The Very Meh Humza Yousaf Thread.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

1 hour ago, Jedi2 said:

1 in 4 children in Scotland continue to live in poverty, the Hospitality Sector sends a letter to Yousaf declaring a 'crisis', some Councils on the verge of bankruptcy, biggest cuts to rail timetables for 30 years, drugs and alcohol related deaths much more likely in the poorest areas..

ItS AlL ThAT WesMInSTeRs FaULt

This is across the UK, although some hospitality issues are more acute in rural Scotland which relied on EU workers coming over and living on site. Employers essentially collecting back a lot of the pay in rent and rates. Obviously locals generally have their own places to stay.

31% of kids in England live in poverty, 29% in Wales, 24% in Northern Ireland.

Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK has a council is essentially bust.

Railways in Britain are a fucking shambles.

Drug and alcohol continues to be a shameful part of scottish society with a high death rate. MUP and safe consumption rooms are policies that are meant to help put it is mostly papering over the cracks.

Britain is going down the pan. Yoons regularly bring up metrics to slam the Scottish govt like the Poverty Attainment Gap In Scotland the gap has closed a little in the past 20 years, in England it hasn't moved. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/16/no-improvement-in-school-attainment-gap-in-england-for-20-years-report-says

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Jim McLean's Ghost

[Jedi2]

Ah the old 'but it's pure worse in England, Wales and N.Ireland' in all the metrics equals Humza and Co are actually doing a great job.

[lichtgilphead]

Just now, Jedi2 said:

Ah the old 'but it's pure worse in England, Wales and N.Ireland' in all the metrics equals Humza and Co are actually doing a great job.

Who else do you suggest that we compare Scotland against? 

If things were better in England, Socialist Wales or NI, you would be quick to tell us.

Unfortunately, they are all pretty shit. What's the common denominator? Would it be Westminster>

 

[Jedi2]

Is it though when most powers other than foreign policy/defence, immigration and some parts of employment law are devolved...or does the Scot govt still not really have responsibility for 'anything'?

[lichtgilphead]

That's just not true, is it.

Did you forget about the UK Internal Market Act 2020? Effectively, the Scottish (and Welsh) governments are now forbidden from departing from standards set at Westminster in many areas that have nothing to do with "foreign policy/defence, immigration and some parts of employment law"

As an example, Westminster has recently passed legislation in England to allow “precision breeding” (broadly gene editing) of plants and animals, including for human consumption, Under the Internal Market Act, these products will have to be allowed into the Scottish market, even if they would otherwise be illegal under Scottish rules.

Anyway, you still seem to be dodging my original point. Why is Wales so crap under a "socialist" Labour Government? 

[Jedi2]

Wales of course has an 'Assembly' not a 'Parliament' and therefore much less room to enact legislation than Holyrood does.

[lichtgilphead]

34 minutes ago, Jedi2 said:

Wales of course has an 'Assembly' not a 'Parliament' and therefore much less room to enact legislation than Holyrood does.

So, it's only Westminster that's preventing Wales from having a proper Labour utopia then?

That seems counterintuitive to me. 

 

[Aufc]

11 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

Equally, let's not pretend PoliceScotland... 23,000 officers + staff and £1.4bn budget... or equivalent forces down south truly cannot retain a dedicated presence in some of our biggest towns; nor operate more than 1 traffic car nationwide overnight. It also reflects their leadership hierarchy - and the politicians - completely losing the run of themselves when it comes to priorities.

There are 80k people in Paisley; 60k in Leith; 50k in Ayr; 40k in Greenock... yet a force spending £4m daily and employing 50 people for every 10k citizens (town-&-country) now 'has' to close/downsize its police station in each. Many smaller towns and city areas named today are being withdrawn from entirely - even places with 'Medium' or 'High' counter usage, emergency response and community policing bases, etc.

EDIT: also confirmed 14 more will be named 'at a later date' - must know which if know it's 14!

At some point, tough decisions need to be made to try and help the people of Scotland become healthier. Raising under £100m by increasing tax on higher rate tax payers hardly touches the sides and just discourages additional ones to come to Scotland. 

[doulikefish]

14 minutes ago, Aufc said:

At some point, tough decisions need to be made to try and help the people of Scotland become healthier. Raising under £100m by increasing tax on higher rate tax payers hardly touches the sides and just discourages additional ones to come to Scotland. 

All the high earners left after Liz truss set her budget 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

8 hours ago, Jedi2 said:

Is it though when most powers other than foreign policy/defence, immigration and some parts of employment law are devolved...or does the Scot govt still not really have responsibility for 'anything'?

Given the majority of funding comes from Westminster there's good reasons why it can take a large part of the blame.

We've had a long period of austerity in the UK with spending across most public services cut in real terms.

It's all in fine saying the Scottish Government have control of these issues but the reality is they don't have full control while Westminster holds the purse strings.

