Wow! Three bows required as you approach the chair along the corridor between the benches in the HoC to present your 10min Bill to the Speaker’s flunky after you have read it through.
That’s the way to do it… UK pageantry at it’s best!
Holyrood doesn’t cut it FGS! No pun intended 🙂
We shouldn’t complain, if the Tories are so stupid to run with this tomorrow we should be glad. Is their nothing Scots of any or no political persuasion love to hear is that their country is site.
Is it not a common greeting in Scotland, “hello there my man, how are you getting on” “Shite!”
Pardon me are you Scottish?, ” Yes I am Shite !”
Is Scotland a beautiful country? “No its Shite!”
Do you work hard for your money “No am Shite”
How do you survive ” I am a Shite sponger from my neighbour, he isn’t Shite he is English”
If after 300 years were Shite in the eyes and minds of the Tories its well past time we sued for divorce, even if it was true which it clearly it isn’t this is an abusive relationship and they never last!
For years we had state propaganda spouting this shit, but social media and the rise of the internet has opened our eyes, no we see the emperor has no clothes, no matter how you try to confuse us we see he is naked!
So on you go Tories, throw more Shite at my country, after all you have been pissing on it for years and selling us down the river for your wee bobbles and medals from Westminster, in my mind as a sentient human being you are the epitome of fucking scum!
O/T just finished a wee survey enquiring about Holyrood elections, indyref how you voted, Westminster how you voted, Holyrood how you gonnae vote, 45% income tax question, 1p income tax, trust in media, trade unions, private over public sector accountability, etc. Don’t know which polling company or who for. It was short…oh question relating to council budget cuts, wasn’t enough room in they’re ‘further comments’ box to explain that the figure related to council cuts was wrong…seemed way too high imo.
Anyways expect some more headline twists, oops, twisted headlines coming oor way…soon.
I didn’t realise that Scotland is a “region of the UK”. I thought we were a Nation. The Scottish Tories certainly don’t mind running down Scotland.
Sadly kevin omits the fact that the uk’s private sector debt dwarfs it’s national debt. It currently sits at around 5 trillion pounds.
It’s a ticking time bomb and when it goes off his govt deficits graphs will look different
Is anybody else having trouble reaching Derek Bateman’s blog? It was fixed recently.
We better load up on the bog roll then as it looks like there will be a mass self flagellation session from the Yoons coming. It could get very messy! It will no doubt be another day of orgasmic delight from the Yoons at how they have made Scotland such a global basket case.
Still Mr Scotland basher Hague wants to keep us within the economic straight jacket that has produced such a devastatingly useless Scotland going by his figures. How can anybody so incredibly thick run a business?
How on earth did he get a first class honours? How does a Mechanical Engineer become a finance director? I smell dog shit!
link to caltonjock.com
O/T sorry
Katy Clark has made a list of mps who are not supportive of Corbyn and somehow it got leaked.
link to archive.is
Da’oh – looks more like the Scotland as it is today thanks to being ruled by the yoons in Westminster.
Auld Rock
The higher paye tax receipts are associated with the massively over paid banking sector – the sector which was bailed out to the tune of 1 trillion.
The receipts from oil production over the last 3 decades did nothing to benefit scotland.
westmonster state trouper thretens to behead filmcrew.
link to twitter.com
The graph heading “Deficit to GDP history – Scotland vs UK.”
So why are there 27 additional countries added. It’s almost like he is making the graph difficult to read.
Kudos to Ireland by the way. -32% to – 4% between 2010 and 2014. During the same period the UK is heading in the opposite direction.
@sunniva
I am having trouble linking to it as well.
Ruthie’s just trying to hoover up the disaffected Labour No voters…If this hard core Labour, vote Tory in Scotland, incentivised by the spurious logic of maintaining this broken Union then socialism is dead in Scotland, and they will have turned against their own roots to do so.
How could they live wi themselves knowing they tied us at our parliament level to thwart our ability to fight the Tories at Westminster?
Wake up Old Labour and do the only right thing you can to ensure our grandchildren never suffer under the Tories the way our last few generations have!
Vote SNP x 2 Europe In.
@Andrew Mclean, Good point.
No-one is motivated to vote for anyone who tells them how useless they are.
The success of an independent Scotland would ultimately be down to the Scottish people, the governments we elect, and the policies we would choose with the extra powers we had.
By talking down the prospect of Scotland doing better than London rule, the Tories are basically insulting every person in Scotland.
There are plenty of people who voted No in 2014 but they did so with a heavy heart, and many of them punished the Labour party afterwards as the main campaigners against Scottish self-government.
You would think the Tories would learn that lesson.
They are seen as the anti-Scottish party for a good reason.
Still no sign of BetterTogether Kevin then. Oh well, my monies on him doing his UKOK says Scotland’s shite on BBC Scotland’s Shite 2016 tonight, famed for its balance and unbiasedness etc.
“Good evening and welcome to Scotland’s shite 2016 Kevin, so what does this important intervention report say about the Scottish economy today, on the eve of what could have been Separation Day, if we hadn’t stopped them?”
“Thank you Sarah, as you all know, like you I too am an unbiased, impartial observer and definitely NOT a unionist but, SNPbad, White Book was a pack of lies, we saved vile seps from a fate worse than not being run by its fabulously successful and extremely generous neighbour, NOT FACKIN NORWAY.”
The UK as a whole have been under pressure the last few years to upgrade their spending on defence to NATO standards of 2%.of GDP
Try estimating what the Treasury has allocated to defence from Scotlands GDP figure.
Surprise?
Is the dog food salesman in Ruthie’s wee group. Looks like she borrowed Murphy’s crate.
link to twitter.com
Stu.,
Thanks for the effort researching th work of the dog food salesman.
But when I read the first page of that report where it said…
“An Objective Analysis”
Well that just said it all. The author is a dishonest and delusional yoon.
End of.
