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Don't blame me I voted Yes!


Colkitto

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a local income tax would be more beneficial to the poorest in society- this would result in the middle classes paying more than they do currently but poorest less. The SNP haven't introduced this policy despite being elected to do so.

Were they? Can you provide evidence of the SNP having a manifesto promise to introduce LIT in 2011?

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a local income tax would be more beneficial to the poorest in society- this would result in the middle classes paying more than they do currently but poorest less. The SNP haven't introduced this policy despite being elected to do so.

I agree. That doesn't mean the CT freeze is a sop to the middle classes though, does it?

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The closest thing to a redistributive policy the SNP have implemented in 8 years of government was scrapping bridge tolls. Tells you all you need to know.

What redistributive policies would you like to see them introduce?

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A right winger like Ad Lib who supports a party that propped up a terrible Tory party for 5 years really does have a cheek to talk about redistributive polices. And then you have the man from Dundee who, in a very tubbs-esque fashion, continually goes on about prescription charges and CT freeze as if his life depended on it when the real danger to poor people right now is ideological austerity. The Tories have always been in favour of austerity and getting rid of the NHS and the economic crisis gave them the perfect excuse to do so. Anyone continually moaning about a couple of SNP policies here and there that cost us buttons in the grand scheme of things all the while letting Westminster off the hook is simply helping the Tories f**k us.

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A right winger like Ad Lib who supports a party that propped up a terrible Tory party for 5 years really does have a cheek to talk about redistributive polices. And then you have the man from Dundee who, in a very tubbs-esque fashion, continually goes on about prescription charges and CT freeze as if his life depended on it when the real danger to poor people right now is ideological austerity. The Tories have always been in favour of austerity and getting rid of the NHS and the economic crisis gave them the perfect excuse to do so. Anyone continually moaning about a couple of SNP policies here and there that cost us buttons in the grand scheme of things all the while letting Westminster off the hook is simply helping the Tories f**k us.

Ad Lib also, correctly, made the point a while back that a lot of people would suffer because of the Tories having a majority.

To then blame any negative impact on Scotland on the SNP not working around it in a way which basically means screwing over the most vulnerable even more is pretty unbelieveable from him.

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I agree. That doesn't mean the CT freeze is a sop to the middle classes though, does it?

It may not be a sop to the middle classes but it is those on middle class incomes and above who have benefitted. I think it has been a populist policy with those who have benefited least not realising the full implication.

I think on the issue of a redistributive approach what has been said in the Westminster campaign and what has been done in Holyrood are miles apart.

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It may not be a sop to the middle classes but it is those on middle class incomes and above who have benefitted. I think it has been a populist policy with those who have benefited least not realising the full implication.

I think on the issue of a redistributive approach what has been said in the Westminster campaign and what has been done in Holyrood are miles apart.

Didn't poor people who also pay council tax benefit?

I paid council tax as a student and then when i was finishing off my PhD and getting zero income and also between graduating and getting a 'proper job' when i might work a few hours here and there. The council tax hit(s) people in that situation ludicrously hard compared to the 'middle' classes. So the freeze benefitted people like me more than it did better off people.

Council tax is just a weird and broken way of doing things. It crucifies people who live on their own, compared to people who share. It also crucifies students who share a flat with anyone who isn't a student as you get a discount, but your full share is never discounted.

I get that people who don't pay council tax are the only people not to benefit from the freeze but CT is a tax which probably hits the poorest payers harder than the better off payers. So, logically, freezing it helps the worse off CT payers more than the bettie off.

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Didn't poor people who also pay council tax benefit?

I paid council tax as a student and then when i was finishing off my PhD and getting zero income and also between graduating and getting a 'proper job' when i might work a few hours here and there. The council tax hit(s) people in that situation ludicrously hard compared to the 'middle' classes. So the freeze benefitted people like me more than it did better off people.

Council tax is just a weird and broken way of doing things. It crucifies people who live on their own, compared to people who share. It also crucifies students who share a flat with anyone who isn't a student as you get a discount, but your full share is never discounted.

I get that people who don't pay council tax are the only people not to benefit from the freeze but CT is a tax which probably hits the poorest payers harder than the better off payers. So, logically, freezing it helps the worse off CT payers more than the bettie off.

I disagree with the last two sentences and think you are using an example that is atypical to try to prove it. I totally agree that the Council Tax is a broken system; we have had a majority SNP government for four years who have done nothing to fix it. There is no great indication that they are going to make it an election priority if (when) they win a majority next year.

If we had a majority Labour administration at Holyrood then many on here would be, quite correctly, criticising them for not addressing this issue.

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I disagree with the last two sentences and think you are using an example that is atypical to try to prove it. I totally agree that the Council Tax is a broken system; we have had a majority SNP government for four years who have done nothing to fix it. There is no great indication that they are going to make it an election priority if (when) they win a majority next year.

If we had a majority Labour administration at Holyrood then many on here would be, quite correctly, criticising them for not addressing this issue.

They attempted to address it in the previous minority government but strangely enough could get no support from the "progressive" parties.

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There is no great indication that they are going to make it an election priority if (when) they win a majority next year.

Apart from appointing a commission with the express remit of exploring alternatives to the current system which will inform the 2016 manifesto.

Marco Biagi said:

“The Scottish Government believes the current council tax system is unfair and we are acting on our manifesto commitment, and the recommendations of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee, to look at alternative approaches to local taxation.

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Commission-on-Local-Tax-Reform-162f.aspx

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They attempted to address it in the previous minority government but strangely enough could get no support from the "progressive" parties.

They've had four years as a majority administration, that's long enough if the will is really there.

Apart from appointing a commission with the express remit of exploring alternatives to the current system which will inform the 2016 manifesto.

Marco Biagi said:

“The Scottish Government believes the current council tax system is unfair and we are acting on our manifesto commitment, and the recommendations of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee, to look at alternative approaches to local taxation.

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Commission-on-Local-Tax-Reform-162f.aspx

My bad. Well maybe my bad, we will see. Still doesn't explain why nothing has been done in the past four years.

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I disagree with the last two sentences and think you are using an example that is atypical to try to prove it. I totally agree that the Council Tax is a broken system; we have had a majority SNP government for four years who have done nothing to fix it. There is no great indication that they are going to make it an election priority if (when) they win a majority next year.

If we had a majority Labour administration at Holyrood then many on here would be, quite correctly, criticising them for not addressing this issue.

I agree, that's probably not a very common example, although there'll be plenty of people, in similar situations, who'll be paying CT even when they should be exempt.

But I'm not sure I get why poorer CT payers don't benefit more than better off CT payers. At the moment, I earn more and pay less CT then some of my friends. If CT were to increase 5%, it would hit them much harder than me.

I'm also not disputing that CT should be replaced, at all.

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