The Very Meh Humza Yousaf Thread.

[Leith Green]

2 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

You are right. 

Let us know what you’ll do with your extra 40p/week? It seems a big deal to you. 

I could buy you a chip to even up the one on the other shoulder?

[alta-pete]

7 minutes ago, Leith Green said:

I could buy you a chip to even up the one on the other shoulder?

Thanks! Shows you the value of the benefit. 

[Blue Brazil Forever]

6 minutes ago, Left Back said:

What’s the investigation got to do with this discussion?

You surely aren’t implying the state of the public finances in Scotland is Police Scotlands fault because they haven’t concluded their investigation

How can the government be bombing in the polls if they’re delivering what the people want?  

Surely even the hard of thinking would accept a 2% raise in IT to counter a 2% reduction in NI.  It would be the easiest sell in the world.  It wouldn’t cost the punters an additional penny and we get to maintain our current wonderful public services…

 

The SNP / Green Government are bombing in the polls because they are failing to deliver what the people want. 

 The SNP / Green  Government are also bombing in the polls because of competence and lack of trust issues.

This "punter" doesn't pay NI. The "easiest sell "  - sounds like a scam.  The electorate would love it.

 

[budmiester1]

5 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

To fit the decree by the scot government, even though they are shite and need charged more than they can be used. Years ago BMW approached the fleet team and offered to build a special 5 series which they’d trial for PS, to show other forces etc too, the Scottish government felt that it wasnt a good image to have the emergency services in BMWs on general patrols, so they went and bought Peugeots that were more expensive than the offer BMW made and were found to be wholly unsuitable for the task at hand (eventually decreed that you couldnt have more than 3 people in a 5 seater car etc). Essentially what im getting at is Public sector purchasing in Scotland is a fucking riot, it goes through the NHS and all the big spending departments, reduce waste and get better value is necessary, spend a little bit more for quality that lasts longer than the cheap option which will need replaced twice. 

I first bought a BMW from Park Lane BMW ( who are basically BMW UK) a few years ago, I could buy a BMW for about £100 per month less than a local dealer could, anyway I asked BMW why they didn’t offer Police forces the same deal and they said they do but most forces were worried about the image. They said that they could put a 1 series marked up on the road cheaper than Ford could offer a bog standard Focus.

 

[GTee]

How much does this much lauded NI cut save your 'average' household bill? Mortgages going up say at least £100 a month. Energy bills easily the same. Car insurance £100 year. Supermarket shop etc. These millionaires in Westminster probably high fiving a £10 a month saving or something. It's negligible. 

Folk suggesting tax rises in Scotland because our Westminster pocket money -  'Barnett' is reducing.

Honestly, just let Westminster run the whole thing. I'm sure the North and South would benefit equally. 

[GTG_03]

On 27/11/2023 at 11:10, Left Back said:

Really?

Surely if the public want better funded public services they have to be paid for?  If the public support the recent round of payrises then it was blindingly obvious that either tax would have to go up to pay for them or services would have to be cut.

What's the solution to avoid cuts if not through additional taxation?

How many political parties have increasing income tax as a policy?

[Left Back]

15 minutes ago, GTG_03 said:

How many political parties have increasing income tax as a policy?

None that I’m aware of.

[GTG_03]

40 minutes ago, Left Back said:

None that I’m aware of.

That's exactly my point.

I wouldn't vote for any of the parties currently. I don't see a competent, forward thinking politician let alone a party. However, they all know that raising income tax is massively unpopular. 

[Left Back]

39 minutes ago, GTG_03 said:

That's exactly my point.

I wouldn't vote for any of the parties currently. I don't see a competent, forward thinking politician let alone a party. However, they all know that raising income tax is massively unpopular. 

Well that’s inherently the problem with all politicians.  Everything they say and do is basically a lie designed to win votes.

If any of them were genuinely trying to improve the country they’d have these “honest conversations” about what people want and the painful truth on how to achieve it.

None of them give a shit about that though.  It’s about gaining/keeping power.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

On 27/11/2023 at 08:54, Todd_is_God said:

Whilst largely true they can raise additional income through income tax and council tax.

Middle earners and above already pay slightly more tax than in England, and the SNP just announced a Council Tax freeze for 2024/25.

Critiquing the SG's inability to control its finances is not as straightforward as blaming WM.

Given that 60% of funding is the block grant the effects on income of changing taxes in Scotland will not be the same as at the UK level.

The rise to 42% raised an extra £129 million - which is dwarfed by the increases in expenditure due to pay settlements.

[Thistle_do_nicely]

On 27/11/2023 at 15:32, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

To fit the decree by the scot government, even though they are shite and need charged more than they can be used. Years ago BMW approached the fleet team and offered to build a special 5 series which they’d trial for PS, to show other forces etc too, the Scottish government felt that it wasnt a good image to have the emergency services in BMWs on general patrols, so they went and bought Peugeots that were more expensive than the offer BMW made and were found to be wholly unsuitable for the task at hand (eventually decreed that you couldnt have more than 3 people in a 5 seater car etc). Essentially what im getting at is Public sector purchasing in Scotland is a fucking riot, it goes through the NHS and all the big spending departments, reduce waste and get better value is necessary, spend a little bit more for quality that lasts longer than the cheap option which will need replaced twice. 

