Just Saying...

The tory paradox with devolution is that it has to be seen as successful and failing at the same time. They give us just enough of our money/power back to claim they are helping, knowing that it is just enough to make sure we fail.

They gave us tax-raising powers so they can complain if we don't use them and tell us we're failing if we do use them. They pretend that they are pro-devolution while we all know they hate it. They only claim it has failed in Scotland because they aren't in control of running it.

It happened in London, Tory Mayor and Tory Government equal loads of money for London from Westminster while claiming that only the tories can be successful in running a devolved area. Now they have a Labour Mayor and a Tory Government which equals cuts to funding from Westminster unless they raise prices for transport etc just so they can claim Labour is failing the people of London.

The tories are the party of Divide and Rule.

They can't have a smaller part of the UK being more successful than the larger part so they tell the bigger part that the smaller part is spending their money, implying that the smaller part isn't paying their fair share. While at the same time using Scotland's resources to help fund the fuel crisis help. It can't be both, we can't be too poor to look after 5.5m people while helping out 65m people.

They do it with the "class" system, turning like against like. They have working people attacking people on benefits so we don't look at their tax-avoiding pals, knowing that the majority of people on benefits are working.

They do it with workers. They complain that the railway workers are going on strike for more money BUT tell us that rail workers earn more than nurses. Turning workers against workers instead of paying the nurses what they deserve.

Tax rises for the poor, tax cuts for corporates. They tell us that if we tax companies they will leave, they tax us because we don't have that choice.

They tell us they don't want to add debt to the nation's "credit card" and expect future generations to pay for it while being responsible for more than doubling the UK debt to £2.3tn in just 12 years. It took 30 years to get to £1tn and the tories borrowed £1.3tn in 12 years while cutting services and increasing tax to it highest level in 70 years.

The tories DON'T care if people suffer in their pursuit of power.

They only care about themselves. Scottish tories see nothing good in Scotland no matter what happens here. They can't acknowledge anything positive as it goes against the narrative they are being told to follow by their leaders in Westminster.

They choose to ignore what their eyes show them in pursuing power. The tories hate devolution and will never be elected in Scotland as their sole purpose is to end the devolution project and cause as much disruption as they can in Holyrood.

At this moment in time, the tories are even turning on themselves in their pursuit of power and it's the public that suffers.

Get writing to your MPs/MSPs and let them know that they better act or we will elect people that will.

 

In 1980 the UK national debt was £95.6bn.
It would take 30 years for it to reach £1.03tn when Labour left office in 2010.
12 years of the tories have seen the debt more than double to £2.22tn. The tories have spent MORE in 12 years than what took 30 years to spend.

1980
£9,560,000,000

2010
£1,030,000,000,000

2022
£2,223,000,000,000

The Tories have SPENT £1,193,000,000,000 in 12 years. This was during a 10 period of austerity with huge cuts to government spending, wage stagnation, cuts to the NHS and public services and more.

The UK has a population of around 65m. As well as stagnant wages, high inflation, higher taxes, higher fuel bills etc, the tories have cost every man, woman and child in the UK an additional £18,353 in borrowing.

Given all the cuts we've seen for 12 years, all the money NOT being spent on public service etc, WHERE HAS ALL THIS MONEY GONE?

Tory tax cuts and tax havens for their mates. Public money given to VIP fast lanes for their chums to rip us off. This is theft of public money on a massive scale and someone needs to carry the can for it. No one will be prosecuted but the average worker will have to pay for it.

The Conservatives aren't cheap and we have to fund them. They will take ALL the taxpayer's hard-earned money and store it in their offshore accounts while telling us ts our fault. They tell us that we will just have to pay more if we want a decent standard of living. They tell us not to be greedy and ask for better wages while they plunder the family silver.

The best con of all is that they claim they've set the minimum wage at its highest level. THE GOVERNMENT DON'T PAY OUR WAGES, THEY STEAL THEM. It doesn't matter what the government set the minimum wage at, it is employers that pay it.

They should be going after the tax dodgers, and the offshore tax havens and make sure that if you earn money in the UK then you pay tax in the UK. Anyone trying to avoid their duty should be jailed.

These companies might be bringing investment to the country but they take the profits OUT of the country. Profits that should be taxed to help fund the roads and rail networks and public services that allow people to actually get to their workplace. Infrastructure that allows them to trade in the first place. Infrastructure that the workers pay tax to fund.

Finally, it should be possible for a family to live on 1 wage. There were 6 of us in my household growing up, Mum Dad, myself and 3 older brothers. Only my dad worked, no benefits, no rent help, that's when wages were worth something. When you live in a country where you have to work 50+ hours per week or have 2 people working just to survive then something is well and truly broken.

If anyone that works 40 per week has to claim benefits to survive then the employers should be fined. NO ONE IN FULL-TIME WORK SHOULD HAVE TO CLAIM A PENNY FROM THE STATE. Force employers to pay real living wages and stop subsidising them by topping up wages with tax breaks and benefits.