Well it would be end of, but the MSM will splurge it everywhere, and the SUBJECTIVE guff will keep the 5% of yes/no swing voters in the no camp and deny our country a fair and honest independence referendum result.
The most illuminating thing on this thread is your reference to TRUE FACTS of how BAD the EXPERT DOG FOOD SALESMAN is at his day-job…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Maybe Mr Woof-Woof would be better sticking at his day-job, than trying to be a Yoon Super Hero!
Scotland without gas and oil…where did it go?
As someone said before, whatever the oil is worth it is better in our Scottish account than in our neighbours.
————————————————————-
PS:
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee HoC.
Seems the farmers darn Sarf might not be paid on time due to the IT computer system, according to the the witness being questioned.
He’s George Eustice, Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Which is a mouthful! 🙂
He won’t/can’t confirm that 80% of farmers will get their grants on time.
Deja vu moment… I thought I was in Scotland:
Funny old world init! 🙂
Jackie Bird at PQ will be all over this…Oh wait!
—————————————————————–
Sorry for O/T here.
I think today might just be turning into one of those great to be alive days.
First up we have Theresa May getting her earse well and truly kicked over student deportations.
link to politics.co.uk
Even better though is that the Viceroy of Scotland has woken up and deemed it necessary to open his gob. Ladies and gentlemen of the esteemed WoS club I gie you Fluffy and his esteemed determinations over the Sugar Tax. 😀
link to archive.is
Its a plate of spaghetti, all different colours, very pretty.
heedtracker says:
23 March, 2016 at 2:03 pm
About The Author
Kevin Hague was educated at Islay High School and went on to study at Strathclyde University where he
gained a medalled first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Also kevrage, how come in your extensive and extremely impressive CV, you left out where you’re actually from?
Ruby replies
He doesn’t sound like an ‘Ileach’ to me but hey if he wants to pretend that’s OK with me. I wonder if he went to school with Alistair Carmichael?
Personally I think Unionists have too many English voices speaking out against Scotland ie Adam Tomkins, JK Rowling, Kevin etc but that’s their problem.
I especially like the claim that GERS has no flaws because its the “authoritative publication on Scotland’s public finances”.
So being the only falsehood in town it must be the flawless truth.
Also because the Scottish government publish a document filled with UK Treasury numbers (on more than half of spending “on behalf of Scotland”) it somehow transforms into the Scottish Governments numbers.
Not a fan of Kevin or his supporters over at the Guardian.
I love that graph. Had something similar last night smothered with a red wine Bolognese sauce.
I got annoyed so clicked on the Pet Shop Boys song. Liked that better than the keverage blokes stuff.
Nana, thanks for the O/T post – that provided interesting details about Labour progress…
link to archive.is
Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray placed on ‘negative’ list by Corbyn aides
Maybe we could get the dog-food salesman to commission an expert *objective* report on the usefulness of Iain Murray to Scotland>
Nana @2:37pm
“Katy Clark has made a list of mps who are not supportive of Corbyn and somehow it got leaked”
Is it just me being blind or is Ian Murray not on that list in any category? I saw an earlier article on the list in the Guardian webite and couldn’t find Murray there either.
Did they forget they still had a Scottish MP?
These graphs allow some interesting conclusions.
1/ Norway is omitted obviously because it is a successful Scottish sized economy.
2/ Ireland, being independent, has taken the measures to correct its dire position in 2007 – 2010, and now sits comfortably in the middle.
3/ if true (highly doubtful) it shows what 300 years of being shackled to Westminster have done to Scotland.
4/ why should the oil and gas ever be omitted from Scotland’s figures but added to the UK figures?
5/ I have travelled a lot and simply do not believe that Romania or Bulgaria, (where the horse is still a main agricultural power source,) or Greece or Spain or Portugal can be better for their people than an independent Scotland.
6/ IMPORTANT – The UKOK authors of this nonsense assume that an independent Scotland would carry on in the same dire way as the discredited Westminster oafs.
The neutrality claim is just ludicrous. He absolutely drips hatred for the SNP and supporters of independence.
I gave up on his blog because he treated any criticism with contempt and was completely unable to see the flaws in using GERS as a basis for projections about an independent Scotland.
He believed because no one could find a flaw with his ‘sums’ that his conclusions and interpretations were correct.
He would not and could not see that political decisions were as important as data.
Until now no economist has tackled him directly because to do so would be to give him credibility he does not deserve. The Tories are probably doing this as much to create controversy as anything else. They cannot be taking him seriously.
You know looking at wee Kev’s graph thingy there I have come to the conclusion that when you are creating a graph it is NOT a good idea to leave everything lying around and answer the front door.
As in this case if you have a youngster in the house they will OBVIOUSLY grab hold of the nice brightly coloured crayons and start drawing all over your lovely graph it has just taken you hours to draw THREE lines on. 😀
Nana says:
23 March, 2016 at 2:34 pm
O/T sorry
Katy Clark has made a list of mps who are not supportive of Corbyn and somehow it got leaked.
link to archive.is
Ruby replies
Clicked on link posted by Arbroath re Mundell’s sugar tax idea and spotted an article entitled
‘Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray placed on ‘negative’ list by Corbyn aides’
Any mention of Kezia?
Ruby says:
23 March, 2016 at 3:01 pm
heedtracker says:
23 March, 2016 at 2:03 pm
About The Author
When it comes to UKOK yoon zealots like Kevin, if they leave out stuff, its because they think it might weaken their Project Fearing in their Scotland region.
If Kevrage is a Scot, and who cares if he is or not, but if he is, he’s got horrifying symptoms of Scotch cringe. Its cringe so bad, he needs to get a job at Pacific Quay.
@pitchfork
Mmm does seem rather odd re Ian Murray, I did see a tweet from Pete wishart early on today about Murray being on the list but I didn’t have time to go and look.
