Pounding the corridors
On your behalf, I have spent a fair chunk of today patrolling the corridors at Holyrood, discussing and analysing contemporary political developments.
OK, catching up on the gossip.
So what are they talking about, our MSPs, now that they are back at the last? (at THE last, note, not "at last" - no cheap gags from me about interminable holidays.)
The condition of the economy, of course, in the light of today's announcements on Stamp Duty etc.
The allied condition of the UK Government. Alistair Darling's sundry pronouncements, firstly in The Guardian then in a telly interview with me.
Glenrothes, of course. Labour thinks it can pelt the SNP over its council record in Fife: building on local concern over proclaimed cuts in social provision.
Nationalists insist they can defend that record rather better than G. Brown can defend his at Westminster.
Flummery-free
The upcoming programme for government: Holyrood's flummery-free Queen's Speech. Fifteen bills. More on that tomorrow.
Then there's Wendy. Parliament is due to vote on Thursday on whether to uphold the proposed one-day suspension of Ms Alexander, the erstwhile Labour leader.
You'll recall she was chided by Holyrood's Standards Committee for not declaring leadership donations timeously on the MSP's register.
Her defence was that she had been advised in writing that such a declaration was not required.
Gossip here at Holyrood is that she may well be reprieved. Labour will back her, the Nationalists are likely to vote for suspension, while the word is that the Libdems and the Tories will have a free vote.
The thinking in some quarters is that this is now a bygone controversy, given that she resigned as leader shortly after the committee verdict.
Genuine decision
Further, there are those who take the line advanced by Tory MSP Jamie McGrigor on the committee that sanctions were inappropriate, given Ms Alexander's defence.
There are those who dissent. LibDem MSP Hugh O'Donnell indicated he might quit the standards committee if its proposed verdict wasn't upheld.
But he's no longer scheduled to serve on the committee following the reshuffle advanced by Tavish Scott. No coincidence, I suspect.
Further, there are those who fret that the episode indicates that the entire standards mechanism has become too partisan.
For example the former first minister, Jack McConnell, is arguing that every party should sanction a free vote on such matters: that it should be a genuine Parliamentary decision, not a party vote.
To be clear, such concerns are not confined to Ms Alexander's party. There are those with broader views who know that what affects one party one day may well come round to bite another party on another occasion.
Leave it all with you.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~17~RS~)
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Well Brian you must have been patrolling darkened corridors at Holyrood to have completely missed the annoucement on hospital car parking charges.
Whit a numptie!
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John Swinney, in relation to the local authority wages dispute, said: "I am in very similar circumstances to local government.
"It operates within a fixed budget allocated by me but I also operate on a fixed budget, on behalf of the Scottish Government, given to the Scottish Parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the UK Government.
"We have allocated our budget.
Did Pontius P prepare this comment for him?
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This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
#4
Na goal............What.......Eh.......What
Whats your point????????
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Clip clop .... clip clop ....whos that going over my bridge ?
Good on the hospital charges being abolished ... pity about the PFI ones tho ..but it does show how rubbish the whole system is ... if you want out you have to pay big bucks ... Labour and the Lib Dems just love big business ....
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Great to see the SNP government abolishing NHS car-parking charges: the latest in a long line good decisions by the Scottish cabinet.
This SNP government is clearly determined to do whatever they can to improve the lives of ordinary Scots. It's a huge culture-switch for people who had grown cynical about politics due to 100 years of neglect by self-serving Labour numpties.
But even die-hard Labour voters are now beginning to get a taste for what can be achieved when your government is working for you rather than against you.
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2. So Swinney is now claiming he has no fiscal levers?
So he can't alter income tax, council tax, business tax.....
4. We eagerly await how the SNP will blame the UK when these wonderful free car parks are flooded by shoppers, workers in neighbouring businesses.....!
(The nats should ask their parents about why hospitals started charging for use of their car parks in the first place.)
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I have to admit though that the free Forth bridge crossings, the slightly cheaper prescription charges and now free hospital car parking has revolutionised my life.
It's a shame that the prisons are now so overcrowded, the criminals are not being jailed.
It's a shame that the police recruitment levels are not as promised by the SNP.
