2019 General Election,

[Jupiter]

The Tories seem to specialise in opportunism and believing in their own bullsh1t.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla...itics-50705425

Well that's never going to happen, she is a vastly overrated numpty.

[stewarty27]

I know it's the SNP position to hold an Independence Referendum next year as it's clearly stated in their manifesto. I'm just curious as to why you would say the opposite when you made the claim that there is no independence referendum proposed?

Read what I said RZ I'm not saying the opposite what I'm saying is this is a general election and the purpose of that is to election a Government and prime minister of the UK. The decision whether the Scottish people get the right to decide their own future is an argument for another day. Of course its in the SNP manifesto that is their raison d'etre ! If you listen to any SNP spokesperson you will hear the main trust of their campaign is Brexit and domestic issues such as poverty the NHS etc . The reality is its the other parties particularly the Tories who are pushing the Indy question. Where I come close to agreeing with you is the timing of any Indyref2 do we... wait to see how a post Brexit pans out or act to stop untold damage being done to our Country . I know folk are scunnered with the whole political situ in these Islands but in saying that the people of Scotland have a massive decision to make on the 12th and that decision is who will be in Downing St.

[donsdaft]

Almost right.

The people of Scotland get to watch as the English choose our future for us.

Which is what the majority of Scots want as the English know better.

[Red Zone]

Read what I said RZ I'm not saying the opposite what I'm saying is this is a general election and the purpose of that is to election a Government and prime minister of the UK. The decision whether the Scottish people get the right to decide their own future is an argument for another day. Of course its in the SNP manifesto that is their raison d'etre ! If you listen to any SNP spokesperson you will hear the main trust of their campaign is Brexit and domestic issues such as poverty the NHS etc . The reality is its the other parties particularly the Tories who are pushing the Indy question. Where I come close to agreeing with you is the timing of any Indyref2 do we... wait to see how a post Brexit pans out or act to stop untold damage being done to our Country . I know folk are scunnered with the whole political situ in these Islands but in saying that the people of Scotland have a massive decision to make on the 12th and that decision is who will be in Downing St.

I apologise Stewarty, if I have misunderstood what you were saying.

I agree with you that the question of whether and when another Independence Referendum is held should be had in the future regardless of whether it's the devil or the deep blue sea that ends up in No 10 later this week. For me we should have a reasonable idea where we stand re Brexit at the time of the next Scottish parliament elections so it would seem logical to me that the outcome of those elections determine the way forward for Scotland.

I think scunnered is a big understatement and I can still foresee a surprise on Friday morning as a result of tactical voting in England that could well leave us back at square one as far as Westminster gridlock and wouldn't at all be surprised if we are looking at another election next year.

[InversneckieDob]

Personally speaking, leaving all policy aside, I have never lived through an election campaign with such a paucity of integrity and decency..........and I lived through the darkest years of Thatcher/Hailsham/Saatchi & Saatchi etc.

There is a cabal of singularly ill-equipped careerists, sound-biting and spinning their way to the trough with a view to guiding the country through the biggest peacetime crisis, pretty much ever.

I'm no lover of the SNP, when Salmond dropped the policy of re-regulating public transport (a fuc king MASSIVE issue in the Highlands) in return for a bunch of wedge from the odious Brian Soutar, that was me done forever.......or so I thought.

But I've voted for them the last few times, because it is just time to get our @rses out from under Westminster.

My argument against an independent Scotland was always that I had more in common with, say, a joiner from Sheffield or a brickie from Gateshead than I had with scum like Rifkind, Forsyth or Lang.

Sadly, said joiner and brickie now seem to have bought wholeheartedly into the Frarage led misdirection ....... "Capitalism? No, no, nowt to do with Capitalism Chief. The reason your life sucks is cos of all those bally immigrants".

I dream of a world, a land, an undefined land mass of indeterminate size........in which politicians govern on a basis of collectivism and common-good......like grown ups.

That's never going to happen while we're shackled to the UK, where being a politician seems to mean standing on one side of the house or t'other shouting "Yah boo......go team".

