The 2016 Scottish Elections Thread

No, If Scotland is a good and attractive place to do business then no one will be going anywhere, independence or not.

As Tim alluded to... If you're a high earner are you more likely to want to stay somewhere that takes 60% of your earnings or somewhere that takes 40-45% of your earnings? It's a no brainer.

We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot with that rate.

 

Well, aye, that's how it works having a Scottish Parliament! :smiley-laughing002:
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I did say in an 'Independent Scotland' I would have no problem paying more tax but until that happens - * paying more just because harvie wants that.
'Common sense' indeed. :bbpd:

 

In much the same way as those businesses wouldn't leave an independent Scotland because Scotland would be a good place to do business, high earners wouldn't be lining up at the border between Scotland and England because they'd been asked to pay a bit more in tax (as low as £2 per month extra), because that extra payment will see an increase in the quality of public services.

Unless paying 45% tax is a fair trade off for public services that are *, prescriptions that cost money whenever you're sick, and longer hospital waiting times etc?

If anyone thinks that then, quite frankly, they're selfish *.

We can't have Scandinavian level public services on English level tax rates, it's just not possible. We need to pay for the services we want, and it's only logical that those with a bit more money pay a bit more.

The Greens promote the idea of a more socially aware, responsible society, simple as that. If you don't agree with it, then fair enough, but don't dust off the same * tactics that the British rags used to scaremonger us into a no vote a few years back.

So, until we attain independence (which could be in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, or even never) we'll just watch our public services decline because we don't want to pay more unless we're independent?

Makes perfect sense! :smiley-laughing002:

 

Being honest, I don't think it would see many moving ,depending on their employer as they might be rUK based so they wont be happy having to deduct this additional tax (more cost to employers) HMRC would also ,probably, tell them to get stuffed. Its a headline statement from the Greens with no chance of being implemented and they know it.

 

On another note, I had the pleasure of having an SNP canvasser at my door this morning.

When I asked her about a few key issues her reply almost always circled back round to "aye, but if you're wanting independence..." :smiley-laughing002:

 

So, until we attain independence (which could be in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, or even never) we'll just watch our public services decline because we don't want to pay more unless we're independent?

Makes perfect sense! :smiley-laughing002:
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Harsh reality here - why should people pay more tax given over half voted no. If services are getting cut because of WM why should we bale them out. Also lets not forget if we raise more tax here that has a knock on effect in the amount we receive. As I said * him.
Say we did decide to increase our tax's, separate to the rUK and we improve our NHS are we then going to be happy to see someone from Newcastle get treatment in Edinburgh because we have better services ? Aye common sense.

 

Anywhere you can get a full list of who's standing in your area? Tried the west Dumbartonshire website but couldn't see anything.

 

Went to a hustings last night. Still a bit stumped who to vote for with my first vote.
Definitely greens for the 2nd.

 

I'm not Jackie Bird, I don't care about the extra £2 or whatever it is. I'm talking about a 20% tax increase for higher earners... If * forbid, the Greens got into power and that were implemented, do you honestly think people wouldn't reassess their situation?

I think our public services are pretty far from being *. If we want a truly sustainable NHS for the future we as a country need to look at our more health closely... Throwing money at it is not a long term solution.

BTW I've said on here before, I'd be quite happy to pay prescription charges for non-essential medicines.

I'm not being selfish, quite the contrary actually :smiley-laughing002: I don't earn anything near £150,000+ a year, it'd be easy for me to play the politics of envy game but I don't because I try to look at the bigger picture and the medium to long term effect a policy like that would have.

The Taxman can't collect money that isn't there...

 

Aye, my local SNP MSP I've noticed he doesn't really focus on anything specific?

His Facebook page is just shared posts from Party HQ and videos of the same. All this #bothvotessnp and if you want independence vote SNP/if you want a strong Scottish government fighting for you, vote SNP.

Aye, I have no doubt that is true, I also have no doubt that the SNP are pragmatic and capable of running government well, however the policy ideas seem to originate from a core group at the top. I know they have piloted this new scheme whereby you can put forward policy ideas but have any came to fruition?

Bit disillusioned with the SNP but at the same time I could give my vote to any other - the local Labour candidate is a bit hopeless, the SNP guy has been here years as a list MSP and is a great guy and very articulate.

What's annoying me aswell is that the SNP probably has the strongest party whip in the United Kingdom. It's looks stupid and is counter-productive. I absolutely believe there are SNP MP's/MSP's who have deviating opinions from HQ regarding policies, yet they aren't allowed to show this?

We need a new, strong alternative party that supports independence.

 

I have no idea what any of that means mate, sorry. Why should those who earn a bit more pay a bit more to sustain and improve our public services? That's pretty self-explanatory really, isn't it?

What it has to do with people who voted no isn't really applicable, is it? I'm not sure what you mean with that.

Again, I don't know what your point is here. Why would you have a problem with someone from Newcastle being treated in Edinburgh? There's a wee card you can get for going on holiday that allows people from Glasgow to get medical treatment anywhere in Europe! :smiley-laughing002:

 

That's paid for the by your respective NHS Daibhi.

Wherever in Europe you are, if you have that card the hospital will treat you but a bill will be sent back to the NHS who will then pay that respective hospital or council/government.

So it's still paid for by us technically. :smiley-laughing002:

 

The kind of person who is in a position to simply up sticks and * off on a whim are the type of people who most likely pay next to hee haw in tax at the moment anyway, and that would be unlikely to change unfortunately unless we see a radical change to international financial regulations.