5 July 2022 : Rishi Sunak resigned as chancellor of the exchequer.
6 July 2022 : ready4rishi.com domain registered on goDaddy [[ https://www.whois.com/whois/ready4rishi.com ]] the day BEFORE Johnson steps down.
7 July 2022 : Boris Johnson "resigns"... Well sort of.
8 July 2022 : Rishi Sunak announces he is running for Prime Minister.
8 July 2022 : launches the ready4rishi.com website.

So far there's nothing unusual about that UNTIL...

23 Dec 2021 : readyforrishi.com is registered on goDaddy [[ https://www.whois.com/whois/readyforrishi.com ]]

Maybe it's just a coincidence but readyforrishi.com redirects to ready4rishi.com  thus ending the coincidence theory.  A redirect means you can have lots of domain names that, when typed into a web browser, redirect to the main site.  It looks like readyforrishi was probably set up as either a development platform in advance of ready4rishi launching OR someone pointed out that they need a domain name registered AFTER Johnson resigned. Either way, it's all a bit dodgy. 

Sunak appears to have been preparing for his leadership challenge for 6 months which is pretty sneaky and shows his true character. Another Conservative conman showing contempt for the people he needs to elect him BUT that's not exactly true. As the public isn't allowed to vote for Sunak we have to assume that those who REALLY run the country have decided in advance who they want as a leader.

That doesn't mean he will win the vote from the Conservative membership. It does mean that he can't be trusted. Sunak was a major figure in the Government that destroyed our economy and is now telling us he can fix it. Seriously!

It is clear that he has plotted against Johnson, potentially undermining Johnson on fiscal policy to make him look incompetent.

It's pretty much the same gaslighting technique they use in Scotland. Give them just enough power to make it look like they are in control, then attack them when things go wrong, knowing full well that you have tied their hands financially. Sunak has done to Johnson what the tories are doing to Scotland.

Sunak the sneaky snake. Never trust a Tory.

 

I hear the argument of how Scotland pays more income tax in Scotland than in rUK. So let's look at some facts.

* The figures below are based on take-home pay NOT including voluntary pension contributions using the salary calculator @ MSE https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tax-calculator/ *

The average wage in Scotland in 2021 was £26,007  https://digitalpublications.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefings/Report/2022/3/9/ce765259-d82e-4db7-8ecf-802683f7e56b

Minimum wage @ £10ph - 37.5 hrs p/w = £19,500 p/y

If you earn £27k or less you will pay LESS tax in Scotland than elsewhere.
As you earn more it is fitting that you pay more.

Average earners will pay less in Scotland than elsewhere. Let's take a look at an above-average example.

If you earn £40,000 in Scotland you will pay £125 MORE per year than in rUK [ £2.40 per week ].

The Scottish Parliament made changes to income tax in 2018 after public consultations.

£40k is quite a big jump from the average wage so the argument about Scotland paying more in tax, while true for those earning more than £27k, isn't going to break the bank.

While the figures above show the pros and cons of the Scottish Income Tax rates, they don't include other benefits that the small increases help to fund in Scotland. Read more  at  Unfair taxation and FREE Stuff in Scotland!

Trying to imply that the average working person in Scotland is worse off than elsewhere requires a massive stretch of the imagination.

If you earn more, you should contribute more.

IndyRef Facts and Thoughts

Indyref 2023 has provoked a lot of genuine outrage and ignorance. This article covers some, BUT not all of the issues.

1. Parties stand on a manifesto to offer the electorate something. If a party OR parties combined, win, on a similar mandate to do something then that something is deemed mandated by the voters. This is a long-standing parliamentary tradition in Westminster so if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for us.

2. If Scotland votes YES to end the union with England then point 1 will still apply.

3. If Scotland votes NO to end the union with England then point 1 will still apply.

4. In Scotland, politicians serve the voters. If the voters don't like what parties are offering in their manifesto then they won't win and their manifesto will be deemed not mandated. It's pretty simple.

5. In the 2021 election the SNP and the Greens stood on a manifesto to offer the people of Scotland a choice on their future. They were elected on that manifesto. The SNP polled over 47% of the vote share and were 1 seat short of an overall majority. Considering the parliamentary voting system is designed to prevent a majority, I think that's a resounding endorsement. The Greens won 8 seats. Parliament numbers for a referendum, 72 seats, against a referendum, 57.

1-5 That is democracy in action.

6. This is democracy Westminster style...
2015 : Tory manifesto pledge for an in-out EU referendum by the end of 2017
2015 : Tories win in Westminster with 36.9% vote share.  Scotland rejects the tories manifesto by sending 56 SNP MPs, 1 Tory, 1 Labour and 1 Lib-Dem.
2016 : UK has EU referendum based on a manifesto commitment, not mandated by Scotland. Did Westminster ask Holyrood for permission to hold the referendum? NO .
2016 : The UK votes to leave the EU. Scotland voted 62% remain.
2019 : Boris Johnson : "This is a critical once-in-a-generation election."
2021 : The UK officially leaves the EU
2021 : SNP manifesto pledges for an independence referendum in the first half of the term.
2021 : SNP wins in Holyrood with 47.7% vote share.
2022 : SNP announces plans to fulfil their manifesto pledge.
2022 : Opposition MPs and MSPs say NO, disrespecting the voters of Scotland.