It's a shame that the first-time buyer grant promise made by the SNP was dropped.
It's a shame that student debt was not cancelled as promised by the SNP.
It's a shame the much-needed road improvements promised by the SNP aren't going to happen.
It's a shame that the SNP are blocking the vital EARL scheme.
But, as already said, the SNP are clearly determined to do whatever they can to improve our lives.
Somehow.
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#9.
Complete rubbish.
"It's a shame that the prisons are now so overcrowded, the criminals are not being jailed."
http://www.snp.org/node/9187
"It's a shame that the police recruitment levels are not as promised by the SNP."
Ah, ignores the recent 'Police numbers reach record levels' etc etc and that we still have over two years of recruiting left.
"It's a shame that the first-time buyer grant promise made by the SNP was dropped."
It was dropped because of the circumstances. Since Banks are not willingly to lend some couples are being asked for a deposit of up to 20,000, how would an SNP grant of 2,000 actually help?
"It's a shame that student debt was not cancelled as promised by the SNP."
How much are students better off under the SNP? Roughly two thousand pounds? Better then nothing.
You really are just whining now.
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#9 Reluctant_Expat
Very clever. Now let's hear you explain why we are is still suffering these long-term economic and sociological problems, despite years of Labour rule in Scotland. Not so easy, eh!
Either you think the problems have all appeared since the SNP took power, or you expect the SNP to solve them within a couple of years all just because you're snapping your fingers.
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#9 Reluctant_Expat
Very clever. Now let's hear you explain why we are still facing these long-term problems, despite years of Labour rule in Scotland. Not so easy, eh!
Either you think the problems have all appeared since the SNP took power, or you expect the SNP to solve them within a couple of years all just because you're snapping your fingers.
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10. Now to dismantle these SNP claims one at a time:
1. A new publicly-run prison is to be built in the Peterhead area to replace the existing Victorian facilities there and at Aberdeen. No increase in prison capacity is mentioned.
So your correction of my claim at post 9 is....what?
2. Police numbers at "record high" reported that there are now 74 more police officers since the SNP came in. 74! In a year!
3. The SNP dropped this policy after the election, after it had been listed in the manifesto. Didn't they consider the viability of this policy before the election? Are you saying they didn't think it through?
4. So you aren't denying that the student debt manifesto promise was broken. You're clearly trying to spin a way out of it but there is clearly no denial (nor can there be as this was another broken SNP promise)
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re hospital car parks being used by non hospital visitors ..... what about tokens that can only be collected from the reception that open a barrier on the way out .... cant see much chancers bothering to park there if they have all that hassle ... and that wouldnt cost a lot to do....as for security, well theres always security cameras .
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#8
No, he doesn't have any fiscal levers.
Income tax is dictated by the Inland Revenue - Ergo westminster.
Council Tax can only be raised by local authorities who have agreed NOT to increase in in exchange for extra funding from the Scottish Government.
Business tax increases in a country currently mired in a spiral of depression and inevitable recession? Are you a mentalist?
Do you actually bother to read the news before you post or are you simply opening your gaping maw and letting your belly grumble?
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12. I expect the SNP to keep their promises.
They promised everything to everyone but, within a year, the biggest and most important promises quickly fell by the wayside.
What do we get?
That whopping £1 bridge toll is scrapped (although the millions it raised - £20m? - will now have to be found from other budgets).
92% of prescriptions were already free, all the SNP has done is made the remainder slightly cheaper.
Hospital car parks are now free. Watch the shoppers and neighbours pour in.
Plus a ridiculous amount of bluff and bluster trying to get us all to hate the big bad UK - which has only resulted in a huge split in our society between pro-UK and pro-independence plus us becoming the laughing stock of England.
Oh yes, life is much better now and it's all thanks to the SNP.
Excellent.
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#10
No increase in prison capacity
74! new police in one year
dropped commitment
Another broken promise
Oh, its the nats! .......laugh
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#13 Reluctant-Expat
"listed in the manifesto", "listed in the manifesto"
Do you really think political parties are going to make promises in their manifesto with "get-out" clauses like: "Unless we find ourselves in minority government in which case we cannot guarantee this will actually happen."
