Is freezing Council tax fair to

[noahrab]

I think that politicians of all persuasions are being found out. Eventually turkeys come home to roost. SNP might still retain power through a mixture of Green second votes by those who will remain loyal to SNP

Cults (sp)

[BCram]

Is there any "set of accounts" for the Scottish Parliament.
simple stuff
Income from Westminster £2, income from local taxes £2, income from Investments £0.05=Total Income £4.05

Expenditure, Fire Service £0.01 Local Government £0.01, Health Service £0.02, Transport £0.01, Politicians etc £5 = Total Expenditure £5.05

Deficit For Year £1

they manage to show council tax expenditure in a fairly straightforward way so why not do something similar for Holyrood. Needs to be created by the politicians so that they can be held accountable and not suffer the fate of GERS which is the start of an argument.

[noahrab]

Is there any "set of accounts" for the Scottish Parliament.
simple stuff
Income from Westminster £2, income from local taxes £2, income from Investments £0.05=Total Income £4.05

Expenditure, Fire Service £0.01 Local Government £0.01, Health Service £0.02, Transport £0.01, Politicians etc £5 = Total Expenditure £5.05

Deficit For Year £1

they manage to show council tax expenditure in a fairly straightforward way so why not do something similar for Holyrood. Needs to be created by the politicians so that they can be held accountable and not suffer the fate of GERS which is the start of an argument.

We’ve been waiting since before the referendum for an economic case….still waiting.

GERS is the closest you’ll get and is considered the ‘gold standard’ by the executive…but will only tell you that if it shows a surplus.

[islaydarkblue]

[QUOTE=noahrab;40376364]We’ve been waiting since before the referendum for an economic case….still waiting.

GERS is the closest you’ll get and is considered the ‘gold standard’ by the executive…but will only tell you that if it shows a surplus.[/QUOTE
The GERS figures for Scotland are aptly named as they are similar to the financial figures when Craig Whyte was in charge of running Glasgow Rangers.
The Scottish Government would be bankrupt if it did not have the income from the Barnett Formula as the GERS figures year after year prove that the Scottish Government spends a lot more than it would have if all taxes in Scotland were sent to Holyrood instead of going to the U.K. Treasury at Westminster

[BCram]

Was hoping to keep topic away from words like Barnett and formula. Much prefer Noah's approach. Simple economic case with numbers that everyone can understand.
Freezing of tax free pay is having a massive effect on the amount collected via income tax. Supposed to be £8bn per year but now predicted to be £75bn by the time the freeze is reviewed. Policy introduced by hated Tories. How about SNP uprating allowance thresholds?

[islaydarkblue]

Was hoping to keep topic away from words like Barnett and formula. Much prefer Noah's approach. Simple economic case with numbers that everyone can understand.
Freezing of tax free pay is having a massive effect on the amount collected via income tax. Supposed to be £8bn per year but now predicted to be £75bn by the time the freeze is reviewed. Policy introduced by hated Tories. How about SNP uprating allowance thresholds?

In my opinion if the SNP had their way they would reduce the allowance thresholds because they are not interested in people trying to better themselves who they are determined to fleece to pay for for all their ‘tinpot’ plans.

[The AuldYin]

At first I thought devolved powers in the late 90's were the obvious way forward for Scotland and the possibility of eventual independence and for a while under Labour it seemed to work but then the SNP nationalists got in and it very soon starting going tits up. For me it started with the release of the Lockerbie bomber only 2 years after the SNP came to power, a decision clearly taken to stick 2 fingers up to the Yanks and Westminster. The shocking thing for me then and still is, is the power the SNP has to simply change laws without passing any scrutiny at all, no vote, no house of lords, nothing. The recent legalising of drugs without passing any form of vote especially given the fact that their own MP's or MSP's can't vote against them is unacceptable. Westminster has reined them in once or twice but the legalising of drugs is far bigger a deal than the plastic bottles fiasco, the ferries and the cocks in frocks put together. Dorothy Bain should never have the power to change laws under orders of the SNP of her own back.

[Deeranged]

At first I thought devolved powers in the late 90's were the obvious way forward for Scotland and the possibility of eventual independence and for a while under Labour it seemed to work but then the SNP nationalists got in and it very soon starting going tits up. For me it started with the release of the Lockerbie bomber only 2 years after the SNP came to power, a decision clearly taken to stick 2 fingers up to the Yanks and Westminster. The shocking thing for me then and still is, is the power the SNP has to simply change laws without passing any scrutiny at all, no vote, no house of lords, nothing. The recent legalising of drugs without passing any form of vote especially given the fact that their own MP's or MSP's can't vote against them is unacceptable. Westminster has reined them in once or twice but the legalising of drugs is far bigger a deal than the plastic bottles fiasco, the ferries and the cocks in frocks put together. Dorothy Bain should never have the power to change laws under orders of the SNP of her own back.

Which drugs have been legalised and where can they be bought legally? Asking for a friend.

[The AuldYin]

Which drugs have been legalised and where can they be bought legally? Asking for a friend.

All drugs and no idea where you can buy them, I presume from a drug dealer, the state will supply heroin free no need to buy.

[islaydarkblue]

All drugs and no idea where you can buy them, I presume from a drug dealer, the state will supply heroin free no need to buy.

I am afraid that you are wrong about this.
I enclose an article dated 7th July 2023 which states that the Scottish Government wants to decriminalise drugs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66133549
The U.K. Government have given the Scottish Government to hold a trial period of drug addicts taking illegal drugs under official supervision in drug consumption rooms in Glasgow as the SNP controlled Scottish Government have been banging on about wanting this introduced in Scotland.
It will be interesting to see what happens and if it is a success.