I see Al-Stuart 3.04 has posted the herald link for us.
Yes Heed, they should advertise jobs at Pacific Quay with the subtitle:
Only For The Cringe Hearted.
its an ordinance survey map for Ben Nevis
Kevin’s busy explaining how shite Scotland is, but its interesting why he ducks away from the UKOK who and why its so shite
In reply to Aidan Kerr
Kevin Hague ?@kevverage 20 hrs20 hours ago San Sebastián de la Gomera, España
.@AidanKerrPol so if we’d voted Yes and had a £9bn deficit *gap* (not deficit) to fill we now know we’d have suffered 13% spending cuts?
Also but not only, its very odd watching far right yoon culture like Kevrage, rage at SNP Scots.gov not hiking tax for the wealthy. You dont have to be mad to be a yoon but here’s some
Neil Lovatt (2279) Retweeted
Kenny Farquharson ?@KennyFarq 22 hrs22 hours ago
No this is not a spoof: “Higher income taxes for those earning over £150,000 are only possible across the UK, according to Nicola Sturgeon.”
Welcome to the UKOK Scotland region, the only region in the UK where the rich rage at not being taxed enough.
What next, rich types marching on Holyrood demanding higher taxes and bashing cops over the head with placards, “What do we want? Higher taxes, when do we want them, etc”
They really think Scotland’s voters are a bunch of dafties, STILL!
Slab launch out of the back of a cola lorry
link to twitter.com
1700 readers comments in two years! ? Must be some kind of record. Bet you wish you could get that kind of response Rev.
I did Mechanical Engineering at Strathclyde and have no idea what ‘medalled’ is.
Absolutely irrelevant to economics credentials anyway, unless he wants to discuss Bernoulli’s principle or suchlike.
Also, does he write ‘pros’ for independence? I thought he just chose a narrow scope of others’ ideas to shoot down.
Huffpost have ‘the list’
link to archive.is
Ian M is a ‘core group negative’.
The Corbyn List. The only Scotland Labour MP Ian Murray for Morningside shares the SAME Grouping as Ed Miliband—- he’s in the Core Group Negative List!
No surprise there.
link to archive.is
Brilliant! I love it when yoonies remind us just how shite Scotland is IN THEIR FUCKING UNION…
Would be interesting to find out what the rules on spending by the parties are this time around. Fairly sure they can’t get away with claiming this was before the Purdah period. Stock piling bog roll still counts to pennies spent.
If it’s anything like its articles it’ll have half of it with some amusing story about how he walked the length of the pier and found a piece of litter which he put in the bin having first made an ineffective paper aeroplane which poked a dog in the eye.
Yawn.
I feel sorry for the dog.
Of Course Ian Murray is on a Negative List.
He’s a Tory.
He’s on the same page as David Cameron and George Osborne.
Sorry I got distracted by the music video, not their best video.
What did I miss?
But seriously, even the OBR admitted they had the UK GDP wrong at the Autumn Statement and the ONS are worrying that their measure of UK GDP does not properly account for e-commerce. Yet this guy is happy to pronounce on conclusions drawn from comparisons based an incomplete subset of these figures.
As John MacEnroe said – You cannot be serious!
On a less serious note to my previous posting, this is a mistake by the Conservative party. First they have the IDS – Osborne stramash, then they have a booklet written by someone who just can’t even use GERS accurately, and produces the most meaningless graphs a primary school child would be ashamed of producing with random play-doh.
I’ve seen various journalists pay great heed to the economically illiterate scrawlings of this guy, but never in my wildest dreams did I think a political party would fall into the trap of paying him any credence. let alone write their booklet.
Wow.
I am absolutely fed up with hair shirt morons going out of their way to tell me I live in a crap country – just like them.
So Westminster / UK have fekked our economy, because they have been running it.
Are the whisky exports included as English exports like they were during the ref.?
Why no Norway on the graph?
That is one boring, depressing and totally arrogant analysis, couldn’t read much of it, sorry.
So its official, Scots are fekkin useless, with a something for nothing culture and cannot turn a profit.
If we cost the UK so much, why did they try so hard to keep us? Didn’t know they were so kind.
Once we are Independent, we wont be paying for Nukes, Lords, Queens, Wars in the middle east etc etc.
We will keep our totally crap oil industry, our whisky industry (one of England’s biggest exports) and we can invest in industries that turn a profit not weapons of mass murder.
Surely if were doing sh t in this union we should change it? I agree with heedtracker, Yoons never mention the option of borrowing to cover the defecit until the economy picks up, wonder why.
If Scotland’s so sh t Kev then why are you here? Or are you checking out where to move to at them moment while calling it a holiday?
Every alert reader knows the report is flawed after reading the first sentence “This report uses the 2014-15 Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) report as its primary source.”
Better Together
A weaker Scotland, A United Kingdom (for a wee while longer).
People who rely constantly on graphs to convey their message are obviously bereft of the ability to convey the same message in words. Multitudes of lines just don’t do it for me and kinda miss the mark in hitting home the point they try to make.Zzzzzz
In a parallel universe Kevin H would be super glued onto one of his graphs ( graph copied onto huge piece of cardboard ) and have indelible ink pens , dipped in poison, thrown at him. ( I say parallel universe but hey ho…you know…tempting )
IMHO the Scottish elections in May sure ain’t gonna be won by the party who produces the best graph or the most graphs , but then the toxic Tories ain’t really got any other way to communicate as no decent person believes a word they say anymore .
Toxic Tories down south and the Scottish branch renamed The Ruth Davidson party but commonly known here as the Scottish branch of the Toxic Tories are totally ruthless ( no pun intended) , selfish , arrogant and completely uncaring ( and all the other negative traits applicable to humans) and they have a tendency to attract smug little nonentity shits like Hague on board….much to their detriment….as if they could sink any lower….but sure they could and will.
