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AlfieMoon

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Posts posted by AlfieMoon

    Snp Deputy Leadership Contest

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    I'm a bit torn in this one between Brown and Hosie.

    Hosie is stronger in his debating skills and getting his points rammed home very well but I think his style and demeanor may be off-putting to some people who aren't already on his side. I've seen him on tv looking quite dismissive of the opposition and tutting, rolling the eyes kind of things which combined with his somewhat combative style may put people off. In short - he may suffer in the same way that Salmond did in this day and age of personality politics - even though he's a very good politician.

    Proposal For More Powers

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0046/00460563.pdf

    Wow if it comes off.

    Full fiscal responsibility for the Scottish Parliament: all tax revenues should be retained in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament should have policy responsibility for all taxes unless there is a specific reason for a continued reservation. In particular, the Scottish Parliament should have full autonomy for income tax, national insurance, corporation tax, capital gains tax, fuel duty, air passenger duty and inheritance taxResponsibility for all domestic expenditure - including welfare - with payments made to the UK government for reserved servicesA sustainable framework for public finances including the necessary borrowing powers, and an agreement with the UK Government on the overall approach to public finances, including a commitment to continue the Barnett formula during any transitional period and if the Scottish Parliament's financial powers fall short of full fiscal responsibilityResponsibility for key economic levers: such as employment policy (including the minimum wage); employability programmes; competition, energy and broadcasting policy; and the Crown Estate

    As others have said - it won't happen.

    I don't know if people missed the 'Command Paper' from the Westminster party but the responses to most areas explored for devolution have copy and paste jobs for each section for each party such as this nonsense which can be summarised by saying that the Tories want to give some powers away (but probably take more money back with the other hand and simultaneously grab power at Westminster via English votes circus), Lib Dems support home rule (similar to SNP I guess) but don't really have much punching power, and Labour - oh dearest Labour ..... well they don't really support much at all - well, we could raise the top rate of income tax of course should we be faced with a Westminster government that isn't doing such - which will really assist in making us more competitive in attracting and retaining talent and thereby business.

    Corporation Tax
    Current Situation
    Corporation Tax policy – including rates, allowances and reliefs – is currently set by the UK
    Government and is not devolved.
    The Prime Minister has publicly committed to deciding by Autumn Statement 2014 whether
    the power to set the Corporation Tax rate in Northern Ireland should be devolved to the
    Northern Ireland Assembly.
    Published proposals
    Conservative commission: ‘We do not recommend the devolution to the Scottish Parliament of
    Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax (‘CGT’) or Inheritance Tax (‘IHT’). Each of these taxes should
    remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom’.
    Liberal Democrat commission: ‘Corporation Tax should continue to be operated and collected
    at the UK level, but the proceeds raised in Scotland should be assigned to the Scottish
    Parliament’.
    Labour commission: ‘We concluded that, for a variety of good reasons, VAT, national insurance
    contributions, corporation tax, alcohol, tobacco and fuel duties, climate change levy, insurance
    premium tax, vehicle excise duty, inheritance tax, capital gains tax and tax on oil receipts should
    remain reserved’.

    Devo Max Is Off The Table

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    Scots borrowing to cost more

    Borrowing by the Scottish government could be expected to cost one percentage point more than UK debt, according to an economic consultancy.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-29469347

    Although they say in the article that this 1% additional cost would likely be lower than the rate if we were independent - I can't see how that's the case. I think they're trying to re-write history and what the credit agencies have said.

    Didn't S&P and Moody's predict anything ranging from 0-1% additional borrowing costs? So if anything, at worst this would be the same as that otherwise we would actually have been in a better position.

    What we're seeing is Scotland being done up like a kipper. Transferring limited tax-raising powers and borrowing powers (at crap rates) whilst WM continues to hold the purse strings and collect money to spend on wars and Trident and restricts Scotland's ability to create a more competitive business environment and tax regime which would grow the Scottish economy. All while the Tories are using the whole thing as a power grab and Labour have signed their own death warrant.

    Camerons Election Promise

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    Just because it's not reported doesn't mean it's not the case. It's in the small print so to speak - as with "The Vow", an announcement is made and then it is qualified by subsequent statements.

    So it's not been stated anywhere that it's linked to the deficit being wiped out?

    Understand where you're coming from that we can't trust a word of anything they say but I'm just trying to be clear on what has actually been said and whether it was stated as being linked to wiping the deficit?

    Camerons Election Promise

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    As I understand it, these promised tax cuts will only come into force once the deficit has been cleared and the country is back in the black. By their own admissions this will not be before 2020. Expect even more cuts in the meantime.

    I've read a few articles - FT, Independent and BBC and can't see anything stating that it's dependent on the deficit being wiped out.

    Does it say this anywhere?

    Camerons Election Promise

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    He is commiting to raising the 20% to 12500 and the 40% to 50k. On top of this scrapping death tax. One has to wonder where the cuts are coming from to tackle deficit. These tax cuts will take another 7bn out of the treasury.Commitment to maintain NHS budget. So what's is in line for privatisation?

