Salmond "We can take Scotland in two weeks"

[DodgyAgent]

Torys in power from 1990-1997 with the lower rate of income tax at 25% (dropping to 24% in 1997 before the election) and higher rate at 40% before adding an additional rate in 2010 of 50%

Labour in power from 1997-2010 with the lower rate of income tax at 23% dropping to 20% and higher rate staying at 40%

What has gone down when the Tories are in power is corporate tax as is to be expected as they favour their friends in business rather than the working man

Corporation tax is the killer of job creation. Since when have you been "a man of the working man?"

[Batcher]

Really good article

A yes vote in Scotland would unleash the most dangerous thing of all - hope

So now Better Together has brought in Gordon Brown, scattering bribes in a desperate, last-ditch effort at containment. They must hope the Scots have forgotten that he boasted of setting “the lowest rate in the history of British corporation tax, the lowest rate of any major country in Europe and the lowest rate of any major industrialised country anywhere”. That he pledged to the City of London “in budget after budget, I want us to do even more to encourage the risk takers”. That, after 13 years of Labour government, the UK had higher levels of inequality than after 18 years of Tory government. That his government colluded in kidnapping and torture. That he helped cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands through his support for the illegal war on Iraq.

Scottish independence can galvanise progressive movements across the rest of the UK. We’ll watch as the Scots engage in the transformative process of writing a constitution. We’ll see that a nation of these islands can live and – I hope – flourish with a fully elected legislature (no House of Lords), with a fair electoral system (proportional representation), and with a parliament in which only representatives of that nation can vote (no cross-border mercenaries).

[minestrone]

Really good article

A yes vote in Scotland would unleash the most dangerous thing of all - hope

So now Better Together has brought in Gordon Brown, scattering bribes in a desperate, last-ditch effort at containment. They must hope the Scots have forgotten that he boasted of setting “the lowest rate in the history of British corporation tax, the lowest rate of any major country in Europe and the lowest rate of any major industrialised country anywhere”. That he pledged to the City of London “in budget after budget, I want us to do even more to encourage the risk takers”. That, after 13 years of Labour government, the UK had higher levels of inequality than after 18 years of Tory government. That his government colluded in kidnapping and torture. That he helped cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands through his support for the illegal war on Iraq.

Scottish independence can galvanise progressive movements across the rest of the UK. We’ll watch as the Scots engage in the transformative process of writing a constitution. We’ll see that a nation of these islands can live and – I hope – flourish with a fully elected legislature (no House of Lords), with a fair electoral system (proportional representation), and with a parliament in which only representatives of that nation can vote (no cross-border mercenaries).

That is rambling nonsense.

[jemb]

Hope?????? what are the odds?

Really good article

A yes vote in Scotland would unleash the most dangerous thing of all - hope

So now Better Together has brought in Gordon Brown, scattering bribes in a desperate, last-ditch effort at containment. They must hope the Scots have forgotten that he boasted of setting “the lowest rate in the history of British corporation tax, the lowest rate of any major country in Europe and the lowest rate of any major industrialised country anywhere”. That he pledged to the City of London “in budget after budget, I want us to do even more to encourage the risk takers”. That, after 13 years of Labour government, the UK had higher levels of inequality than after 18 years of Tory government. That his government colluded in kidnapping and torture. That he helped cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands through his support for the illegal war on Iraq.

Scottish independence can galvanise progressive movements across the rest of the UK. We’ll watch as the Scots engage in the transformative process of writing a constitution. We’ll see that a nation of these islands can live and – I hope – flourish with a fully elected legislature (no House of Lords), with a fair electoral system (proportional representation), and with a parliament in which only representatives of that nation can vote (no cross-border mercenaries).

And the price for this land of milk and honey? A trashed economy, increased unemployment, high borrow costs and lives ruined.

The chattering classes can wax lyrical about the wonders of this suppose transformation, but try selling hope to people who will lose their jobs as the economy goes "straight into the ground like a f**king dart." as Billy Connolly once remarked.