If I never have to see a piggin friggin Kevin H graph again I am sure I will survive the complexity of politics minus the need for another Tory boy spin graph against the truly superior political party i.e. SNP.
#BanTheGraph ( or maybe just Kevin’s confused.com ones.)
SNP x 2 in May
I’m really looking forward to Kezia screeching up and down the country shrieking
Nyooze the pouwurs weeel Nyooze the pouwurs
Nails, Blackboard
Love it
Jeez..!
I’ve seen subway maps in japanese that were less complicated than Kev’s utter disaster above.
Any aspect of Scotland which is actually shite is only shite because of Westminster rule, nothing else.
If we had taken Indy in the 70s, or in fact anytime since, we would all be living in a quite different country.
Does anyone believe ye olde rUKOK would be in a better state, by any measure, than Scotland?
I’d like to see what would have happened to the UK if oil & gas was not discovered at the time we were applying for a bailout from the IMF and how oil & gas effects our borrowing rates.
If we keep taking oil & gas off Scotland’s budget sheet when it suits then why not take the “city of London” off rUK’s? It’s a very volotile part of the economy which has doubled our national debt through bail outs and could move to other countries!
I’m srill trying to figure out the semiotics of being “full of shit”. Where does that place Mr. Hague in the space of understanding and critical analysis? Mmmm, I wondering what it means and how I might convey that meaning.
Perhaps Mr. Hague simply likes pop music with a metaphysical slant? 😉
Nice and clear graph there, Mr. Keverage Yoon – not! Who scribbled it for you, your local Primary One class? What? No…! You did all by yourself…? Christ on a bike… Here, have a bicuit.
Clearly Ruth Davidson is not running a Holyrood campaign. She is running an anti indy campaign. I can only imagine she is trying to solidify suport fron Unionists and other factions ( you know who I mean), who were traditional Labour in the main.
The Best Student Award quoted on his Linkedin page cannot be found in the I Mech E website.
link to imeche.org
The man is a phony tory!
link to linkedin.com.
SNP SNP EU
I dont know why we hav’nt come up with our very own son of GER’s and we can put in our very own guesstimates(i think thats how you spell it)and then we can argue and quote it as gospel truth.
Nearly two years, 135 blog posts and over 1,700 reader comments later…. Hahahahaha! Wings Over Scotland: 3,898 posts, 527,081 comments… GIRFUY!
… Chokkablog has become a trusted source of objective analysis around Scotland’s economy. … Hahahahaha! Comedy gold!
ian says:
“I dont know why we hav’nt come up with our very own son of GER’s”
Perhaps we should crowdfund a university department to produce an genuinely impartial and more probable Indy version of inside UK GERS.
Well quite obviously if it needed to be confirmed an all out diversionary tactic by Ruth and the Scottish tories. Take the attention away from a brutal UK Tory government and all we will talk about is no Indy ref 2 and try and scoop up the no voters. Nicola at the coming telly debates concentrate on the WM Tory regime when Ruth opens her gob. Simples.
Anyone looking for Derek Bateman’s blog can find it here:
link to linkis.com
Looks like he’s changed it’s location.
Thats the worst presented graph Ive ever seen. Usually when people dont present things clearly, its either because theyre bullshitting you, or they dont know their subject.
Heres another thing you’ll never hear from such independent, objective, unbiased and rational people like Kev. Scotch Whisky is 25% of UK food and drink exports…
link to archive.is
As a result of his work, Kevin appears regularly as a commentator on broadcast media and in the press.
More comedy gold!
Back in the real world:
‘As a result of his rightwing Britnat Yoonery Scotland-is-shite-ness, Keverage appears regularly as a bullshitter on the rightwing Britnat Yoonery Scotland-is-shite broadcast media and in the rightwing Britnat Yoonery Scotland-is-shite press.’
For us connoisseurs of the art of the abstract graph none does it better than Kev. Nowhere do we see any narrative or recognisable form to detract from the pure composition of meaningless lines and squiggles.
FFS! Bad News Bradford is at it again. SNP Health Policy Baaaaaad!
Anyone wanna buy some dodgy graphs from Kevin the dog food salesman? 2 for a pahhhhnnndddd.
Haggishunter @4.17.
Osborne let it slip last week when he magnanimously did not raise duty on whisky, that whisky exports alone accounted for ONE THIRD of the UK’s Food and Drink exports; and that’s before we include all other Scots delights, like beef, Irn Bru etc.
GERS, (I did warn you, Glen Campbell will trot it out tomorrow night during the ‘Leaders Debate’ at New Labour’s Pacific Quay Broadcasting Unit), was dreamed up by Ian Lord Lang, basically as a propaganda lie to constantly show Scotland to be too poor to go it alone.
That was in 1993, I believe, during the reign of the Blessed Margaret.
Now we have a Mechanical Engineer who sells dog food badly, base his argument on staying subservient to the UK on a squiggly graph which announces that Scotland is just plain poor, based on Lang’s Lies.
I have commented oft before on my concern that the calibre of Unionist politicos Up Here, both intellectually and politically, is one step up the food chain from the fruit fly.
How can we convince voters to back us?
Tell them that they are crap, and rely on English food hampers?
That’ll do it.
Oh please, Ruth, Jackson, Murdo. Keep it up.
The MSM will be full of this dung tomorrow.
We are not only too poor. We are just too wee and feckless to make enough money on our own to put food on the table.
Aye.
A mechanical engineer as an economist?
Next you’ll be telling me that Professor Curtice designed the new Forth Road Crossing.
I look forward to tomorrow’s MSM splurge.
Scotland is poorer than Malta?
‘Lovin’ it.
Although I haven’t had time to read Keveridge’s report I would wager that this unionist economic visionary omitted to say how Scotland could achieve deficit reduction through real economic growth when we have no significant economic powers under the Union.
Being a supposed ‘conservative’ that would have to be at the forefront of his strategy for Scotland if he wanted to improve our economic outlook.