The SNP's manifesto was written from the perspective of people aiming to get elected with a majority enabling them to implement the promises without interference from a spiteful opposition.
So, here in the real world, we expect parties to make promises based on what they can do if they are elected to power with a majority that allows to carry them out.
But in cloud-cuckoo land, you can continue with your "demolishing" people's factual counter-arguments without having to recognise the reality.
All of these problems are still with us because of 100 years of neglect by self-serving Labour numpties.
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In relation to Swinneys "Lack of fiscal might" Can I proffer the opinion that during an incumbent recession it's quite rightly the public sector that should accept a pay freeze?
As sad as it is true, Public sector workers are not net taxpayers, paying them more money to get swallowed up by inflation is madness - if your genuinely trying to balance the economic books of a country you can't afford to pay out MORE money when you should be shoring up your assets to ensuring commerce continues through the turbulence.
If Labour had any sense during thier 10 years of "wonderful economic growth", they would have saved away a sizeable emerency fund in case the unthinkable happens. I don't see the Norwegians striking over public sector paydeals.
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#13
You're obviously been away for too long. The Scottish people are no longer fooled by claims of inevitable disaster under an SNP government. Neither do they care for the excuses that unionist parties give for doing less in 8 years than the SNP have done in 1.
But you seem like the type who's going to threaten never to return if an independence referendum is won so probably best to get comfy wherever you are now.
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16. Hang on, I have more!
The taxpayer-funded 'National Conversation' closed down after only attracting attention from less than 0.1% of the population.
As well as England, we are now also a joke in New York after Salmond's attempted bizarre interference in their Tartan Week. I looked at the official website and Salmond doesn't even get mentioned.
The taxpayer-funded Homecoming has also attracted little interest so far. Airlines and hotels all have their cheapest deals still available.
All is rosey people.
Hey, let's all have another pathetic argument amongst ourselves over whether Chris Hoy is a nationalist or not!
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I forgot another SNP triumph!
We can have our own Eurovision entry!
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Reluctant_Expat wrote: "Plus a ridiculous amount of bluff and bluster trying to get us all to hate the big bad UK - which has only resulted in a huge split in our society between pro-UK and pro-independence plus us becoming the laughing stock of England"
Laughing Stock of England? Was that a freudian slip there or have you borrowed your geography from the school of Bernard Ingham?
There has been a massive rift between the UK and Scotland for more than 300 years, good luck trying to pass that off as the SNP's fault aswell.
Give the SNP some credit, for 100 years it's played by the rules. I can think of a country of Celtic bretheren who chose to carve thier path differently and it cost them AND the UK dearly.
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I think there's one promise we can expect the nats to keep, and that's more faith schools.
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#13.
Reluctant-Expat, I expected you to 'disappear' instead of making empty claims by now.
"1. A new publicly-run prison is to be built in the Peterhead area to replace the existing Victorian facilities there and at Aberdeen. No increase in prison capacity is mentioned."
From the Scottish National Page:
"Mr Wilson said:
Not one single new prison opened during the 18 long years when the Tories were in power. Plenty factories, mines and shipyards closed. Yet no prisons opened. In contrast the new SNP government are building 3 new prisons."
Can you read that at the bottom? Three new prisons...I suggest you actually search the SNP page.
"2. Police numbers at "record high" reported that there are now 74 more police officers since the SNP came in. 74! In a year!"
I think you should use your head abit more. The SNP have recruited quite alot of new police officers that has had to replace the large amount of police officers who have retired. Could you search for the number of police officers recruited under the SNP? Since the SNP have already recrutied more police officers then the last administration we can expect more police by the end of their term in government.
"3. The SNP dropped this policy after the election, after it had been listed in the manifesto. Didn't they consider the viability of this policy before the election? Are you saying they didn't think it through?"
It was a thoughtful policy. Of course world circumstances have changed that, or will you for some reason and since you are completely against the SNP no matter what, blame the credit crunch on them now?
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What is your obsession with England Reluctant Expat? You do know that Brian Taylor blogs on Devolved Scottish Parliament issues don't you?
Is England where you're in self imposed exile? Would you consider coming back if Bendy gets back in the saddle and ends up in the Hotseat come election time?
Are you.... Bernard Ingam?