It's probably a pipe dream in an independent Scotland, but as a wise man once said, if you aim for the stars you might hit the ceiling.

2019, Food Banks are viewed as normal.

Food. Banks. Are. Normal.

It's sh1te state of affairs to be in Tommy and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fu ck ing difference.

Let's at least try to hit the ceiling, eh?

[stewarty27]

Just an observation from last nights BBC debate. The BBC up to their old tricks again whilst the whole panel were answering a question from the3 audience on housing the presenter hit the SNP's Humza Yousaf with a bang out of order hijack. Tell me about Scotland deficit she asked. Thankfully Humza gave her short shrift. But I will talk about the so called deficit firstly Scotland does not have a deficit that belongs to WM fact ! the Scottish Government operates a balanced budget, the deficit they claim exists is money spent by Westminster not Scotland much of it on expenditure for items that bring no benefit for Scotland like Hs2 and Trident, also huge amounts of money for interest payments for Westminster debt. Debt that we never created and which we will have no legal responsibility to pay for once we are independent but it will probably be negotiated depending on us getting our fair share of assets.
How a Parliament that operates a balanced budget and was for a long period legally barred from borrowing could be responsible for this deficit.Try explaining why Scotland should pay for train links between London and Birmingham, perhaps at some future date Leeds, or why spending £200 billion on Trident, a weapons system totally opposed in Scotland and which would be quickly removed from an Independent Scotland should be charged to Scotland. London cross rail and many other things that will never benefit Scotland. While we are at it we could ask what the especially unique inability Scotland has, that makes it impossible for Scotland to successfully create its own currency just like all the countries that operate their own currencies today, many of whom are much poorer and smaller than Scotland? For good measure we might mention how deeply insulting it is telling Scots that we are uniquely ill equipped to do what countries all over the World have successfully done for themselves. This one should be right up your StraBe Red Zone

[mondo_notion]

No offence Stewarty but try hitting 'Enter' a few times while writing your posts. I want to read your post but when I see this...

Just an observation from last nights BBC debate. The BBC up to their old tricks again whilst the whole panel were answering a question from the3 audience on housing the presenter hit the SNP's Humza Yousaf with a bang out of order hijack. Tell me about Scotland deficit she asked. Thankfully Humza gave her short shrift. But I will talk about the so called deficit firstly Scotland does not have a deficit that belongs to WM fact ! the Scottish Government operates a balanced budget, the deficit they claim exists is money spent by Westminster not Scotland much of it on expenditure for items that bring no benefit for Scotland like Hs2 and Trident, also huge amounts of money for interest payments for Westminster debt. Debt that we never created and which we will have no legal responsibility to pay for once we are independent but it will probably be negotiated depending on us getting our fair share of assets.
How a Parliament that operates a balanced budget and was for a long period legally barred from borrowing could be responsible for this deficit.Try explaining why Scotland should pay for train links between London and Birmingham, perhaps at some future date Leeds, or why spending £200 billion on Trident, a weapons system totally opposed in Scotland and which would be quickly removed from an Independent Scotland should be charged to Scotland. London cross rail and many other things that will never benefit Scotland. While we are at it we could ask what the especially unique inability Scotland has, that makes it impossible for Scotland to successfully create its own currency just like all the countries that operate their own currencies today, many of whom are much poorer and smaller than Scotland? For good measure we might mention how deeply insulting it is telling Scots that we are uniquely ill equipped to do what countries all over the World have successfully done for themselves. This one should be right up your StraBe Red Zone

..I must admit I just skip it.

[donsdaft]

Thank God for the paragraph Police.

Mondo is right enough, it does help.