But then,he is no more a Conservative than Ruth et al.
They are Britnats on the make with no interest in Scotland other than what they can gain from it.
Remember Norway didn’t even start their oil fund until 1996 I think it was.
Look on the report more as definitive proof that the GERS figures stink higher than than a bucketful of 6 month old mackerel.
That’s absolutely incredible!
In a few idle moments I put some crotchets and quavers, a few minims even, in and around the lines and came up with Kevin’s signature tune:
link to youtube.com
We seem to have a disagreement, over whether Scots Whisky accounts for 25% 0r 33% of UKOKs Food and Drink Exports. Whatever it is a big chunk of UKOK Exports full stop. But it cant be right because we are useless sponging basket cases according to the Yoons!
Meanwhile UKOK is importing Oil and Gas – EH????? Madness!
There must be something in the water on Islay
Sorry O/T
Please will you sign this UK Government & Parliament petition to ‘Ban Driven Grouse Shooting’.
link to petition.parliament.uk
As you know the Establishment land owners own grouse moors covering vast areas of our country and what actually goes on in them is given next to no coverage on the BBC or the MSM. (Sounds familiar)
Driven grouse shooting for ‘sport’ depends on intensive habitat management which increases flood risk and greenhouse gas emissions, relies on killing Foxes, Stoats, Mountain Hares etc in large numbers and often leads to the deliberate illegal killing of protected birds of prey, including Hen Harriers. Grouse shooting is economically, ecologically and socially unnecessary.
The petition was launched from this website:
link to raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com
But I know you do not accept hearsay so here are further links to check out for information.
link to raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com
This has a link to a recent scientific paper which will give you the facts. The link below about the post mortem results on another dead Hen Harrier include links to the Scottish government department and the Cairngorm National Park authority should you wish to send off complaints.
link to raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com
Thank you for reading this. Please sign the petition.
Wullie, Islay’s a wonderous place, I recommend a visit.
Kevin, George Robertson and Alistair Carmichael “moved out”.
scotspine says:
23 March, 2016 at 5:08 pm
FFS! Bad News Bradford is at it again. SNP Health Policy Baaaaaad!
WOW!
Really SP? 😉
I can only assume that wee Bradford’s alarm clock isnae working too well these days. I was pretty certain Monday’s were BBC (DIS)Reporting Scotland’s day for SNP BAAAD reports by Bradford on the EXCELLENCE of N.H.S. in Scotland. 😀
Jack Collatin says:
23 March, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Haggishunter @4.17.
Osborne let it slip last week when he magnanimously did not raise duty on whisky, that whisky exports alone accounted for ONE THIRD of the UK’s Food and Drink exports; and that’s before we include all other Scots delights, like beef, Irn Bru etc.
Of course there is another nice wee earner in Scotland these days Jack. It is nicely reported by the BBC none the less.
Apparently Marine Tourism in Scotland is currently worth £3.7 Billion.
link to bbc.co.uk
Just those 2 statistics above have made me blow a gasket! Those allegedly 2 million voters were well conned. Ever get the feeling you’ve been had?
Can’t the Cuthberts do a demolition job on Mr Hague’s figures.
It must be quite easy since it is 100% different from their and Neil Aslan’s work on GERS.
A classic example of ‘How to prove Britain is my country, Scotland is my region, Westminster is my government, Holyrood is a waste of money.’
The frightening thing for unionists now is another 10 years of SNP. Wall to wall SNP Bad through newspapers and BBC is really their only answer because time is not on their side anymore. The clock is ticking Scotland is heading towards independence, Project Fear continues.
Strange how close the tactic is to domestic abuse.
Abusive relationship in which your partner attempts to undermine your confidence with a stream of constant verbal abuse about your worth.
When you truthfully analyze your abusive relationship, the panic sets in on the option/choice. Try to keep your anxiety low with the thought that you have made it this far and you can make it awhile longer as you decide whether to stay or go.
…are we going to allow the abuse to continue?
…time to leave and flourish.
UK gin sales are nearly £1,000,000,000 of which 70% is distilled in Scotland,
Scottish salmon is worth nearly £500,000,000 in export sales for UK.
just listening to the red tory Ian Murray being a total shithound to his own country,vile little man.
Getting really, really fucking pissed-off at yet another English accent doing Scotland down…
Kim Jong Ruthie’s whole campaign is based on stopping the happening of an event which the only people who can propose the event haven’t
So Kim Jong’s entire strategy of the prevention of the not proposed Independence Referendum is about what?
Could it be that Kim Jong is desperate to distract from everything her party actually proposes which is the broad shouldered trickle down passing on of abject poverty for everyone bar the Conservative and Unionist party
Up till about two years ago this might have gotten a couple of extra votes from folk not thinking it through very much, now I’m not so sure, and it’s beginning to look every bit as transparent as Kezia’s “Nyooze the Pouwers” routine
Once the FM starts doing her thing I’ve a feeling all of the opposition parties are going to nosedive even further than they already are
Kim Jong won’t resign over party failure it’s not in her Tory DNA but Kezia will be attacked from all sides by ravenous hyenas if she finishes third
Robert Kerr @4.46pm
The award exists. Six are given out each year. It is a real achievement at undergraduate level. However to keep referring to it at this stage in his life is so crass and cringe worthy.
Awards at undergraduate level are useful for your either a placement or post grad degree in your chosen profession at entry level only – in the same way that Highers are useful for University entry. Beyond that no one pays a blind bit of interest.
Also, he then chose not to pursue engineering but went on to ‘advise’ in business with little experience – presumably learning on the job. Would you want to be advised on your business by a newly qualified Engineering graduate?
We are supposed to be dazzled by his intellect. However many of us have degrees,’prizes’ and post grad qualifications he could only dream of.
We can also recognise a desperate attention seeker when we see one.
Apparently Marine Tourism in Scotland is currently worth £3.7 Billion.