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25. Here comes another bleating "Salmond and the SNP are perfect" response from Thomas_Porter, our resident 16 year old expert in politics, economics and military strategy.
This lad is spinning so much, I bet he's had to clean lunch off his computer.
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Reluctant sounds awfully like Margret Curran,
SNP didn't deliver this
SNP didnt' deliver that!
Reluctant-Expat as in living in South Glasgow but representing Glasgow East + Ballieston?
SNP delivered in Glasgow East.
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# 16 Reluctant-Expat
"us becoming the laughing stock of England"
Oops! Your claim to be Scottish is looking a little threadbare after that little slip up old bean!
Now that your super-intellect has failed to prevent you spectacularly giving the fgame away, I'm sure the real Scots here won't bother taking anything you say seriously, if they bother to read it at all.
I know I won't.
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#21.
Are you against Democracy? The Nationalists are not afraid of hearing the opinions of other Nationalists or even the Unionists. The National Conversation was available for all to use.
What about the Unionist alternative? The Calman commission I believe its called. Do we actually have a voice on that? No. Independence is not even an option. They have already neglected a huge part of the country.
You are also neglecting the fact that there has been issues between Scotland and Britain before. Before Ireland broke apart there was issues that Westminister was focusing on Ireland more then Scotland...
I thought you were an old man. Surely if I know my history then a man who lived it would know more then I.
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25.
1. "No prisons were built when the Tories were in power"...that period was before you were born which makes it pretty irrelevant. As they were in power for 18 years, I'm also pretty sure it's another SNP lie too. No new prisons in 18 years?
And the SNP are saying they will build three prisons, you say? Well, it must be true then.
23 prisons were built around the UK between 1996 and 2006, by the way.
2. The SNP promised 1000 new police in their manifesto - another promise they promptly broke soon after the election, only to be forced to keep their word by the Tories. In the past year, they have been responsible for just 74 new police. Is this 1000-figure still realistic?
3. So now your defence is that the world economy changed so much between May and June 2007 that the promised home-buyer grant was no longer valid? Is that right?
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#27.
Reluctant-Expat, you are being slightly childish. You are neglecting the amount of police officers actually recruited. You are also ignoring the police officers that have retired. You are ignoring the amount of time that the Nationalists have to continue their recruitment.
If you were a little wiser you would wait till their time is up, then dish out the dirt if they have failed. As I stated before, its more important to know what a Government can deliver during their time in Government rather then what was not delivered.
I am not an 'entrenched' SNP supporter. I am a Nationalist, Pro-Independence. My views and opinions change as I grow. I could point out issues where I could support Labour, Lib Dems, Tories, SNP and other smaller parties.
However, you are against the SNP no matter what. At least I can admitt when another party does well and I have openly admitted that before, but you will never support the SNP and thats just sad, simply because they are Pro-Independence.
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30. Of course. The 'Nat Con' was obviously listening to us.
And the SNP would certainly have changed their policy to supporting federalism or the status quo if the majority of posters on that beleaguered site supported it, wouldn't they?
I contributed to the Calman Commission. Maybe you missed the opportunity.
One major difference, among many, between Calman and the Nat Con was that it hasn't been swamped by SNP supporters abusing anyone who dared to suggest more viable alternatives to independence.
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#31.
Ah everything is an SNP lie because it comes from the SNP itself.
Then there is no point debating with you further with an attitude like that. I bet you are one of those people who insist the SNP prepare an Independence plan aswell so the public know more about their plans...
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Oh Dear Reluctant-Expat,
You've really let the cat out of the bag by admitting you contributed to the Calman Commission since it seems only a 'select precious few' are allowed with particularly strong anti-independence sentiments.
So, as you feel abused by SNP supporters why are you slinging mod on an online forum? People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones as they say.
Or perhaps you've just been on the bevy! but we'll never know.
p.s the Labour government has built a big fat 0 prisons in Scotland in the last 11 years.
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For anyone unfamiliar with these creatures and for those in need of a reminder (from wikipedia):
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial and irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.
However, what we have here is perhaps better described as a hydra rather than a troll. Their scattergun approach is to throw multiple arguments at their targets. As each argument is rebutted two new arguments spring up in its place and the original inanity is abandoned by the gleeful hydra.
