English Scots for YES

Jane10 I have eventually discovered where you got your £800 million figure from - a guesstimate from Tory spokesperson Murdo Fraser covering the next four years. The actual shortfall so far is £57million caused in part by the UK Government lowering the higher rates of Stamp Duty before the new Scottish Land Tax came into effect, which in turn led to a flurry of high end purchases and sales in a bid to beat the new Tax deadline. That high end sales have flatlined since is hardly surprising, but there are signs that the market is picking up again as people need to upsize, downsize or move elsewhere. Consequently the Tax take is rising.

John Swinney has admitted that the initial figures were flawed and therefore changes will be made. Worth noting that at the other end of the Housing Market i.e. small, one bed flats, business is brisk with properties changing hands at £39,500 or even £39,999 in order to pay no Land Tax at all. Perhaps bad news for the tax take but, as was intended, excellent news for 1st time buyers.

For the Scottish Government it is not all about raising as much tax as possible but rather about using their limited powers to relieve the burden on the low paid by making the better off pay more. I understand why this stance is incomprehensible to the 'winner takes all Tories' but it certainly mirrors the predominately 'left of centre' position of the majority of Scottish People.

I got my figures from the Scotsman. A widely read and well researched national newspaper. You should read it sometime.

I used to have the Scotsman delivered daily, way back when it was a Liberal Newspaper and indeed at that time well respected. Later it became a mouthpiece for the Labour Party and steadily lost readership (including me) thereafter. Now it is nothing but a Unionist rag, on the verge of bankruptcy, which allows the most disgusting, misogynist, foul, threatening comments to appear unchecked under articles and reports. No way is it a quality newspaper now, I am surprised that someone like yourself would allow it in your home.

I actually found the quote from Murdo Fraser in the Daily Mail, (another fine unionist paper) then googled further to find out the truth of the matter, via sources such as the FT, Scottish Government and Scottish Estate Agents web sites. Perhaps you should look a little further than the biased SNPBAD spin of your Chosen News Paper before posting such things as facts.

Of course the £57m (doesn't sound much when said quickly)shortfall deficit or the to the bone cuts have nothing to do with snp refusing to raise the Council tax even once in the last 10 years ?

Although I decided after the Scottish referendum not to get involved in the politics threads again, I have read some (and only some - I am 65 and have limited time left) of this thread, and would like to put in my tuppence-worth. I do not recognise the "divisive" nature of the Scottish referendum referred to by some - I voted in a different way from some of my friends and we discussed things and agreed amicably to differ. We are still friends. The SNP is a political party among others and can be blamed for some things but not, as some of you seem to think, for everything from the Rape Clause to Armageddon by way of Boris Johnston.

nigglynellie, you may hate the SNP, and you are entitled to do so, but can I just point out that MSPs sit in Holyrood, not Westminster, as does Nicola Sturgeon. As FarNorth points out, the SNP MPs were duly elected to serve in Westminster and are as entitled to say their piece as anyone else there.

Finally, well done as always to Granny 23 who is a star at explaining Scottish politics in a way that is easy to understand!

I don't HATE anybody, but yes you're right I do dislike them, which is a pity as I have Scottish in laws, of whom I am very fond, and have spent many happy visits to the West coast on a number of occasions. It will be very sad when the day comes that they will be foreigners, and Scotland a foreign country; BUT, if that's what the majority want then so be it!

when, I'm glad you've had the same experience I've had. No bitter divide and no aggro locally.

Given the comments of some posters who seem to have seen violence and nastiness,
I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought the referendum went well.

I second your commendation of G23's posts!

So often on politics threads I've seen posters wishing for a credible 3rd party as they are so disillusioned with Tory and Labour. I feel we were offered that middle party and we opted for it. It's far from perfect but all things considered I believe we have the better deal.

It is indeed extremely far from perfect and SNP have had 10 years in which to demonstrate just that.
Sturgeon has said that she wants to be judged on her record in improving educational attainment- todays figure of 700 teaching vacancies aren't exactly going to help that. We're judging.

inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/scotland-bans-private-firms-benefit-assessments/

Well done, Scotland.

Well said ??

No bitter divide or agro where I live either.

I was told recently that when the SNP won its 56 seats, out of 59 in Scotland, many English MPs believed they would immediately declare that to be justification for Independence.