[Red Zone]

Just an observation from last nights BBC debate. The BBC up to their old tricks again whilst the whole panel were answering a question from the3 audience on housing the presenter hit the SNP's Humza Yousaf with a bang out of order hijack. Tell me about Scotland deficit she asked. Thankfully Humza gave her short shrift. But I will talk about the so called deficit firstly Scotland does not have a deficit that belongs to WM fact ! the Scottish Government operates a balanced budget, the deficit they claim exists is money spent by Westminster not Scotland much of it on expenditure for items that bring no benefit for Scotland like Hs2 and Trident, also huge amounts of money for interest payments for Westminster debt. Debt that we never created and which we will have no legal responsibility to pay for once we are independent but it will probably be negotiated depending on us getting our fair share of assets.
How a Parliament that operates a balanced budget and was for a long period legally barred from borrowing could be responsible for this deficit.Try explaining why Scotland should pay for train links between London and Birmingham, perhaps at some future date Leeds, or why spending £200 billion on Trident, a weapons system totally opposed in Scotland and which would be quickly removed from an Independent Scotland should be charged to Scotland. London cross rail and many other things that will never benefit Scotland. While we are at it we could ask what the especially unique inability Scotland has, that makes it impossible for Scotland to successfully create its own currency just like all the countries that operate their own currencies today, many of whom are much poorer and smaller than Scotland? For good measure we might mention how deeply insulting it is telling Scots that we are uniquely ill equipped to do what countries all over the World have successfully done for themselves. This one should be right up your StraBe Red Zone

I didn't watch the programme because I am bored sh1tless hearing the same cr@p from all parties so can't comment on the specific question or response.

You are of course correct to say that it is a UK budget deficit and that Scotland itself does not have a deficit. GERS is an attempt to allocate the UK budget surplus/deficit across the 12 UK regions. I have commented previously on the inherent flaws and estimates that are required to arrive at the GERS estimates so won't repeat them here.

What I might surmise is that the question was referring to the Growth Commission report by Brian Wilson where he estimated that after allowing for reduced spend on defence and debt interest that Scotland would begin life as an independent country with a budget deficit of 6% of GDP. Of course how that 6% is managed down to the EU requirement of 3% for all members was what caused the big debate at the time as to whether spending cuts would be required in an independent Scotland or whether future economic growth would reduce the deficit.

As to your currency question, I am not sure who has said it is impossible to have our own currency. Many have queried, rightly or wrongly, the risks associated with that e.g. where do the central bank reserves come from? what will the Scottish currency value be against the UK currency (given that will be the biggest trading currency and indeed where many people's work pensions may come from) etc etc but I don't think anyone has said it is impossible to have our own currency.

Always happy to advise (once I had figured out your German )

[Aldo1983]

Personally speaking, leaving all policy aside, I have never lived through an election campaign with such a paucity of integrity and decency..........and I lived through the darkest years of Thatcher/Hailsham/Saatchi & Saatchi etc.

There is a cabal of singularly ill-equipped careerists, sound-biting and spinning their way to the trough with a view to guiding the country through the biggest peacetime crisis, pretty much ever.

I'm no lover of the SNP, when Salmond dropped the policy of re-regulating public transport (a fuc king MASSIVE issue in the Highlands) in return for a bunch of wedge from the odious Brian Soutar, that was me done forever.......or so I thought.

But I've voted for them the last few times, because it is just time to get our @rses out from under Westminster.

My argument against an independent Scotland was always that I had more in common with, say, a joiner from Sheffield or a brickie from Gateshead than I had with scum like Rifkind, Forsyth or Lang.

Sadly, said joiner and brickie now seem to have bought wholeheartedly into the Frarage led misdirection ....... "Capitalism? No, no, nowt to do with Capitalism Chief. The reason your life sucks is cos of all those bally immigrants".

I dream of a world, a land, an undefined land mass of indeterminate size........in which politicians govern on a basis of collectivism and common-good......like grown ups.

That's never going to happen while we're shackled to the UK, where being a politician seems to mean standing on one side of the house or t'other shouting "Yah boo......go team".

It's probably a pipe dream in an independent Scotland, but as a wise man once said, if you aim for the stars you might hit the ceiling.

2019, Food Banks are viewed as normal.

Food. Banks. Are. Normal.

It's sh1te state of affairs to be in Tommy and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fu ck ing difference.

Let's at least try to hit the ceiling, eh?

Excellent use of the enter key.

Also a fabulous post.