The clue to identifying these creatures is often in the names: Expectant-Ultra (anagram) and derekbarker (the bark being worse than the toothless bite).
I would advise against feeding them until they can string together several reasonable posts that make a valuable contribution to the discussion (derekbarker almost got there a while back!). As a wise man once said:
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#33.
Yes and Unionists are good as gold? Being told I am to stupid, to poor and incapable of looking after myself is not exactly the best behaviour I ever encountered.
The Scottish National Party support Independence, why should they change their positon at all? Instead the Nationalists have done the mature and most democratic option. They are allowing the Scottish public to choose what they would like. Forget party loyalties for elections, we all are given the chance to vote what we think is best.
This should be the end of my little rant.
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I do hope the MSPs don't get their knickers in a twist over a one day suspension.
If they vote against it surely it will bring their committee for standards into utter disrepute?
Westminster has already got away with disclosing only what it wanted to , lest the tax payer take up arms against them and march on parliament.
If MPs , MSPs et al , bleat on about a fairer, safer society is it not up to them to lead by example and when caught out take their punishment like a man , or woman?
(one day suspension , jings , how intolerable!)
There are also further wee investigations like SIF dinners , whatever happened to them??
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32. One last time, they promised (twice) to recruit 1000 extra police. Extra police, on top of current staffing.
A quarter of the way through their term, they have delivered just 74 extra police out of that 1000.
And I have seen enough of this Godforsaken party and their obsession with their mutual legacies; I have seen enough of the division, the brutal unionist/nationalist wedge they have driven through our society; I have seen enough of their empty spin (which you swallow and then regurgitate) and endless broken promises; and I have seen enough of their childish and embarrassing attempts ("This was the Braveheart final!" Give me strength!) at promoting hatred and resentment with the UK/English to know this party is not a positive force in our society or our communities.
Salmond is now rushing headlong to plant wind turbines along dozens of hilltops and to flood countless valleys to power mini-hydro schemes. Is it true that all these schemes will still produce less power than one solitary conventional power station??
The sooner the majority realise that the SNP care more about their own legacies and their own places in history (Salmond especially), realise that their claims of a Tartan Utopia are bogus and remove them once and for all the better.
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The comments here are becoming increasingly composed of SNP v. New Labour trite.
What about some of the more substantive issues facing people today? They are alluded to in the piece.
The economy? Cost of Living?
Any views anyone?
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#35
Brian, Addiewell prison, west lothian.
Wow! The nats, pure off the cuff remarks.
Con- nats, thatchers liitle babies.....
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People - on all sides of this debate - there is a widely known practice on the Internet called 'trolling'. By repeatedly making inflamatory remarks in a discussion, people who want to stifle debate can stir up such a furious row that intelligent debate becomes more or less impossible and people who might have valuable contributions to make are deterred from taking part.
I used to be responsible for the scottish newsgroup on Usenet. They were destroyed by a very small group of right wing English trolls, and are now virtually empty except for flamewars and spam. Do not let this blog go the same way. Every time you respond to a troll, you play into their hands.
And - if you value discussions such as this blog regularly provokes - don't troll yourself. It may seem like fun but it rapidly destroys the open public debate you come here for.
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#39
1000 police promised, 74 more police todate
I make that 926 short! will the nats attack the maths..........
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# 40 jam804
Anyone who's had to visit a loved one facing a protradcted illness in hospital will soon tell you that abolishing charges in hospital car parks is a "more substantive issue."
The so-called "substantive issues" appearing in this "piece" include:
1. A link to a story telling us Alastair Darling
has suspended stamp duty on properties costing £175,000 or less for the next 12 months.
2. A link to a story telling us Alastair Darling is the sort of politician who is "straight with us and telling it how it really is".
3. A link to a story telling us "MSPs 'should get free vote' over Alexander ban".
The latter two items would hardly justify a paragraph in the local Labour party newsletter.
I simply don't believe that these are the stories being gossiped about in the corridors at Holyrood.
Or if it is, then it's time they got a swift reminder about why they are supposed to be there.