You've given up trying to sell NHS privatised scare stories (do you understand that one now?) attempting to convince us that entry into the EU will happen because Juncker is sympathetic and I see that you've now dropped the 'Business for Scotland' pic off your profile.

So now you have hope? That's it?

I HOPE that Scotland will win the world cup - what are the odds on that?

[Flashman]

A good article from Dan Hodges in the Telegraph. Which makes a a change!

.......What we are currently witnessing defies the imagination. The reason why we are being confronted with the spectacle of Brown, Cameron, Miliband, Clegg et al rushing around – frantically drawing up a new constitution on the back of a fag packet – is that they are currently terrified at the prospect of the people of Scotland voting for independence. And why are the people of Scotland contemplating that move? Ask any politician, commentator, pollster or political observer, and they’ll give you the same answer: it’s because the voters are turning away from the political establishment and its old way of doing things.

So what is the old political establishments response to that? It is literally saying: “No, you mustn’t do that. We know we told you we’d let you have your say. But we think you’re going to say the wrong thing. We can’t allow that to happen. You must do something else. Here, try this.”

At least, that’s what the political establishment is currently saying to the people of Scotland. To the other citizens of the UK, it’s saying the following: “Keep your noses out. We’ve decided we’re going to save the Union, come what may. What type of Union comes out of the end of this process is a matter for us. You lot will find out in due course.....

[Gordon Brown]...The spectacle of the man who was overwhelmingly rejected at the ballot box four years ago suddenly emerging to unilaterally rewrite the British constitution because he and the rest of his political chums have decided a democratic referendum is not going the way they think it should.

What do people think the implications will be for the general election? And the proposed Euro referendum? Nigel Farage may as well start measuring the Downing Street curtains now.

“To save the Union we must destroy the Union”, our leaders are saying to themselves. And if they carry on like this, they most definitely will.

Scottish independence: what does the political establishment think it's playing at? – Telegraph Blogs

[Batcher]

And the price for this land of milk and honey? A trashed economy, increased unemployment, high borrow costs and lives ruined.

The chattering classes can wax lyrical about the wonders of this suppose transformation, but try selling hope to people who will lose their jobs as the economy goes "straight into the ground like a f**king dart." as Billy Connolly once remarked.

You've given up trying to sell NHS privatised scare stories (do you understand that one now?) attempting to convince us that entry into the EU will happen because Juncker is sympathetic and I see that you've now dropped the 'Business for Scotland' pic off your profile.

So now you have hope? That's it?

I HOPE that Scotland will win the world cup - what are the odds on that?

What a load of pish.

I still have BfS as my profile pic, I decided to change my avatar as the postal voting has already started and I wanted to show my support for the Yes campaign.

Where have I said I've given up telling the truth about how the NHS in Scotland will be affected by privatisation in England?

I think I can hear your wife calling you, must be time for your pills.

[jemb]

What a load of pish.

I still have BfS as my profile pic, I decided to change my avatar as the postal voting has already started and I wanted to show my support for the Yes campaign.

Where have I said I've given up telling the truth about how the NHS in Scotland will be affected by privatisation in England?

I think I can hear your wife calling you, must be time for your pills.

Well at least you've grasped that the NHS can't be privatised in Scotland which is a step forward.

Did you get your head around the EU thing or was that a bit hard too? I guess you're still hoping that a sympathetic Juncker can swing that one too?

Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception.

[Batcher]

Well at least you've grasped that the NHS can't be privatised in Scotland which is a step forward.

Did you get your head around the EU thing or was that a bit hard too? I guess you're still hoping that a sympathetic Juncker can swing that one too?

Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception.

Nurse !! Nurse !!

[jemb]

Nurse !! Nurse !!

Sigh. I guess we've thumped each other to a standstill.

Liked the Cameron picture you put up. At least we can agree that he's a complete prick.

[alluvial]

Sigh. I guess we've thumped each other to a standstill.

Liked the Cameron picture you put up. At least we can agree that he's a complete prick.

When you batter your head against a brick wall, all you get is a bloody forehead and a killer headache.