Reply to: Official General Election Thread 2015

[Batcher]

Well, yes probably I have. To be offered more government spending in Scotland without Scots having to pay for it is a good offer that I would not know how to argue against.

The mansion tax could easily be set at a level to hit many English homes, but few Scottish ones, the Scottish NHS could have loads of money hosed at it and of course there is Trident...

Leaving aside whether nukes are good or not, there is the issue that UK nuclear bases employ a lot of people in areas where there isn't much work. Ironically, it would be cheaper for rump UK if it didn't have to pay for the base, but given that a UK-Scotland would be more tory there is zero chance of giving up the nukes, which then will need a base which simply can't be built quickly (at least 5, maybe 10 years)

But the French and Americans could bid to host them and shared resources are much cheaper for a small nuclear force like the UKs.

But what about the workers ?
Given that the bases are built, most of the ongoing cost is people, ironically mostly SNP voters.

So to make the removal of nukes from Scotland politically palatable the SNP will need to bully Labour into serious job creation in that area. We're talking 10-15,000 jobs created directly or indirectly, easy to do, just not cheap. They can pay Google to create big data centres there, but that would not be nearly enough and the bribe would have to be big enough to counter the fact that the SNP want to be harsh on multinationals who dodge tax, which may be good, but isn't attractive to them.

The old standby of putting a government department there (like the DVLC in Swansea, or the DSS in the North) can't work because they want out of the UK, so bribing a Google, Lenovo or Boeing is the only game, not cheap at all.

A FOI request to the MOD revealed only 520 jobs are dependent on Trident in Scotland.

Ministry of Defence reveals just 520 Faslane jobs depend on Trident | Nuclear Information Service

[tarbera]

Hung parliament

Well ?

[Dominic Connor]

You've convinced me to vote SNP

Well, yes probably I have. To be offered more government spending in Scotland without Scots having to pay for it is a good offer that I would not know how to argue against.

The mansion tax could easily be set at a level to hit many English homes, but few Scottish ones, the Scottish NHS could have loads of money hosed at it and of course there is Trident...

Leaving aside whether nukes are good or not, there is the issue that UK nuclear bases employ a lot of people in areas where there isn't much work. Ironically, it would be cheaper for rump UK if it didn't have to pay for the base, but given that a UK-Scotland would be more tory there is zero chance of giving up the nukes, which then will need a base which simply can't be built quickly (at least 5, maybe 10 years)

But the French and Americans could bid to host them and shared resources are much cheaper for a small nuclear force like the UKs.

But what about the workers ?
Given that the bases are built, most of the ongoing cost is people, ironically mostly SNP voters.

So to make the removal of nukes from Scotland politically palatable the SNP will need to bully Labour into serious job creation in that area. We're talking 10-15,000 jobs created directly or indirectly, easy to do, just not cheap. They can pay Google to create big data centres there, but that would not be nearly enough and the bribe would have to be big enough to counter the fact that the SNP want to be harsh on multinationals who dodge tax, which may be good, but isn't attractive to them.

The old standby of putting a government department there (like the DVLC in Swansea, or the DSS in the North) can't work because they want out of the UK, so bribing a Google, Lenovo or Boeing is the only game, not cheap at all.

[Batcher]

My son is going to Uni next year. I need you to pay for his education and his prescription hangover cures and my business rates and my domestic rates freeze etc. Get out there and place some contractors and get your fair share of tax paid please

It would be nice if they could buy a 2 bedroom semi too so they will be hit by the mansion tax. We could do with some more nurses

[pjclarke]

Bright Green!

https://www.timeshighereducation.co....019783.article

[Batcher]

The Sun's headline today was just weak.

There are so many reasons to keep Milliband away from power, but it's pathetic to pick on him looking silly eating a sarnie.

If I wanted to bet on the outcome, I'd see UKIP as people who want a more right wing tory government and although they're quite happy to say they'll vote UKIP in order to get the tories to move right, they really don't want a Labour/SNP coalition and so on the day will vote tactically.

Of course that's too long for a Sun headline

I wondered what you were on about but, of course, you are looking at the English version of the Sun. The Scottish version is all about supporting the SNP

[Dominic Connor]

Yes,it could be like Major

The Sun's headline today was just weak.

There are so many reasons to keep Milliband away from power, but it's pathetic to pick on him looking silly eating a sarnie.

If I wanted to bet on the outcome, I'd see UKIP as people who want a more right wing tory government and although they're quite happy to say they'll vote UKIP in order to get the tories to move right, they really don't want a Labour/SNP coalition and so on the day will vote tactically.

Of course that's too long for a Sun headline

[pjclarke]

[TestMangler]

TIA !!!

My son is going to Uni next year. I need you to pay for his education and his prescription hangover cures and my business rates and my domestic rates freeze etc. Get out there and place some contractors and get your fair share of tax paid please

[DodgyAgent]

according to whispers in the city this election has direct parallels with Majors victory over Kinnock Polls were even up till voting day when the sun published a headline saying would the last people to leave the Uk turn out the lights. Major then went on to win with a clear majority. This time it is the threat of an alliance with SNP that will drive the election to the Tories

Mark my words! Tories will win with a majority. a lefty like Miliband has no chance

[Batcher]

Me too :nazi:

C'mon England....dig deep.....we NEED your subsidy !!!!!

TIA !!!

[Alias]

Incase you are still confused whom to vote for...

[TestMangler]

You've convinced me to vote SNP

Me too :nazi:

C'mon England....dig deep.....we NEED your subsidy !!!!!

[mudskipper]

Should you vote tactically?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/tactical-voting

[Batcher]

Unless the polls are wrong, we're going to have a hung parliament.

The whole point of a political party is to get power and do stuff, so whatever Milliband says, he either does some deal with the SNP or gets kicked out by someone who will.

Ditto Cameron and UKIP.

The SNP are unique in British politics because although we've had crooks, drunk, spies and terrorists as MPs, we've never had a significant number who just wanted to **** things up before.

Yes there have been many **** ups, but nearly always they were well meaning idiots who at least tried to do the right thing. The SNP strategy is to cause as much trouble as possible so as to make the rest tell them to bugger off.

Ordinarily the squabbling over spending is kept vaguely rational by the need to get re-elected and not to be seen to be too mad. The SNP would thus be able to suck money out of England to buy votes in Scotland, the balance being Labour's need to appease English voters about 80% of the total.

But the SNP don't just want a deal, they want trouble and so whatever Milliband offers they will want more. He could abolish income tax in Scotland paid for by taxing all "mansions" that are worth more than £150K and they'd want more because the whole point is to be unreasonable.

So taxes in England will go up to fund goodies for Scotland until Milliband (or his successor) realises that he can't do any more and stay in power. But that will take 5 years and if he tries to quit whatever alliance he has with the SNP, he'll be sacked by the rest of his party because they will want to stay in power.

You've convinced me to vote SNP