The people of Scotland gave the Scottish government the go ahead to put their full backing and support behind the independence 'agenda' by overwhelmingly electing them
The people of Scotland gave the Scottish government the go ahead to put their full backing and support behind the independence 'agenda' by overwhelmingly electing them
With a 45% share of the <insert your word> vote, and a 9 seat majority...
.. the SNP were not overwhelmingly elected.
Most popular, though less than 50% of the vote, and managed to gain a mild seat majority.
Yes - if you want Scandinavian levels of spending then you must also accept that you need Scandinavian levels of taxation.
Otherwise you are simply fooling yourself.
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages. It was just that the figure you quoted was very specific. Anyway as I've said in an earlier post I believe the potential to persuade Scots to accept the higher taxation is quite promising yes, if they can be persuaded that it's for the good of society as a whole.
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages. It was just that the figure you quoted was very specific. Anyway as I've said in an earlier post I believe the potential to persuade Scots to accept the higher taxation is quite promising yes, if they can be persuaded that it's for the good of society as a whole.
I think you've got no chance of persuading Scots; we're not this left of centre nation, more conservative with a small "c".
Which party is going to propose this high tax, high wages approach?
the political carrot of offering lower taxes as an incentive to vote for a certain party cannot go on forever, comes to a point when we notice the reduction in services and feel willing to pay a little more in for the greater good (a little more, not loads) or end up coughing up money to pay for more & more to be done privately lining the pockets of the few ... OK there is no perfect model but you can only fool the public that lower taxation giving lower services is good for so long ... until questions flood in
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages.
Would you accept higher taxation without the higher wages - forgive me if I am wrong but you come across as wanting Scandinavian levels of welfare without the loss of personal income due to Scandinavian levels of taxation.
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages. It was just that the figure you quoted was very specific. Anyway as I've said in an earlier post I believe the potential to persuade Scots to accept the higher taxation is quite promising yes, if they can be persuaded that it's for the good of society as a whole.
i think it was a suggestion of say going from 20 - 25%, as an example of higher taxes to pay for stuff.
i don;'t think the actual figure is that important, or meant as a specific one.
Say VAT rising from 20% to 25-35%, take your pick.
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages. It was just that the figure you quoted was very specific. Anyway as I've said in an earlier post I believe the potential to persuade Scots to accept the higher taxation is quite promising yes, if they can be persuaded that it's for the good of society as a whole.
With a job starved North East and West of Englnd not too far away, you risk pushing commerce south of the border if too much. Globalism, drives to the bottom, hence Ireland schlopping up EU Corporation Tax dodgers. If postal services remain similar, there may be lots of Amazoning down to Northumberland/Carlisle with fulfilment back to Scotland.
Would you accept higher taxation without the higher wages - forgive me if I am wrong but you come across as wanting Scandinavian levels of welfare without the loss of personal income due to Scandinavian levels of taxation.
No because part of the problem is that wages are too low so if taxes were higher a lot of revenue would be lost because too many people wouldn't be paying taxes because they don't earn enough. In Scandinavia yes taxes are higher but wages are higher also and that aside people in general are wealthier which you don't see for a whole section of society in the UK. I don't accept that the majority of ordinary working people would see a loss of personal income with wealth redistribution. It would be those who are currently receiving at the higher end of the wage scale who might see a loss in personal income but like I said I do believe that in Scotland you could get enough people in society to back that. There have already been folk from business coming out in support for these suggestions.
With a job starved North East and West of Englnd not too far away, you risk pushing commerce south of the border if too much. Globalism, drives to the bottom, hence Ireland schlopping up EU Corporation Tax dodgers. If postal services remain similar, there may be lots of Amazoning down to Northumberland/Carlisle with fulfilment back to Scotland.
If there's money to be made in Scotland then business will come. Norway is still attractive to business because they have economic policy designed to make sure that it is. It isn't involved in a mad race to the bottom that attracts the type of business that isn't very good for the economy in the first place but it still attracts business and has an economy much more powerful than Scotland's currently under the UK"s tax regime. You do what you can to make a place attractive to business but you also need to make sure there is a balance with looking after people's welfare as well.