Democracy
7. If Scotland votes NO to end the union with England, see point 1.
8. If Scotland votes YES to ending the union with England, point 1 still exists.

Myth 1 : Scotland getting independence will create a hard border between England and Scotland.
Mythbuster : This is absolute nonsense. No border posts need to be set up. They are just trying to scaremonger.
However, if at some point in the future, Scotland votes to rejoin the EU then that will be a topic for discussion at the time. By the time Scotland rejoins the EU, England will more than likely be trading with the EU and therefore have to trade with Scotland.

Myth 2 : Most of our exports are to rUK and we would lose that. Basically saying rUK won't trade with Scotland.
Mythbuster : Most of our exports are to rUK due to the current UK system. Most of Scotlands exports have to leave the UK through English ports OR have to be sent to England to be processed before being sent back here. That wouldn't happen in an independent Scotland.

Our priority in Scotland is to serve the people of Scotland.
We produce more energy than we need,
We have the potential to produce more food than we need.
We have more fresh water than we need.
What we don't use, eat or drink can be sold to anyone who wants to buy it. If rUK doesn't want it then that's up to them. I'm sure there will be a huge market for our high-quality products.

Myth 3 : How will you pay your share of the debt?
Mythbuster : Scotland never accrued the debt so can't be liable for it. England would be the continuing state and will continue to operate as it currently does with all the legal and financial obligations BUT minus the successor state, Scotland.

If Westminster borrowed money and spent some of it on Scotland then that's not our problem. Until recently, Scotland was a net contributor to the UK. That sounds selfish but it's a fact, however, IF Scotland accepts some of the debt then that will be thrashed out in any future discussions.

Myth 4 : Scotland is too poor and won't be able to fund NHS, pensions etc.
Mythbuster : This assumes that Scotland will continue to run Scotland the same way Westminster ran Scotland. If that were the case, WHY would we need to be independent? An independent Scotland will have full fiscal control, tax-raising powers and full spending powers. Generate inward investment with all the economic benefits that will bring to communities. Full control over immigration policies. Scotland has been let down over the years by successive Westminster governments and many jobs have been lost or transferred south. We can rebuild a stronger future for Scotland by creating jobs and industries here.

9. If the SNP weren't trying to deliver better services for the people of Scotland, such as mitigating Westminster policies that we didn't vote for, then they wouldn't keep getting elected. It's that simple.

With our modern, 21st-century parliament, Scotland's future can be better. It won't be easy at first, but I think of my grandson's future if we remain shackled to Westminster rule. That future looks bleak unless we break free and take back control of our future and that of future generations.

We shouldn't accept that this is as good as it gets. Ruled by parties that we never voted for, governed in another country by people who don't know or don't care about what happens to the people here. They exploit our resources and tell us to be grateful, Well NO MORE.

10. Westminster controls the purse strings and they have the power to make life hard for people here, and believe me when I say this... If Scotland votes NO this time then Holyrood will be phased out by Westminster. Scotland will become a region of England and our voice will be silenced.

They will promise us the earth again like they did in 2014 but they were empty promises. David Cameron's fake tears, the vow, the "impartial" monarchy siding with England, all the lies they told.

If you think I'm scaremongering then you may have forgotten David Cameron's speech the day after we voted NO.
David Cameron: Less than 4 minutes into his victory speech...
"But I have long believed that a crucial part missing from this national discussion is England.
We have heard the voice of Scotland - and now the millions of voices of England must also be heard.
The question of English votes for English laws – the so-called West Lothian question –requires a decisive answer"

https://youtu.be/6D3XRvxDbHM?t=276

The promises he made also turned out to be hollow for Scotland.

11. We've heard all their lies before and people fell for them.
We've heard all their promises and watched as they ripped them up.
We saw how Cameron asked the queen to “raise an eyebrow” in the campaign
We heard how she "purred" when she got the news.
We hear about the "once in a generation" commitment, which wasn't in any agreements. And let's not forget what Boris Johnson said about the 2019 general election
Boris Johnson :
"This is a critical once-in-a-generation election. I think this is one of the most important in modern times. On this election, the direction of the country depends. " So no more General Elections for 25 years folks. source : https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1214450/boris-johnson-letter-general-election-2019-tory-party-labour-jeremy-corbyn-latest

Read all the facts about 2014 "once in a generation".
http://blog.andyholtonline.com/blog6.php/once-in-a-generation-independence-referendum

12. We have to win this time. Vote for a better future for your family and for future generations. We only have to put a tick in a box to change our future.

#WhyNotScotland