I have a hunch that figure will go through the roof with the boost to our profile that independence will finally bring. I believe Scotland will absolutely blossom with self-confidence and become a happier place.
O/T…
Some of the peeps, who told Ian Brotherhood that they would be at the get-together in Waxy O’Connor’s on Saturday, haven’t requested a personalised souvenir badge in ‘Quarantine’.
Yooz have until 11.59pm tonight to get your request in.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Paula Rose
Am I correct in thinking there’s a hint of Kandinsky in Mr. Hague’s presentation? Sorry, a bit too modernist for my taste. I prefer something with more of a cultural pedigree. 😉
Kim Jong Ruthie’s whole campaign is based on stopping the happening of an event which the only people who can propose the event haven’t
Its another example of Better Together being totally illogical and hoping we don’t notice. By getting their knickers in a twist about a second referendum, theyre actually telling us theyre really worried they might not win it.
@ScottishPsyche
I didn’t say it didn’t exist. I said I couldn’t find ref in the I Mech E website.
Please give link.
Ta.
SNP SNP EU
ps. I agree with your comments.
O/T STV News. Frank Mulholland to resign.
Excellent news. Should have been given his jotters years ago. And only appointed 2011.
Morag will be happy.
Most folk have never heard of him. There is nothing to talk about Kevin. His 20mins of fame is only because of his obsession with Wings. Jealousy is a terrible thing. Is he no bankrupt or a tax evader?
‘Brilliant’ mathematicians crashed Wall Street and the world economy.
Arbroath 1320 @5.40 pm.
We are surrounded by fish, waves, oil, and gas. We provide 70% of England’s timber.
I could go on, and on about how wonderful our country and people are, but it’s pointless.
Our bought and paid for Fourth Estate will use this propaganda pish tomorrow to mark the ‘Dodged the Bullet Day’ of triumphalism from the Red Blue and Yellow Tories.
Scotland play the Czech Republic tomorrow night just before Pacific Quay mounts yet another Better Together farce of a ‘leaders’ Debate’.
All together now:
‘We’re shite, and we know we are. we’re shite and we know we are.’
How the Unionists sleep o’nights, beats me.
I got Gavin McCrone’s book
‘Scottish Independence: Weighing up the Economics.’
from my local library today, (before Frank McAveety shuts it down to pay for his junkets to the S of France and America. )
He was, you may recall, Chief Economic Adviser to the Scottish Office from 1970, to 1992. He is categorised as ‘a reliable source’ by no less than Magnus Linklater (who popped up on Scotland 2016 last night).
I’ve only started it, yet in the preface, McCrone observes:-
‘I have no doubt that Scotland could prosper either as an independent country, or if it chooses to remain as part of the UK.'(June 2013)
He, of the 1974 McCrone Report on North Sea oil, and the bonanza it would be for Scotland, was still asserting that we could go it alone, even after the UK Government had sucked up £300 billion and the manufacturing and industry base in Scotland was systematically dismantled and moved to the Third World by Red Blue and Yellow Westminster Tories over the past 4 decades.
I welcome Kezia, Willie, and Ruth badmouthing Scotland.
They are a Single Issue Coalition…smash the Independence momentum, and lie, pervert figures, threaten, and bully the population, if that is what it takes.
Not long now.
Robert Kerr
Hi, here is a link for the award at Edinburgh.
I think he was at Strathclyde but it can be awarded at any IMech accredited degree programme.
link to ed.ac.uk
Well I see Yoon TV Aberdeen on the attack again tonight. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after Sturgeon dusted the floor with Kez and Ruthie simultaneously today.
I think that Yoon whiner Bradford would fit in easily at Yoon TV Aberdeen once we get rid of the Brit Nat Brainwashing Corp for good, she could even scoot through from her Speyside butt and ben to castigate the Scot Nats easily.
Cameron B Brodie @ 6.11 pm.
Some of us are old enough to remember the optical illusion posters of the ’70’s.
If you stared at the kaleidoscope of colours long enough, the ‘hidden’ picture beneath revealed itself.
I swear that when I stared at this Scotland is Doomed graph for five minutes, Ruth swimming with dolphins revealed itself!
Naw, this is getting too silly for words.
Didn’t get past “objective analysis”
Such an obvious fib from a stick on Unionist is a high wall to climb over so his secret garden shall remain closed to me.
Did it have graphs?
😉
Jack Collatin
I remember them.
Spooky. I was also thinking that there have been some very odd individuals claiming to have had visions of God in plates of spaghetti.
Let’s not mock the afflicted.
Struggling to pay your legal fees? If you are a politician and a liar you can get a grant
link to archive.is
Hague:
Which assumes the UK government is making good decisions and meeting the needs of the UK, never mind Scotland. We should stop playing defense for Scotland’s economy. It’s not an independent economy. The real defense of an independent Scottish economy is to attack the economic mismanagement we are stuck with as part of the UK. “Too stupid” is letting them frame the terms of the debate. If they get to frame the debate, they win as we accept their deflection from their real economic failures.
Osborne and his predecessors haven’t invested in infrastructure and economic growth. The economy is fueled by financialisation and a mountain of personal debt. This will eventually lead to another financial collapse. Economists aren’t exactly queuing up behind him to support austerity economics. A good number of them think he’s living in cloud cuckoo land and he’s fueling another financial crisis. (See Osborne plan has no basis in economics.) The reply to Hague is: It would be near impossible for an independent Scotland not to make better decisions.
Glamaig says: “Apparently Marine Tourism in Scotland is currently worth £3.7 Billion. I have a hunch that figure will go through the roof with the boost to our profile that independence will finally bring. I believe Scotland will absolutely blossom with self-confidence and become a happier place.”
Suicide levels fell in 2014 in Scotland in direct proportion to the rise in the YES vote. Wha wid hiv kent it?