Edited December 15, 2023 by DeeTillEhDeh

[Todd_is_God]

1 hour ago, Aufc said:

At some point, tough decisions need to be made to try and help the people of Scotland become healthier. Raising under £100m by increasing tax on higher rate tax payers hardly touches the sides and just discourages additional ones to come to Scotland. 

Its not even just high earners, though. Someone earning a kick in the arse over the UK average salary and who has an average company car will pay around £1,500 more in tax than someone elsewhere in the UK.

Whilst that isn't an amount that is likely to put someone off living in Scotland just what is it the SG are doing with their additional tax revenue over the rest of the UK that returns value for money?

Edited December 15, 2023 by Todd_is_God

[TheScarf]

29 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Given the majority of funding comes from Westminster there's good reasons why it can take a large part of the blame.

We've had a long period of austerity in the UK with spending across most public services cut in real terms.

It's all in fine saying the Scottish Government have control of these issues but the reality is they don't have full control while Westminster holds the purse strings.

You'll never get through to Unionists.  They never accept that Holyrood is at the will of Westminster for absolutely everything, given they set the Holyrood budget.

Labour voters are worse than Tories IMO.  They give off massive 'Yeah I still want Scotland to be governed by England, but at least I'm not a Tory hahahahahah!!!1'.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

The irony in all of this is that whilst all the Britnat posters on here who profess to be vexed about taxation, healthcare, living standards, Governance of Scotland, etc , appear to be genuinely concerned, what they really are interested in is how THEY and their families are affected.  No poor or struggling person I know lies awake at night worrying about higher tax rates.

As a pensioner I very often meet these types and it's always a joy to administer a f***-off pill when they quote the Daily Mail or Daily Express.  It can make for an awkward lunch in the garden centre, but hey-ho.

[Left Back]

1 hour ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

The irony in all of this is that whilst all the Britnat posters on here who profess to be vexed about taxation, healthcare, living standards, Governance of Scotland, etc , appear to be genuinely concerned, what they really are interested in is how THEY and their families are affected.  No poor or struggling person I know lies awake at night worrying about higher tax rates.

As a pensioner I very often meet these types and it's always a joy to administer a f***-off pill when they quote the Daily Mail or Daily Express.  It can make for an awkward lunch in the garden centre, but hey-ho.

Are you saying that someone who has a certain political view has no right to be concerned about taxation, healthcare, living standards or governance or to want better for their families?

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

"Why do Nats always compare Scotland to England?"

also

"It's a disgrace that some people have to pay slightly more tax in Scotland than they would in England!"

[O'Kelly Isley III]

23 minutes ago, Left Back said:

Are you saying that someone who has a certain political view has no right to be concerned about taxation, healthcare, living standards or governance or to want better for their families?

I'm saying that the permanently-complaining right-wing posters on here are typical of the wider politically right-wing members of society - their primary motivation is self-interest as opposed to the wider commonweal.  They are also very quick to complain but seldom have much in the way of ideas or positivity.

[Left Back]

6 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'm saying that the permanently-complaining right-wing posters on here are typical of the wider politically right-wing members of society - their primary motivation is self-interest as opposed to the wider commonweal.  They are also very quick to complain but seldom have much in the way of ideas or positivity.

Surely everyone that wants a functioning NHS by definition wants it functioning for all society as that's who it serves?

[Left Back]

4 hours ago, Aufc said:

At some point, tough decisions need to be made to try and help the people of Scotland become healthier. Raising under £100m by increasing tax on higher rate tax payers hardly touches the sides and just discourages additional ones to come to Scotland. 

Potentially only £60m according to the Fraser Allander Institute

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-67706492

[Todd_is_God]

46 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

"It's a disgrace that some people have to pay slightly more tax in Scotland than they would in England!"

Around 4% of your gross salary is a bit more than "slightly" IMO

However, questioning what the SG are actually doing with the additional taxation ≠ "it's a disgrace the levels are higher."

[Aufc]

3 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

The irony in all of this is that whilst all the Britnat posters on here who profess to be vexed about taxation, healthcare, living standards, Governance of Scotland, etc , appear to be genuinely concerned, what they really are interested in is how THEY and their families are affected.  No poor or struggling person I know lies awake at night worrying about higher tax rates.

As a pensioner I very often meet these types and it's always a joy to administer a f***-off pill when they quote the Daily Mail or Daily Express.  It can make for an awkward lunch in the garden centre, but hey-ho.

I know I am very fortunate that I have worked like f**k and got a very good job and yes I should almost certainly be ok. I don’t mind paying extra tax in line with my job, however, I get frustrated because it’s so one dimensional froM the government. They won’t address any budget deficit thag much by increasing my tax. 
 

People want to moan about stuff but then when a solution is suggested they scoff. Case in point is the NHS being fucked. Now I get it’s been criminally underfunded by the Tory fucks, however, there is also a large element of it that is down to people being inherently unhealthy. However, we never address that.