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14. At 6:21pm on 02 Sep 2008, rabbiehippo wrote:
re hospital car parks being used by non hospital visitors ..... what about tokens that can only be collected from the reception that open a barrier on the way out .... cant see much chancers bothering to park there if they have all that hassle ... and that wouldnt cost a lot to do....as for security, well theres always security cameras .
Excellent comment. I was on holiday in Devon and had to visit an emergency dentist in Torquay. The medical centre has a free car park but it uses a token/ barrier system. And anyone who has visited Torquay will know what a nightmare parking can be.
While we are at it, the SNP were going to re-regulate the buses in order to improve public transport. Funnily enough, that policy also disappeared for some reason.
Why?
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Everything which ex-pat has said has been completely correct. All of the big promises that were made by the SNP in order to get enough votes to crawl into such a narrow minority victory have been subsequently broken.
They did lie to students about student debt, this is why every student union in scotland, along with the National Union of Students Scotland and the Coalition of Higher Education Students in Scotland have came out and accused them of such.
They did lie about extra police, they actively tried to change the policy which they had promised us and were forced to stick to it by the tories.
They did, after criticising labour every single year for not implementing it, ask for peoples votes so that they could implement a first time buyers grant, that they have now declared they cannot afford to provide.
They have went out of their way to breed animosity and resentment where it would not have necessarily existed between the people of our current country.
And what is the defence that some of they give, "we're in a minority administration".
That line only works when you've tried to do something and been out-voted by the majority, which for all of these things they haven't. Notably had there been a MAJORITY SNP administration the tories wouldn't have been able to force them to commit to the police numbers promise, and we would have less, not more.
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With the resident troll and his partner blaming the worlds woes on the SNP they'll be blaming them on the credit crunch, the miserable summer weather and even the price of oil next.
Come up with something creditable as your becoming very, very boring.
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#44
Agreed. Particularly your last couple of sentences.
The limited suspension of stamp duty is akin to a snowball in the Clyde in relation to the hardships people are currently suffering.
With energy and food prices soaring it appears no-one has any idea how to combat the current economic problems. Or if they do they're keeping it a close guarded secret.
It's time for a re-directing of resources from military spending to socially useful spending.
SCND's "A People's Budget for Peace" to be launched on 25th October in Glasgow deserves serious consideration.
http://www.scotland4peace.org/Budget4Peace/index.html
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#41
Ah yes, one of the prisons for profit jobs; still not open yet? I'm sure Labour want to claim the credit crunch as their legacy as well. The prison is not open, the man was exactly right.
Thank you for your contribution to this blog. We'll let you know.
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Demagogic policies are rarely a good thing in the long run. British governments have subsidised private housing for so long through mortgage interest tax relief and other idiocies that we have a house price bubble with houses now costing many times their true value. If we continue to subsidise housing sooner or later that bubble is going to burst, and the damage to the economy will be horrendous.
The solution would be an increase, not a decrease, in stamp duty to bring the price of housing down slowly. Yes, a lot of people would squeal. But money invested in your own house is 'funny money' - you can't spend it because you're living in it, and if you sell it you'll have to buy another. If houses become cheaper, yes, you won't get so much for your present house, but the next one you buy will be proportionately cheaper so it doesn't matter.
First time buyers would benefit - where I live, local wages aren't sufficient to pay the mortgage on even a modest house, so people who work locally can't afford to buy houses locally. That isn't sustainable. The people who would be hurt, of course, would be those who have overborrowed - but they are going to hurt anyway.
Similarly with hospital parking. I have a close friend who has cancer and is very disabled. He has to attend hospital in Glasgow, where the parking is very expensive, and on his income it's really hard for him. But the reason it's expensive is because too many people who don't need to take their cars do so, and so there isn't enough space.
My friend has to drive. It's ninety miles and he cannot easily get on and off busses and trains. But he also can't walk several hundred yards to the hospital. So when the parking is free and the carparks are stuffed to overflowing with staff and visitors who live locally and could easily have taken the bus or walked or cycled, he's going to be worse off, not better off.
If parking is going to be free, it must be free for patients only - and, as someone up-thread has suggested, subject to permits issued with your outpatient appointment, or some such thing.
Free parking, like grants for first time buyers, sounds popular - but in the long term it will do exactly the opposite of what is intended.