Sounds plausibly mental as an outsider but its still bizarre to me; i) i think ive seen police cars cutting about without badges in Scotland anyway, im sure of it? So wouldnt that have been an option if they thought the BMW badge was too conspicuous? Most folk generally wouldnt tell by the chassis alone anyway and ii) theres surely an easy justification to sell to the public that the higher performance on offer can improve response times, be used if required in high speed pursuit etc.

[Todd_is_God]

1 hour ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Given that 60% of funding is the block grant the effects on income of changing taxes in Scotland will not be the same as at the UK level.

The rise to 42% raised an extra £129 million - which is dwarfed by the increases in expenditure due to pay settlements.

Maybe the SG could have considered that before awarding them then.

[GTG_03]

4 hours ago, Left Back said:

Well that’s inherently the problem with all politicians.  Everything they say and do is basically a lie designed to win votes.

If any of them were genuinely trying to improve the country they’d have these “honest conversations” about what people want and the painful truth on how to achieve it.

None of them give a shit about that though.  It’s about gaining/keeping power.

100% agree. Politics all over the UK is in a right sorry state mainly due to your reasons above.

I won't be voting for any of the current parties at all. 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

6 hours ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

Sounds plausibly mental as an outsider but its still bizarre to me; i) i think ive seen police cars cutting about without badges in Scotland anyway, im sure of it? So wouldnt that have been an option if they thought the BMW badge was too conspicuous? Most folk generally wouldnt tell by the chassis alone anyway and ii) theres surely an easy justification to sell to the public that the higher performance on offer can improve response times, be used if required in high speed pursuit etc.

Unfortunately there is a very loud minority of people in this country who would go off their nut, same ones who think police officers shouldnt be allowed to buy a can of juice for their lunch etc and take pictures. The reason you find it hard to believe is clearly because you dont belong to that subset. 

[Jedi2]

Don't recall teachers getting a 10% pay rise...somewhere closer to 7.

To continue with a Council Tax freeze after increasing public sector wages, and at a time when Councils were expecting an 8-10% increase in CT, and then blame the forthcoming cuts to public services on WM cutting NI by 2% is again extraordinary politics even for the SNP

 

[vikingTON]

The key principle of effective political messaging is to make your spin at least appear in some basic way believable. This fails the test. 

I don't actually think that crime has SOARED UNDER THE SNP in Daily Express, shrieking outrage mode, but just pitch aim for an acceptable D instead of claiming an utterly risible W. It's obvious, out of touch pish and is also an obvious hostage to fortune to any high profile, individual incident that comes to light. 

This management has major Ian Cathro vibes. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by vikingTON

[Wee-Bey]

"Including incidents not reported to the police" 

 

[Sarto Mutiny]

Does that crime rate statistic include breaking lockdown rules to have extra marital affairs?

Asking for a friend

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

13 hours ago, virginton said:

The key principle of effective political messaging is to make your spin at least appear in some basic way believable. This fails the test. 

I don't actually think that crime has SOARED UNDER THE SNP in Daily Express, shrieking outrage mode, but just pitch aim for an acceptable D instead of claiming an utterly risible W. It's obvious, out of touch pish and is also an obvious hostage to fortune to any high profile, individual incident that comes to light. 

This management has major Ian Cathro vibes. 

In certain ways crime has more changed than reduced. Knife crime is concentrated more amongst the groups of people the snp have taken the burden of criminal responsibility from, which means you’ve got 18 year olds arrested for having a machete in Glasgow City Centre and not even seeing the inside of a court room because apparently its not their fault whereas in fairness you’re seeing far less adults carrying knives. You’ve got changes to how crimes are recorded, which is actually how they can claim crime is down. Something that may have been recorded as a robbery may now be recorded as an assault and theft, assaulting three people may only be recorded as one assault but three names on the charge. Its all political bullshit. Is Scotland safer than the 1980’s yes, is it safer than 10/5 years ago nah not really. 

[budmiester1]

3 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

In certain ways crime has more changed than reduced. Knife crime is concentrated more amongst the groups of people the snp have taken the burden of criminal responsibility from, which means you’ve got 18 year olds arrested for having a machete in Glasgow City Centre and not even seeing the inside of a court room because apparently its not their fault whereas in fairness you’re seeing far less adults carrying knives. You’ve got changes to how crimes are recorded, which is actually how they can claim crime is down. Something that may have been recorded as a robbery may now be recorded as an assault and theft, assaulting three people may only be recorded as one assault but three names on the charge. Its all political bullshit. Is Scotland safer than the 1980’s yes, is it safer than 10/5 years ago nah not really. 

Ah yes the good old subsumation of offences malarkey . I did a spell in my forces Crime Management and was told that HMIC were telling Police Scotland not to do this as it utterly skewed the true figures.