After calling for

[islaydarkblue]

But we have a devolved parliament.

The Scottish Parliament only does 40% of the work that is carried out at Westminster despite the MSPs being paid 57% of a Westminster MPs salary.
The Scottish MPs at Westminster receive the same salary as their fellow MPs but are only responsible for 60% of the work.

[Deeranged]

Deeranged.
I despair with you.
I know a person who lives in Holland and she told me that VAT is charged on all all food on sale in Holland.
It is a well known fact that the U.K. achieved the opt outs I have listed but if you will not accept them then there is no point in me wasting my time trying to have a sensible discussion with you.
You are like the rest of the Pro Independence supporters throughout Scotland who think that everything will be far better once Scotland leaves the U.K. becomes an independent country.
Independence is for life not for a five year term and then go crawling back and begging to rejoin the the U.K. because it is not what the SNP and Green MSPs and SNP MPs said it would be.
What happens if the Scotch whisky industry suffers another major downturn as happened n the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Not sure but last time I checked we were not Holland. How Holland raises its taxes is an issue for Holland and the Dutch people. There is no certainty that Scotland would do the same.

Why wouldn't an independent Scotland within the EU be able to negotiate its own conditions? Is it written in statute that the Dutch model must be applied?

All industries experience downturns (with the exception of the corrupt banking sector of course), I work in oil and gas and know that from bitter experience - but somehow the industry always seems to find a way back, usually by adapting to conditions and riding it out as it's doing right now.

Will the UK be a better country now that the Tory dream of 'FREEDOM' from the EU has been achieved? Let's be honest, you have no idea.

[Deeranged]

The Scottish Parliament only does 40% of the work that is carried out at Westminster despite the MSPs being paid 57% of a Westminster MPs salary.
The Scottish MPs at Westminster receive the same salary as their fellow MPs but are only responsible for 60% of the work.

I do approximately 60% of the work that someone junior to me does yet I receive over 50% greater salary.

So what's your point? You take the best job you can get at the best salary you can get. Salaries also have to be set at a level that makes the qualified person interested in filling the post. Otherwise they go elsewhere.

[deecom]

i joined the Scottish National Party in 1965 when Arthur Donaldson, {Dundee born }was the leader.
i always dreamt that one day we would become The Republic of Scotland.
i never kept up my membership, but myself and many others continued to vote for SNP candidates that would not be elected,
but this helped to raise the profile of the party to where it is today.
i have many friends who are active with the SNP, but i have become disillusioned with the SNP.
I have a few gripes, but the main two are,-....
i do not see the point of becoming independent, then being dictated by the EU.
The one that upsets me most is the LOCAL INCOME TAX which was in the 2009 manifesto, at last we had politicians thinking outside the box. then after talks with other parties they reneged on the policy.
the local income tax was a fair proportional tax which was based on your income.
now forevermore we have a property tax that is based on the value of your house and your area, your income or ability to pay is not considered.

[Returnofrros]

i joined the Scottish National Party in 1965 when Arthur Donaldson, {Dundee born }was the leader.
i always dreamt that one day we would become The Republic of Scotland.
i never kept up my membership, but myself and many others continued to vote for SNP candidates that would not be elected,
but this helped to raise the profile of the party to where it is today.
i have many friends who are active with the SNP, but i have become disillusioned with the SNP.
I have a few gripes, but the main two are,-....
i do not see the point of becoming independent, then being dictated by the EU.
The one that upsets me most is the LOCAL INCOME TAX which was in the 2009 manifesto, at last we had politicians thinking outside the box. then after talks with other parties they reneged on the policy.
the local income tax was a fair proportional tax which was based on your income.
now forevermore we have a property tax that is based on the value of your house and your area, your income or ability to pay is not considered.

Local income tax also a biggee for me.

They took easy option and continue to take easy option.

They are inmho out of control as a political party now.

I've never wanted a party to get their cumuppence as much as this mob.

[Deeranged]

They are inmho out of control as a political party now.

I've never wanted a party to get their cumuppence as much as this mob.

This.

[islaydarkblue]

I do approximately 60% in my opinion he should hof the work that someone junior to me does yet I receive over 50% greater salary.

So what's your point? You take the best job you can get at the best salary you can get. Salaries also have to be set at a level that makes the qualified person interested in filling the post. Otherwise they go elsewhere.

I will try to explain it for you.
If an MSP at Holyrood does 40% of the work of an MP at Westminster they should be receiving a salary which is 40% of the salary of a Westminster MP.
Derek MacKay the disgraced former cabinet secretary for Finance is still claiming his £81,000 salary plus expenses despite having not set foot in Holyrood since he stepped down earlier this year. The should have immediately lost his promoted post increase in his salary as he was replaced as the cabinet secretary by Kate Forbes.
In my opinion Derek MacKay should have been forced to resign as an MSP with a by election taking place as he is not looking after the needs of his constituents. However as usual no politicians do the honourable thing and resign preferring to hang on and receive their substantial salary paid for by the taxpayer until they are forced to go.
Derek MacKay will likely be hanging on as an MSP until the Scottish Government elections in May 2021.

[Deeranged]

I will try to explain it for you.
If an MSP at Holyrood does 40% of the work of an MP at Westminster they should be receiving a salary which is 40% of the salary of a Westminster MP.

They're different jobs.

If someone works in ASDA filling shelves 40 hours per week and someone else works as a dentist 20 hours per week should the dentist get 50% of the earnings that the ASDA employee does?

[Deeranged]

I will try to explain it for you.
If an MSP at Holyrood does 40% of the work of an MP at Westminster they should be receiving a salary which is 40% of the salary of a Westminster MP.
Derek MacKay the disgraced former cabinet secretary for Finance is still claiming his £81,000 salary plus expenses despite having not set foot in Holyrood since he stepped down earlier this year. The should have immediately lost his promoted post increase in his salary as he was replaced as the cabinet secretary by Kate Forbes.
In my opinion Derek MacKay should have been forced to resign as an MSP with a by election taking place as he is not looking after the needs of his constituents. However as usual no politicians do the honourable thing and resign preferring to hang on and receive their substantial salary paid for by the taxpayer until they are forced to go.
Derek MacKay will likely be hanging on as an MSP until the Scottish Government elections in May 2021.

And please stop with the patronising 'I will try to explain it for you' stuff. It belittles us both.

[BCram]

Local income tax also a biggee for me.

They took easy option and continue to take easy option.

They are inmho out of control as a political party now.

I've never wanted a party to get their cumuppence as much as this mob.

When I studied economics in the late 60's one of the topics was how to collect local taxes so that there was an element t of local accountability. Local rates for sales tax, this was before vat, and local income tax were 2 popular options. When we went through all the problems that both these alternative options created a tax based on where you lived was the most difficult to avoid and the simplest and cheapest to administer. There are problems with falling income in old age and the likelihood that the value of the property is high with high counc il tax rates but local sales taxes and local income tax seemed to provide so many ways to cheat or manipulate your taxes that what we have as a local property tax seems sensible.
Better to change the people in charge than change the basis of taxation IMO.