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#49
commissioned, built, complete
How many new prisons will the nats build to house the massive rise in prison numbers since their election,remember capacity, not close one build one.l
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Reluctant-expat
Thanks for your contributions highly entertaining.
Im a heart on my sleve SNP voter and have to congratulate you on your stirring up its true that there are a lot of shrill Nationalists getting all excited by your postings perhaps they are young and maybe even naieve. However they are the future of Scotland and I am so glad to see them taking an interest and pride in our nation.
I traveled to London 2 weekends ago and got chatting to some folks at a wedding I attended. They were impressed to know that Scotland had managed to freeze council tax, reduce business tax, reduce the cost of being a student, reduce prescription costs, in fact reduce the general day to day cost of living.
The end result of the conversation was that they wished they had a similar alternative.
I came home thinking yes we are lucky to have the alternative. This is the difference that is coming to the fore 'its good to be Scottish', in fact its good to be in Scotland.
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To the negative moaners on here whining things like: "these wonderful free car parks will be flooded by shoppers, workers in neighbouring businesses...." etc., why don't you try actually reading the facts stated in the BBC story first?
"Before the abolition takes effect, health boards are being asked to submit their plans on how they will address potential increases in demand."
In other words, the government has already foreseen the potential for demand problems that you seem to think only you are "clever" enough to see.
And the government has sensibly asked the hospitals themselves for workable suggestions on how to address any potential problems.
So, in future, how about making some attempt to base your nonsensical rants on at least in part on actual reality before opening your big mouths?
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#51
"commissioned, built, complete"
but not open.
Do you subscribe to the Goebbels school of blogging?
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#54
Now! Now!
Do you agree with the latest efficiency saving endorsed in the Borders, do you agree that Teachers are the cost affect of Mr Swinney's plans???
Surely you can answer that one.
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Reluctant-Expat:
"The taxpayer-funded Homecoming has also attracted little interest so far. Airlines and hotels all have their cheapest deals still available."
I couldn't agree more. They've already moved the website, though Google hasn't caught up. How much this useless boondoggle costing us, anyway?
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#53 I agree ... and i would guess the hospitals will do something along the lines of what i suggested #14 . As for the thing about the bus regulation thats about the only thing thats making the SNP look bad just now
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Re the "Homecoming".
While I do not agree with troops being in Afghanistan or Iraq, please get the financial figures correct.
There is a cost which will always be there: salaries of the service personnel regardless whether they are in London or Kabul.
Salaries and benefits take up a suprisingly large chunk of the defence budget.
Saying that, yes substantial savings could be made by not having them over there.
Part of the problem has been hospitals having specialist centres. So, whereas previously you might jump on a bus or even walk to the local hospital for, say a scan, you now need to travel fifteen, twenty, thirty miles.
My son goes to hospital every few months. It is either a 30 min car journey or 2 hours by bus each way. His appointments are always on a Tuesday afternoon, so I do not want him out of school. Parking at Monklands is an absolute nightmare, but the only choice I have is to keep him out of school all day.
The NHS needs more specialists up here.
Now we get back to the public transport issue. The SNP are now in charge, so what exactly are they doing about it? Bus and train companies are raising their fares blaming "oil prices". But these companies are able to buy their stocks at subsidised rates, yet they are profiteering.
But the SNP don't want to upset certain bus companies now, do they?
And can we stop the "troll" comments. It is turning this blog into HYS. People are getting fired up over politics at the moment, but that does not mean resorting to insults or questioning someone's intelligence because they do not agree with you.
Perhaps we could invite the leaders of the Scottish political parties to a question and answer session on this blog.
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It looks like there are going to be some very bitter people when Scotland becomes Independent.
Get a hobby or something, don't waste your time trying to prevent the inevitable.
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Neil ... the bus companies are so large now (and this was before the SNP came along) that i doubt if they could be removed. I think also that even tho it looks bad for the SNP i dare say they will get back to it at some point, but for the moment theres plenty other things to be getting on with.
As for more specialists in the NHS ... well theyve probably all been recruited by all these Health companies that Labour are keen to give the work to.
