Five Scots universities 'in top 200'

[scooterscot]

Maybe we're doing it wrong; maybe we should all agree to tell every Scot we meet or come across on the internet that Scotland is a wonderful place full of fantastic people and that Alex Salmond is a great visionary who will lead his people to the promised land. Would they go back then?

You've got it all backwards. Scotland is a liberal country, the rest of the UK is not. We just don't like to see our leaders humping US presidents, , band of brothers my @£$£, or plundering our resources into corrupt business where majority shareholders have some link with parliament. Really we smell weakness a mile off.

Change that and win warm affection with those complaining northerners.

[vetran]

The UK remains Europe's strongest representative with 31 universities - including the Scottish five - in the top 200.

So UK Universities dominated the top 200, the 5 free to scots ones paid for by the British taxpayers that are situated in Scotland are one sixth of that?

[Mich the Tester]

You've got it all backwards. Scotland is a liberal country, the rest of the UK is not. We just don't like to see our leaders humping US presidents, , band of brothers my @£$£, or plundering our resources into corrupt business where majority shareholders have some link with parliament. Really we smell weakness a mile off.

Change that and win warm affection with those complaining northerners.

Nah, the Scots will hate our guts whatever we do.

[scooterscot]

So UK Universities dominated the top 200, the 5 free to scots ones paid for by the British taxpayers that are situated in Scotland are one sixth of that?

Well Scotland taxpayers pay more per head into the tax system than any other UK taxpayer.

[amcdonald]

Well Scotland taxpayers pay more per head into the tax system than any other UK taxpayer.

So Scottish taxpayers pay more per head than Londoners

Citation please

[scooterscot]

So Scottish taxpayers pay more per head than Londoners

Citation please

Sickening isn't it? London yes is a rich city but is full of tax avoiders.

- in 2011/12 Scotland contributed £56.9 billion in tax revenue, which is equivalent to £10,700 per person, compared to £9,000 per person for the UK as a whole;

And you wonder why we're always complaining?

- since 1980/81 Scotland has contributed £222 billion more in tax revenues than if it had just matched the per capita contributions of the UK.

The data is all available at Full Fact | Promoting accuracy in public debate - without prejudice



Yes there is a case for the union, but without Scotland, the treasury would find itself with a lot less cash coming in. This could happen within the next two years but is not being addressed in any shape or form.

[Mich the Tester]

Sickening isn't it? London yes is a rich city but is full of tax avoiders.

Yes, most places that are full of tax avoiders are rich. I wonder why. Maybe my sig gives a clue.

[scooterscot]

Yes, most places that are full of tax avoiders are rich. I wonder why. Maybe my sig gives a clue.

Agreed. However it's no model for a operating a country, Hong Kong island yes (I'd like to travel there again soon :O)

[Mich the Tester]

Agreed. However it's no model for a operating a country, Hong Kong island yes (I'd like to travel there again soon :O)

Well no, but somewhere in between Dubai style taxes and European style taxes there is probably a happy medium to be found.

[doodab]

The basic facts are that Scotland accounts for 8.4% of the UK population, 8.3% of the UK's total output and 8.3% of the UK's non-oil tax revenues - but 9.2% of total UK public spending.

Scottish Executive figures for 2009-10 show that spending per capita in Scotland was £11,370, versus £10,320 for the UK. In other words, spending in Scotland was £1,030 - or 10% higher - per head of population than the UK average.

What about revenues? The same source shows Scottish total non-oil tax revenues coming in at £42.7bn in 2009-10, or £8,221 per head, which compares with total public expenditure attributable to Scotland of £59.2bn, or £11,370 per head.

Incidentally, these numbers include not just the so-called "identifiable" public spending that took place in Scotland, on schools, roads and the like, but also more amorphous parts of the budget like defense and debt interest.

On this basis, Scotland 'got' £16.5bn more in UK public spending in 2009-10 than it contributed to total UK revenues - or a 'subsidy' of around £3,150 per head.

BBC News - Scotland: A case of give and take