It would be those who are currently receiving at the higher end of the wage scale who might see a loss in personal income but like I said I do believe that in Scotland you could get enough people in society to back that.
Hmm, so you want high levels of welfare spending paid for by a 'tax the rich' policy. Has it occurred that the reason that Norway and Sweden etc have VAT rates of 25% is precisely because they cannot generate enough income from simply taxing the rich - widespread taxes like VAT etc are the only way to get enough revenue in to pay for the levels of spending we see.
No because part of the problem is that wages are too low so if taxes were higher a lot of revenue would be lost because too many people wouldn't be paying taxes because they don't earn enough. In Scandinavia yes taxes are higher but wages are higher also and that aside people in general are wealthier which you don't see for a whole section of society in the UK. I don't accept that the majority of ordinary working people would see a loss of personal income with wealth redistribution. It would be those who are currently receiving at the higher end of the wage scale who might see a loss in personal income but like I said I do believe that in Scotland you could get enough people in society to back that. There have already been folk from business coming out in support for these suggestions.
That'll be why the immigrant underclass were rioting earlier in the year in Sweden......was it?
Hmm, so you want high levels of welfare spending paid for by a 'tax the rich' policy. Has it occurred that the reason that Norway and Sweden etc have VAT rates of 25% is precisely because they cannot generate enough income from simply taxing the rich - widespread taxes like VAT etc are the only way to get enough revenue in to pay for the levels of spending we see.
No you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm saying that low wages are a serious problem when it comes to raising revenue and therefore and we need to look at ways of tackling it. Low wages put a strain on the state whereas in Scandinavia higher wages mean that there is not the same state subsidy required while more revenue is collected. If you're asking me would I mind paying Norwegian levels of VAT my answer still is no I wouldn't mind. The choice is low taxation and a low standard of living like we see in the UK. Or alternatively we can invest in our society in order to make it fairer and more prosperous, for everyone, instead of the few.
No you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm saying that low wages are a serious problem when it comes to raising revenue and therefore and we need to look at ways of tackling it. Low wages put a strain on the state whereas in Scandinavia higher wages mean that there is not the same state subsidy required while more revenue is collected. If you're asking me would I mind paying Norwegian levels of VAT my answer still is no I wouldn't mind. The choice is low taxation and a low standard of living like we see in the UK. Or alternatively we can invest in our society in order to make it fairer and more prosperous, for everyone, instead of the few.
It's not low wages that is the problem, it's the high price of houses, and the cascade effect on private and council rent, sucking money out of the real economy.
Low build, ESP. Of new council houses, and a Stalinist dictat outlawing counci house sales in the future, will do nothing to resolve.
Only a build of up to 500,000 new vanilla council houses (no housing assoc crap or subsidised mortgage or purchase), that will resolve this over a generation. With a right to buy after 10 years, and push the sales revenue back in over and above. A gradual deflation over the years, removing property bubble, and returning an economy to normal, where normal people can afford an average house.
Comments
Google is your friend. You brought it up , you find out;)
It's say from 30-200 years
So revise the statement to be "Some Scottish food exports are increasing all the time".
Hopefully the Industry visit by the UK Agriculture Secretary and trade body to Russia this week, will put UK and Scottish Beef back on Russian plates.
it is not just food
Some are up, some are down, some flat.
For some years overall is up, some years it is down. Much likely down to the recession.
"exports are increasing all the time" is an incorrect statement, and smells like rhetoric.
With a 45% share of the <insert your word> vote, and a 9 seat majority...
.. the SNP were not overwhelmingly elected.
Most popular, though less than 50% of the vote, and managed to gain a mild seat majority.
They have a majority government, that's as overwhelming as it gets or matters
Not really. Of course things go up and down, same as any other country. Scotland is no different in that respect
They are in power, by a seat majority of 9, with a 45% minority of the <insert your word> vote.