    These things for a start:

    http://www.nhsforsale.info/private-providers/private-provider-profiles-2/virgin.html

    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/02/cancer-care-nhs-outsourcing-ccgs-unison-virgin

    Wasps Nest

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    I live on the top floor of a tenement block and we have a wasps nest up on the roof (or perhaps in the loft space) meaning that we can't open the windows and are constantly finding dead wasps all over the place. I'm struggling to find a pest control company who will be able to deal with it due to the heights involved. I don't suppose anyone has any experience of one who would do such in the Broomhill/Partick area?

    I seem to be getting loads coming in and dying off over the last month or so and I'm not far from Broomhill and on the top floor of my terrace building. Wasn't sure if it was just the time of year or whether there was the possibility of a nest. Let me know how you get on. ;)

    Milliband

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    From the news clips that I spotted, the only person sounding anything like Labour was Len McCluskey from Unite Union. The unions are so far out of step with Labour that I can't honestly see why they're still backing them other than a complete lack of alternative.

    Oh.... and after it cut from the McCluskey speech in the hall it went to Mr Cridland of the CBI outside the hall in Manchester. He was conveniently talking about the need for NHS reform and part privatisation. It's a funny old labour conference!

    Stitched Up

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    Can we compile a list of the things that have appeared post indy that illustrate that we've been buggered here????

    More powers for England - Tories making this their main talking point post indyref

    LabConference - Vote Labour 2015 to save NHS from Privatisation (which apparently wasn't happening last week)

    Heriott-Watt - Yet more oil potential announced 5 days after indyref! (Yay!)

    What else?

    Labour Conference 2014

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted · Edited by AlfieMoon

    The party which has no shame....

    He said the NHS was "creaking" under David Cameron who, he said, "was not fit" to be prime minister.

    "The NHS is sliding backwards under this government," he said. "They are privatising and fragmenting it. Just think what it would look like after five more years of this government. It is not safe in their hands. We built the NHS, We saved the NHS... and we will transform the NHS for the future."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29310512

    ByK3L_TCIAAQ56b.jpg

    Independence Without A Referendum

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    I think it would probably be better for the SNP to not win the next election - if they do so, they won't be able to call a new indy ref (practically speaking, as I doubt Westminster will agree to its validity so soon after the last one) and it will make it less likely (simply on the fact that parties in government tend to stagnate and lose momentum / popularity over time) that they'll win in 2020, when calling a new referendum would be more palatable. Winning in 2016 could be a poisoned chalice, like the tories winning in 1992 was for them, or the PQ winning in Quebec in 1998.

    That may well be the case but at this moment in time I can't see how the SNP can possibly fail to win in 2016.

    Pin Badges

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    Please stay away from 45 badges as will lose us the next referendum before we even start.

    It will alienate the other 55% who you and I know has many in it that may switch over.

    I'm shaking my head in disbelief at this as YES is more than good enough.

    We are dividing the groups already.

    Wear your YES badge with pride.

    Agree with this.

    The 45 thing needs re-thinking. We're branding ourself as a minority with an issue.

    We need to be a majority and that's not the most sensible marketing to get there.

    Devo Max

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    It's difficult to see where the SNP will get the money to continue as normal. The only thing I can see that in any way gives them wriggle room is the end of the council tax freeze.

    They can't introduce tuition fees as it was central to everything Sturgeon has said.

    They've said that the prescription thing costs a lot of money to means-test. The care for the elderly and free bus pass, etc. can't really go as if you're talking about being a party of equality and universal care then that's political suicide. Again PFI in the NHS is a tough one to go back on. Police Scotland has already been centralised with a view to cost reduction so realistically it's going to be education and transport/infrastructure that are really stretched.

    Devo Max

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    The actual intention of Devo-Max in it's proper form would be Scotland taking complete control of all our finances and then effectively paying Westminster for Defence and Foreign Affairs services which would remain reserved. I'm pretty sure it was the SNP that defined this a number of years back. There would be no need for any block grant / Barnett as we'd be taking full control of finances.

    As others have said - this is not on the table and 'the vow' certainly gets nowhere near this. Current Scotland Act power transfer is taking the tax which Scotland raises from 7% up to 15%. Any additional powers from 'the vow' (which are as yet to be defined in any way) are unlikely to give us much more responsibility and even if they do, it won't really matter as Westminster hold the overall purse strings. More powers are a poisoned chalice.

    Snp Website Crashed

    in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere

    Posted

    I don't know if a Labour For Indy party is the way to go about the Westminster elections. Would it really have enough pulling power for a traditional labour voter who is determined to try and ensure the Tories don't get back in??

    In my simplistic opinion - the SNP, Greens and SSP should take a step back from the WM 2015 elections and allow a cross-party / non-party coalition to come to the fore representing Yes / Pro-Indy voices and competing against Labour up and down Scotland in a bid to get 30+ seats and be the progressive voice for Scotland at WM and really set the cat amongst the pigeons.

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