I'd think that most people who have very good jobs, a nice house, a nice car and suchlike would be going nowhere, unless they don't mind selling said house, looking for a new good job and upping sticks.

If some leave, then fair enough, let them. There won't be a "mass exodus" though, that's just scaremongering * that's at the level of the redtops who scared people into voting no in the independence referendum.

Most people, I'd hope, would see their extra tax going towards paying for better public services such as schools & hospitals and realise that they're getting a higher quality of service for their money.

As I mentioned, we can't raise (or even maintain) what we have without paying for it. If those who can pay a bit more don't, then we'll end up like England.

And the tax proposals by the Greens would actually see those who earn up to £24,000 per year make a saving, which has to be a good thing, right?

Someone earning £27,000 would be asked to pay an extra £24 per year, whilst those who earn £61,000 would pay an extra £938 per year. I doubt that's going to have the "for sale" signs popping up all over Newton Mearns! :smiley-laughing002:

And what do you mean exactly by "look at our health system more closely"?

So, you'd happily pay for regular prescriptions all year, but the idea of someone who earns £560 per week paying the equivalent of less than three full-price prescriptions per year in extra tax horrify's you and has you believing that the road to Carlisle would be jam-packed if the Greens had their way?

As I said, a lot of those people who earn over £12,000 per month are going to be able to pay for the services of someone like Tim-Time to make sure they don't have to pay that tax increase, aren't they? :icon_mrgreen:

Where most of it is going to come from is people like me, who aren't living it large by any means, but who aren't searching the couch for spare change on a Thursday.

And I have no issue with that, so long as the public services we receive are up to scratch.

 

The SNP are trading on the independence situation, simple as that.

I remember when we lost the referendum I actually said that such a result would be more beneficial for the SNP as an entity moving forward, as it would only strengthen their position.

They can basically use the same tactics that Labour used for years in Scotland, which was "vote Labour to keep the Tory's oot!"

That's now been replaced by "vote SNP if you want independence! We don't know when this is going to happen, but * it, vote for us anyway or you'll never get that vote!"

This thinking has seen a mass influx of SNP MP's to Parliament who haven't got a clue what the * they're doing.

You could have run a * scarecrow in central Scotland at the last general election and as long as it had an SNP rosette on it's chest it would have got voted in! :smiley-laughing002:

 

Dáibhí
I have no idea what any of that means mate, sorry. Why should those who earn a bit more pay a bit more to sustain and improve our public services? That's pretty self-explanatory really, isn't it?

What it has to do with people who voted no isn't really applicable, is it? I'm not sure what you mean with that.
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It would be easier if the quote function actually worked.

We had a referendum and just over half voted no , for various reasons but one of them must have been that they believed 'services' would be fine under WM. Now, as it turns out allegedly, they are not and the answer is people in Scotland can pay more in tax. Nah we could have done that if we voted for Independence no problem but * doing it to bale out WM now.
I have said already I would have had no problem paying more tax in an Independent Scotland but not in a 2 tier uk tax system.
If that makes me a selfish * then fair enough.

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Dáibhí
Again, I don't know what your point is here. Why would you have a problem with someone from Newcastle being treated in Edinburgh? There's a wee card you can get for going on holiday that allows people from Glasgow to get medical treatment anywhere in Europe! :smiley-laughing002:

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Because if the person in Newcastle, despite potentially being a higher/additional rate tax payer, has contributed less than someone in the same situation in Aberdeen that would be unfair why should 'we' subsidise that. Obviously I am not talking about an extra tax of £2 a month here either although the principle does stand.

Ah yes the wee health card :smiley-laughing002: have you actually ever tried to use it ? In my experience its a pointless exercise as all they are interested in , if you need medical attention, is your private travel insurance. If you are cutting about Europe with that card only I would seriously advice you to get travel insurance.

 

It's obvious to me it'd encourage people to look to move elsewhere, England being the main destination. Theoretically they could pop down the road, settle down with very little fuss and pay 20% less tax.

Also something I hadn't touched on but it's probably just as important... What about attracting high skilled, high earners to come to live and work in Scotland?

Yip, no arguments from me.

Yeah, the £27k increase is marginal and wouldn't make much difference but the £61k increase? Hmmmmmm. It might not have people running for the English hills but it'll discourage people from coming to Scotland, I'm sure of that.

We're the fattest country in Europe, we're one of the highest consumers of alcohol in Europe, we're one of the highest consumers of drugs in Europe, we smoke as much as anyone in Europe and we're also a rapidly ageing society.

Prevention is better than a cure.

I didn't say regular prescriptions, I said non-essential. Things like painkillers, antibiotics, some antihistamines, creams etc.

Give you an example, I had quite a bad case diarrhoea a while back smiley-laughing002, Doctor prescribed me Immodium, for free of course, is that a necessary expenditure?

Aye well it stands to reason if taxes go up, more people will look to avoid them...

Good for Tim, bad for the public purse :smiley-laughing002:

 

Pull the ladder up jack, sod the rest.

 

Oh * Mr Moral compass is on here. Perhaps if you go and read the full exchange you will get on better or have you just decided to get me 'deleted' :smiley-laughing002: :bbpd:

 

What is reading the full exchange going to change about your post?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0798qlw/gary-tank-commander-election-special

thought this was funny