It's not overwhelming, that is a wholly wrong word to use.
An overwhelming majority would be, say, an <insert your choice of word> vote share of 75%, and 100 of the 129 seats.
I don't want to stoop to pedantry and ratch out an internet dictionary, but it is self-evidently not.
It is a mild seat majority, which is enough to get SNP sponsored stuff through, with a touch of MSP whipping if required.
I agree with you and support higher taxation, alongside higher wages. It was just that the figure you quoted was very specific. Anyway as I've said in an earlier post I believe the potential to persuade Scots to accept the higher taxation is quite promising yes, if they can be persuaded that it's for the good of society as a whole.
I think you've got no chance of persuading Scots; we're not this left of centre nation, more conservative with a small "c".
Which party is going to propose this high tax, high wages approach?
Too late.
Would you accept higher taxation without the higher wages - forgive me if I am wrong but you come across as wanting Scandinavian levels of welfare without the loss of personal income due to Scandinavian levels of taxation.
i think it was a suggestion of say going from 20 - 25%, as an example of higher taxes to pay for stuff.
i don;'t think the actual figure is that important, or meant as a specific one.
Say VAT rising from 20% to 25-35%, take your pick.
Similar to rises in Spain recently, for example.
With a job starved North East and West of Englnd not too far away, you risk pushing commerce south of the border if too much. Globalism, drives to the bottom, hence Ireland schlopping up EU Corporation Tax dodgers. If postal services remain similar, there may be lots of Amazoning down to Northumberland/Carlisle with fulfilment back to Scotland.
No because part of the problem is that wages are too low so if taxes were higher a lot of revenue would be lost because too many people wouldn't be paying taxes because they don't earn enough. In Scandinavia yes taxes are higher but wages are higher also and that aside people in general are wealthier which you don't see for a whole section of society in the UK. I don't accept that the majority of ordinary working people would see a loss of personal income with wealth redistribution. It would be those who are currently receiving at the higher end of the wage scale who might see a loss in personal income but like I said I do believe that in Scotland you could get enough people in society to back that. There have already been folk from business coming out in support for these suggestions.
If there's money to be made in Scotland then business will come. Norway is still attractive to business because they have economic policy designed to make sure that it is. It isn't involved in a mad race to the bottom that attracts the type of business that isn't very good for the economy in the first place but it still attracts business and has an economy much more powerful than Scotland's currently under the UK"s tax regime. You do what you can to make a place attractive to business but you also need to make sure there is a balance with looking after people's welfare as well.
Hmm, so you want high levels of welfare spending paid for by a 'tax the rich' policy. Has it occurred that the reason that Norway and Sweden etc have VAT rates of 25% is precisely because they cannot generate enough income from simply taxing the rich - widespread taxes like VAT etc are the only way to get enough revenue in to pay for the levels of spending we see.
That'll be why the immigrant underclass were rioting earlier in the year in Sweden......was it?
No you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm saying that low wages are a serious problem when it comes to raising revenue and therefore and we need to look at ways of tackling it. Low wages put a strain on the state whereas in Scandinavia higher wages mean that there is not the same state subsidy required while more revenue is collected. If you're asking me would I mind paying Norwegian levels of VAT my answer still is no I wouldn't mind. The choice is low taxation and a low standard of living like we see in the UK. Or alternatively we can invest in our society in order to make it fairer and more prosperous, for everyone, instead of the few.
It's not low wages that is the problem, it's the high price of houses, and the cascade effect on private and council rent, sucking money out of the real economy.
Low build, ESP. Of new council houses, and a Stalinist dictat outlawing counci house sales in the future, will do nothing to resolve.
Only a build of up to 500,000 new vanilla council houses (no housing assoc crap or subsidised mortgage or purchase), that will resolve this over a generation. With a right to buy after 10 years, and push the sales revenue back in over and above. A gradual deflation over the years, removing property bubble, and returning an economy to normal, where normal people can afford an average house.