That didn't happen because the No result at the referendum, only 8 months previously, was being respected.

Since then, it has become obvious that the government has no intention of respecting that result in any way, other than expecting Scotland to put up and shut up.

"Blair did, albeit reluctantly, introduce devolution to Scotland and Wales. But given the measure was meant to kill off support for independence, this cannot be said to have been a roaring success – and those who have most benefited from devolution seem least willing to thank him for it."

From this article

theconversationuk.cmail20.com/t/r-l-yuirxx-iudkikukhu-k/

An interesting article dj but I'm not sure what its point was. I was quite happy with the Labour led Scottish Parliament. If only Donald Dewar and John Smith had lived.

Dewar and Smith thought devolution would put the Independence question to bed for once and all .It didn't.The fact they also colluded with Blair to move our territorial waters so we "lost" several oilfield s,didn't help their cause either.I just popped in to thank you all for your contributions to the thread.Its always good to hear other peoples opinions...even those who were insulting and downright rude.If we are meant to get Independence we will and then our work will begin.Its about making OUR choices for our country ,our own mistakes and good or bad they will be our choices to make and not imposed on us by the 80 odd % of non scottish MP's at Westminster .It would be better for us all if we can be good neighbours than auld enemies .

Jane, I only put the link to the article on the post to save others asking where I got the quote from. The point of the post was that it was Blair who started the devolution process because he wanted to get rid of support for independence.
Didn't work, did it?
It would be interesting to find out what he thinks about his main legacy. Has he said anything yet?
On Monday it will be twenty years since he became PM.

Oh Dear Jane10 Donald Dewar made mistake after mistake ,look at his vanity project- the Holyrood Parliament building ...mainly his choice of style and architect and HOW many times over budget was it? Most of us who are pro independence would have far preffered the the a building that suited the city of Edinburgh rather than the monstrosity he gave us ,we'd even have been happy with a second hand building as WE believed what went on INSIDE it was far more important than how it looked ...or how much we'd paid for it

Oh dear paddyann and other SNP apologists. What a disaster SNP has been for the country. 10 years and education, health and the economy all suffering. Its infuriating how they continue to push out the spin and baffling how blind followers continue to suck it all up.

paddyann. Why is so wrong for the UK to vote to leave the EU, and so right for Scotland to leave the UK. Judging by your post we both want the same thing, for us its freedom from Brussels for you its freedom from Westminster, Why is the same sentiment fine for you, but beyond appalling for us?

It's not the same sentiment at all. Scotland wants to stay in the EU, and was promised such before the referendum.
It was specifically told that the only way for it to stay in the EU was to vote to stay in the union.
I can remember that, and I have no links to the SNP.

Am sure that in a few years Scotland will have another referendum but the SNP will have to accept the outcome with good grace if the vote is to stay within the UK.

As a 'blind follower who continues to suck it up' I'd like to thank DJ for the link at 00.23.58. I have passed it on to DD who is currently fighting to get the results of a PIP assessment.
You'll note that I did say earlier that the SG is not perfect but I honestly believe that the alternative is appalling.

Ps I am happy with the way NHS Scotland is dealing with my daughter's condition both with timely and efficient hospital admissions and treatments, as well as a supportive Gp who frequently visits her at home!
My DGCs are thriving in a modern well-equipped LA primary school in reasonable sized classes with excellent staff and less than a ten-minute walk from home.

*jane108 its sad you believe the westminster/unionist spin on the state of affairs in Scotland its certainly NOT the experience of people I know ,my grandaughters attend a school where the average class size is 15 ,the NHS is outperforming the NHS in the rest of the UK with over 93% of patients at A and E seen ,sent to a ward or discharged within the 4 hour guidlines as to the economy ....were far better off here with the Scottish government mitigating the effects of austerity than under the tories elsewhere in the UK ...as they say.There none so blind as those who WILL NOT see .The SNP bad brigade will never accept that they have done more in 10 years for Scotland than Labour did in the 70 years previous.Have a closer look at the corruption in labour led councils several of which are under investigation,including North Lanarkshire,Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire ..then there are the failings of many more .Its FACT ,its in the public domain but still you refuse to accept it .

Paddyann We're equally delusional then.
Let's just 'suck up' the abject failures in education and NHS Scotland.
We must be believing the spin and not the evidence of our own experiences.