Interestingly if you look at the post war deficits run up by the UK gov…
link to google.co.uk
It kind of puts things in perspective. The narrative in the 50s and 60s was full employment, big infrastructure projects. No one has been talking throughout the 80s, 90s and beyond about the onerous task of paying off the debts of the previous generation. So this passing down debt to our kids line is rubbish.
The problem in the UK just now is that deficits are too small and the deficits being run over the past 7 years are insignificant in real terms compared to post war. On top of that money is no longer in a fixed exchange rate with gold so nowadays the deficit matters even less.
The deficits we have been running up however have been wasted bailing out London banks rather than pumping money into the infrastructure projects the country needs.
Funny how the graph shows UK with Oil and Gas in Red and Scotland without Oil and Gas in Blue and mirror each other significantly with UK outperforming in an expected fashion!
It would be good to see two additional measures, UK without Oil and Gas and Scotland with Oil and Gas superimposed over the graph measures by Economists hired to examine the Scottish perspective.
Hague:
Can some one please explain why investment in Scotland’s trunk roads and motorways, rarely meets Treasury terms of cost-effectiveness? Is it perhaps that a one-size-fits-all macro-economic UKOK approach, is unworkable across the similar yet different socioeconomic realities of Scotland and England? I am sure there are plenty other examples of similar. Should I prepare a graph?
Frederick Barnes Waldron is a real person. Numerous patents prior to 1939 to do with rolled plate flass. Some of his patents in conjunction with Pilkington Glass available via :
link to abebooks.co.uk
The award is mentioned on others’ Lnkedin sites e.g. :
link to linkedin.com
It’s also mentioned by various universities including Edinburgh :
link to ed.ac.uk
And also this place on the other side of the world :
link to mecheng.adelaide.edu.au
Safe to say the award exists, whether it appears in I.Mech.E’s website or not. I don’t know whether it’s high-status. I have no idea whether the fragrant Kevin actually has this award, but it’s probably a good idea not to say ‘phony’ in public …. attack the statistics not the person.
Is it just me?
Gers and the associated discussions are nothing but a huge Westminster squirrel constructed to keep us arguing over
i)the price of oil,
ii)real or imagined debt assigned to us by the treasury
iii)income that should be assigned to us and is not.
As far as I can see, its working.
We should try and move past this.
Remember the adage about arguing with an idiot?
Mikewr
Hits nail squarely on head!
link to bbc.co.uk
Great economic Scottish news but a good example of the ongoing SNPbad propaganda campaign pouring out of the BBC in Scotland.
If this does work, its entirely due to SNP Holyrood and Sturgeon but and as per BBC SNPbad spin goes
The Scottish government has been involved in negotiations, as has the UK government.
I can confirm that Kevin Hague was a top student in the class of 89 in Strathclyde Mechanical Engineering as, in reading this article, I’ve just realised who he is and I was in the same year. I remember him being quite a nice guy actually and very bright.
I obviously don’t agree with his views on Indy and I’m really chuffed that it turns out I’m clever than him after all!
Can anyone enlighten me as to Ms Sturgeons performance on the Marr show? It doesn’t appear to be available on I player and my pal says she accepted that Scotland was 30 billion in debt. True or false?
I am sorry I won’t make it to the Wingers shindig and am disappointed I can’t claim a personal badge!
I obviously don’t agree with his views on Indy and I’m really chuffed that it turns out I’m clever than him after all!
He’s just another yoon chancer. Has he included Scottish EU membership in this yoon pile of Project Fear?
And if Kevrage has left out EU membership for Scotland, its not like a yoonster at all.
As they keep on yoon raging, this NOT UKOK black deficit would both block Scotland becoming an EU member and, if Scotland was admitted, the EU would instantly slap Greece level austerity on Scotland, even though as we are EU citizens now and after independence, its never examined yoon style why we would lose that citizenship status.
But above all else, kevrage cant guess Brexit or not, so he’s dodged that too.
Quite a lot of ducking and a diving UKOK yoon style going on in this Project Fear reportage alone.
Come on Kevrage, give us some of that brilliant insight, peer into that youre yoon crystal ball tells you what oil prices will be in the future. At today’s prices, on the up, the terrible burden of the news Scots oil reserves is at least half a trillion dollars.
Is that just reason why yoons like kevrage are terrified of losing control of their Scotland region?
Where is the plot for RUK w/out Scotland’s Oil and Gas?
We could have been hosting the great and the good from all corners of the World tomorrow,
the cringers would have left,along with the Yoon media,
and others would have arrived seeking a bright new future for their families,
instead we have the power over road signs,
fricken despondent.
YES, tomorrow would have been our Independence Day.. I wonder how the people of Scotland are going to mark the 24th March 2016 (because each and every one of us should.)
Not only would it have been our Independence Day, it would most definitely have extended into being an ‘Independence Weekend’ of celebrations (and think of all the money that would be spent in iScotland by national and international revellers.)
Of all places, YES voting Glasgow would be in full party mode by now.. and it still will be.. so if you’re free, get your goodselves down to Wings over Waxy’s this Saturday to celebrate Scotland with your fellow Scot!
Today would have been like Hogmanay.
X
“Former SNP leader Alex Salmond wants new currency argument”
link to bbc.co.uk
Argumentative Salmond displeases the BBC tonight. It is getting worse again, a second Project Fear campaign from this crew.
There’s something I don’t quite get about Tory unionists who take glee at their figures showing a Scotland in a inferior fiscal position compared to the rUK. After all if they believe that Scotland is in fact subsidised then surely they would espouse cutting Scotland off from this extra funding. Free market forces would dictate that Scotland would adapt to these new conditions accordingly and become more competitive thus helping to eliminate the deficit.
On the other hand, the more enlightened Tory unionist might recognise the work of Ashcroft, Cuthbert and et al and observe that Scotland has in fact subsidised the UK over the years. In that case they should be angry that hard working Scots are paying more tax than they need to the UK government in order to subsidise lesser performing parts of England, Wales and NI.
