Place your bets - 79% Of Scots Backing Yes

[Batcher]

I have heard this a number of times and particularly the view that you 'rob Peter to pay Paul' in order to get those things free. I am seriously interested where the savings were made to enable Scotland to do that?

Mainly so that I can pressure my MP to do the same

We get a block grant through the Barnett formula so it's a finite amount of money.

The way the parliament is set up helps in that it's half first past the post system and half list PR system. This means the smaller parties like the Greens and the Tories still get a fair representation. When it comes to agreeing the budget a lot of deals are done to make everyone fairly happy so it gets voted through.

This wasn't so much the case the last time as the SNP got a majority, something that the system was designed to avoid. The time before the SNP had a minority government and decided against forming a coalition. This meant they were easy to defeat and Labour and the rest frequently did vote against them just because it was the SNP. One example is the Edinburgh Trams which the SNP wanted to scrap but they lost the vote.

One example of the smaller parties getting their way in budget discussions is when leader of the Scottish Tories, Annabel Goldie, won concessions from the Scottish Government for 1,000 extra police in the budget. I can't remember what the SNP dropped in order to meet her demand but she got it and helped vote through the budget - The Steamie: Scottish Conservatives: Goldie

[DiscoStu]

If I were Scottish I would vote Yes. Then can we have a vote for the rest of the UK to become detached from those limp wristed shandy drinkers in London? Westminster might as well be on the Moon it's become so detached from reality.

You sure you want to give up London's tax take? You might find the rest of the UK is somewhat subsidised...

[ZARDOZ]

You sure you want to give up London's tax take? You might find the rest of the UK is somewhat subsidised...

That old chestnut. Many firms have their registered office in London but operate elsewhere which skews the figures as to where the actual economic activity is taking place.

[DiscoStu]

That old chestnut. Many firms have their registered office in London but operate elsewhere which skews the figures as to where the actual economic activity is taking place.

Quite true, so how will you feel about all these foreign owned business operating in your new sans-London England?

[eek]

We get a block grant through the Barnett formula so it's a finite amount of money.

That would be the formula which even Jeol Barnett believes to be utterly unfair and over generous to Scotland...

[ZARDOZ]

Quite true, so how will you feel about all these foreign owned business operating in your new sans-London England?

I was mainly joking but the point about Westminster being detached from the reality of life in most of the UK stands. Never more so than now IMHO

[tractor]

...

If you can stomach it to the end, you'll see how the revenue is generated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbWnBX6BY5A

We get a block grant through the Barnett formula so it's a finite amount of money.

The way the parliament is set up helps in that it's half first past the post system and half list PR system. This means the smaller parties like the Greens and the Tories still get a fair representation. When it comes to agreeing the budget a lot of deals are done to make everyone fairly happy so it gets voted through.

This wasn't so much the case the last time as the SNP got a majority, something that the system was designed to avoid. The time before the SNP had a minority government and decided against forming a coalition. This meant they were easy to defeat and Labour and the rest frequently did vote against them just because it was the SNP. One example is the Edinburgh Trams which the SNP wanted to scrap but they lost the vote.

One example of the smaller parties getting their way in budget discussions is when leader of the Scottish Tories, Annabel Goldie, won concessions from the Scottish Government for 1,000 extra police in the budget. I can't remember what the SNP dropped in order to meet her demand but she got it and helped vote through the budget - The Steamie: Scottish Conservatives: Goldie

I understand how the grant is made up. I am just interested to know what you give up to get those freebies.

Muddy, the Scottish Government gets a block grant from the UK based on the Barnett formula.

The Scottish Government decides how to spend that money (within the boundaries of their powers). Money into one thing means money out of another. They don't get to magic wand 'free prescriptions' and it comes out of thin air or extra money becomes available.

For what it's worth the SNP have done more with their block grant budget than labour did when they were in power.

The quote is from the other Darling/Salmond thread. I think it was Testmangler that posted it. So, what do you guys give up to get the freebies?

[Batcher]

That would be the formula which even Jeol Barnett believes to be utterly unfair and over generous to Scotland...

Yes but there wasn't anything better to replace it with. If they had removed it back then Scotland would have been independent years ago.

[Batcher]

I understand how the grant is made up. I am just interested to know what you give up to get those freebies.



The quote is from the other Darling/Salmond thread. I think it was Testmangler that posted it. So, what do you guys give up to get the freebies?

JOHN Swinney confirmed massive cuts for councils and rises in business taxation in his budget, as he sought to dull the pain of austerity by pledging to mitigate the effect of the “bedroom tax”.

Mr Swinney said afterwards that much of the business tax increase could be accounted for by inflation, economic growth and technical changes. However, business figures last night said they feared the predicted income was “optimstic” and could herald a further raid.

It comes after the SNP introduced the so-called “Tesco tax” on large retailers.

A spokesman for CBI Scotland said: “Our fear is that any shortfall in revenues may lead to further new rates levies being introduced, which is why we were disappointed at the lack of a moratorium on any additional rates levies in the Budget.”

Mr Swinney went on to confirm that the SNP’s “free” offers on tuition fees, prescription charges and bus travel would remain paid for by the state. The council tax freeze will also remain in place. On welfare, he said the Scottish Government would spend £68m in each of the next two years to “mitigate” the impact of reforms to the system imposed by the Westminster government.

John Swinney outlines Scottish budget for 2014/15 - The Scotsman

[tractor]

...

JOHN Swinney confirmed massive cuts for councils and rises in business taxation in his budget, as he sought to dull the pain of austerity by pledging to mitigate the effect of the “bedroom tax”.

Mr Swinney said afterwards that much of the business tax increase could be accounted for by inflation, economic growth and technical changes. However, business figures last night said they feared the predicted income was “optimstic” and could herald a further raid.

It comes after the SNP introduced the so-called “Tesco tax” on large retailers.

A spokesman for CBI Scotland said: “Our fear is that any shortfall in revenues may lead to further new rates levies being introduced, which is why we were disappointed at the lack of a moratorium on any additional rates levies in the Budget.”

Mr Swinney went on to confirm that the SNP’s “free” offers on tuition fees, prescription charges and bus travel would remain paid for by the state. The council tax freeze will also remain in place. On welfare, he said the Scottish Government would spend £68m in each of the next two years to “mitigate” the impact of reforms to the system imposed by the Westminster government.

John Swinney outlines Scottish budget for 2014/15 - The Scotsman

In short does that mean that some taxes were raised rather than expenditure cut?