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#58 Neil_Small147
I agree with your last sentence; it would be nice to do without Labour et al. We don't seem to get many posters from SSP here, it would be good to hear from them. Trouble is we'd get Wee Eck as well.
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I've been suggesting for a wee while that Brown's best option might be to call an October General Election.
Mike Smithson is suggesting this as well.
Brown is still a Scottish MP (I've always felt his "Britishness" stuff was more designed to appeal to the Brit/Scots than the English). A GE will focus attention on UK matters rather than Holyrood, and some Labour votes would return to the fold faced with a Cameron government in the UK.
He might also want the option of getting into Holyrood, if he loses Kirkcaldy!
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At 00:12 we are still waiting for #59 timed at 11:01pm to be moderated. Do we really need pre-moderation?
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and it was 00:29 before we got #60
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#59
Whether it's inevitable or otherwise it's NOT independence. Separation from England arguably.
Scotland will continue to be subject to the diktat of the European Union (EU) within which your "independent" Scotland would have little influence.
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#59 I hope your right ....hobbies- yeah lurking under bridges must be boring they should take up golf !
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#63 .... Its a ploy to get everyone off to bed early so the mods can take it easy .... unfortunatly some of us are working and cant go to sleep lol ... well maybe a quick nap later
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With an hour and a half between comment and first possible response it is hardly a "Blether with Brian". Or is the Beeb stance that anyone interested in Scottish politics must have childish views and so needs pre-moderation?
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#65 jam
In which case your "independent" UK has little influence either. So not much point in being subject to UK diktat as well!Complain about this comment
I would love to know the gossip on Annabel Goldie! Surely she wont last to 2011?A nice lady but shes reached a political plateau.All she can do is steady the ship--I dont believe she can move them any furthur forward(scottish tories).Nicol Stephen,Wendy Alexander,--Will annabel make it three in quick succession?Are there serious mutterings?
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"Gossip here at Holyrood is that she may well be reprieved. Labour will back her, the Nationalists are likely to vote for suspension, while the word is that the Libdems and the Tories will have a free vote.
The thinking in some quarters is that this is now a bygone controversy, given that she resigned as leader shortly after the committee verdict"
brian it was most interesting to note that you say definitively that labour will back her while you appear to surmise what the snp the lib dems and the tories will do.
been talking mainly to the unionists then have we?
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gooseberry4....where are you getting that from .... or is it just wishfull thinking .... i cant see it myself tho
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The Proposed Legislation by S.N.P. to the Scottish Parliament.
When will this become WORKING Law?
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#73
Only when the SNP can get other parties to agree with them.
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Looks like the SNP are going to further alienate the student and youth vote by trying to restrict under-21s from off-licences.
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Interesting. So now if you disagree with the SNP/nationalist posters in here, you are automatically regarded as a troll?
The posts pointing out the SNP's broken promises are correct. In what way is that trolling?
The SNP use their minority administration excuse as and when it suits them. In what way is that trolling?
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Question - Won't the proposed "local" (i.e. Scottish) income tax require active and continual co-operation from:
a). All banks having branches in the UK (some of whom might not have branches, nor even offices, within Scotland) .
b). Numerous UK employers (ditto above).
c). HMRC.
Suppose any of the above politely tell Scottish councils to do the other thing? Could the Scottish government legislate that for instance, a Korean bank branch in London should disclose details of its Scottish account holders?
If it's truly going to be a 'local' tax, then our council authorities' resources required to execute effective collections will surely be untenable. Look at the number of people who should, but don't, even pay their council tax. And now we're contemplating trying to establish their incomes?! It costs enough trying to get payment when we already know where they live, let alone what they earn as well! I can see this becoming another case of the honest ones that pay subsidising those that won't
I speak as one who has an average salary (derived from a London-headquartered employer) paid in Scotland, but also a separate investment portfolio. The proceeds from both are paid into English bank accounts, and are of course declared to HMRC.
I can see I'll end up paying income tax twice on the same UK earnings. Or do I have to become a neighbour of Mr Connery's?
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70. I'd like to see Annabel hit the UK stage. The lady has grit!
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Brian:
I am very proud of you for pounding the corridors for ALL OF US...to get important information of the day...
=Dennis Junior=
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