My only conclusion is that Scottish Tories have a vested interest in running Scotland down as it’s the best chance of helping to maintain the union and see a Tory government elected at UK level.
Queen to open new parly session in June. Why? Who invited her?
link to archive.is
People who do nothing but call Scotland shit or down it all the time deserve what they get.
I have just persuaded someone to stop buying his dogfood
The great Thomas Piketty who does know a bit about economics writes
‘there exists a myriad of country-specific institutions( from educational and labour market institutions to corporate governance and social norms)that play a key role to shape the interplay between development and inequality…Inequality dynamics depend primarily on the policies and institutions adopted by governments and society as a whole’
link to piketty.pse.ens.fr.
The endless droning on about how rubbish Scotland is presently and would be when the inevitable independence happens defies logic and economic sense.
But when a movement such as UKOK suffers from collective anhedonia then all we can expect from it from here to Indy 2 is a Pavlovian response of joylessness, dreariness and discouragement in all matters related to Scotland’s autonomy and future.
Cactus
Today would be like Hogmanay,
Instead it’s dark and dreary, cold and wet,
George square empty save for the usual pedestrians heading home for dinner. All they’ve got to look forward to is more shit days, under Tory rule
Happy now you no voters.
Churchill offered blood sweat and tears,
JFK said ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country!
Unionists say eat shit!
You can contact kevin here and ask him any questions
link to petplanet.co.uk
Ruthy and Mundell + LABOUR & LIB/DEMS are desperate to sell Scotland and her people into bondage. The Establishment are frantically trying to get a second referendum over while they believe they can win it. Then they will try and deny another for the next 25 years. During this time some dirty underhand manipulation of the right to Scotland leaving this Union will be cobbled together. Do they really not know what they are doing or do they just not care, 25 years of oil money for Londinium is worth the hassle. Think they should think this through properly.
That is my honest opinion.
Tata workforce saved by SNP Scots.gov. Tata instructed same workforce to vote NO.
Wonder how many did?
link to motherwelltimes.co.uk
In case folk haven’t clicked to what I’ve been saying, the semiotics of space and place means the greater the level of autonomy of place (from the center), the greater the likelihood of new activities and practices emerging within the place, which in turn drives greater autonomy.
Scotland’s economy would develop to fill it’s potential, I’m pretty certain of that. It would not replicate rUK, as our needs and opportunities are different. Especially to those of the south east. Simples. 🙂
Still not really getting much acknowledgement from yoons of their need to answer the following questions about GERS:
1) If there is a problem, is it short term or long term?
a) If short term, then the issue is the competence of the government, not the appropriateness of independence
b) If long term, then what is it about Scotland that is unique? Yes – it’s not independent. Logically the only constitutional arrangement, if any, the economic situation can be an indictment of, is the Union.
2) Don’t you have better things to do with your time?
The article I wrote around this is here:
link to moflomojo.blogspot.com
The Crayola king must be needing a new set of markers by now.
Someone posted the key graph here so I didn’t have to read the report
link to facebook.com
Let me get this right.. . . . . .
He has a line with “UK including Oil and Gas”
And a line with “scotland excluding oil and gas”
And he is making comparisons on this basis ????
I am only a humble ill educated Chartered Accountant with lots of economics and finance degrees that has worked at a senior level in Blue Chip companies and created lots of jobs and so on and so forth – just like this Fecin eejit – but me not unnerstan wot big smart boy is saying
Handandshrimp , thanks for that – coffee spluttered a’wy!
24 hrs later Business for Scotland has this to say:
“Scottish Tories independence report shows childlike and amateur understanding of economics. This is an amateur blogger report that demonstrates a kindergarden level of understanding of economics and contains assumptions and calculations that fall apart with the slightest of inspection.”
Well we knew that but it’s nice to hear someone other than frothing cybernats saying it.
Yer busted dog boy.
The deficit is not “shite” because of Westminster rule. It is because Scotland spends a lot more than England per head; free prescriptions, free tuition fees, free care for the elderly. Very good; but Nicola’s tax proposals make it clear we are not prepared to pay for them , though we are happy to have them.
“The deficit is no shite because of Westminster rule”
MWAAAaaaaahaahahaha
Did I miss Norway on the graph?
I note that England, with or without offshore oil and gas, failed to make the cut for inclusion on the graph.
England must be in a bad way…
Some facts to ponder
The UK (read England) has the worst pro rata trade deficit in the developed World. It is around -$200 billion per year, or in more understandable terms nearly -£2000 per year for every man, woman and child.
In the EU, nearly 2/3 of the member states run a trade surplus.
Germany has the biggest of course.
Over all, the EU is in trade surplus, members of the EURO zone, more so.
Regarding food and drink produce, taking the staples, Scotland produces over a quarter of the UK’s beef, a fifth of the mutton, 80% of landed fish, nearly 100% of aquaculture produce (mainly salmon) over a fifth of the potato crop and an 8th of the cereal crop with only 1/13th of the UK population. A massively higher food and drink production level per person than England.
England needs to net import around half of the food and drink it consumes. Well over £20 billion per year.
Regarding energy, Scotland produces twice the electricity per person per day that England does. Scotland exports electricity whereas England has to import about 10% of the energy it consumes.
Although oil prices are currently stupid, Scotland still produces the vast majority of hydrocarbon fuels.
And Scotland still has undeveloped Tidal energy which, unlike wind and wave, when combined with pumped storage, is effectively load based (no expensive backup systems required).
Scotland’s trade balance with the rest of the World is just about break even around £21 billion each way. However, according to internal UK estimates we have a negative trade balance with England.
Yes, that’s right, despite our huge pro rata production advantages the UK Government reckons Scotland is just about the only country in the World England is in trade surplus with.
That’s enough to ruminate on for now.