The Very Meh Humza Yousaf Thread.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

On 21/12/2023 at 07:34, Aufc said:

You would make a good politician. From everyone I have spoken to, no one is moaning at the fact they have to pay more tax. Everyone is just questioning the current income tax model in Scotland. The focus seems to be on redistributing wealth rather than creating it. 
 

Edited to add. The reality is that the majority of people affected won’t move to England over this. There may be some people who work in England but live in Scotland who may move. However, there will be some people who have variable hours who will reduce their hours because they don’t see the benefit of doing the additional hours. This will have negative impact on the economy. There will be doctors who will reduce the amount of of NHS work they do and either move to the more lucrative private work where they can pay less tax via a company. This will hit services. Also, as mentioned, people wil just pay more into their pension and offset any rise. 

Im not sure many will leave the country etc but i do know that changes made by the snp to how out of hours services dr’s were taxed meant a massive reduction in dr’s willing to work nights or public holidays because it had massive implications on their taxes and pensions, the pensions were made incredibly complex and the government wont seem to budge on this. The new tax band wont exactly encourage these dr’s to fill those increasing vacant spaces. 

[Ned Nederlander]

1 hour ago, Jedi2 said:

Of course if they moved to small charges for prescriptions

Costs more to means test prescriptions than having them free at point of delivery apparently.

[lichtgilphead]

1 hour ago, Jedi2 said:

Meanwhile, just 19 bills passed by Holyrood in the past 3 years or so, with the 'flagship' bill of course being the GRA, while the National Care Service and A9 Duelling was shelved:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/snp-asleep-at-the-wheel-as-just-19-bills-have-been-passed-in-900-days/ar-AA1lUGUO

How many pieces of secondary legislation were passed?

Btw, duelling was banned in the UK in 1844, so Alister Jack would probably have struck down any legislation to reintroduce it anyway.

EDITED TO ADD

Labour are in power in Wales.

How many bills have they passed in the last 900 days?

Edited December 23, 2023 by lichtgilphead

[Jedi2]

Thought that the Greens had a 'red line' on getting the GRA through and therefore appealing the recent court decision?

Or do they like the trappings of powers and govt limos too much?

Kind of like when the SNP waved through the sale of the Scottish seabed to noted polluters and multinationals, Greens didn't bat an eye.

Edited December 23, 2023 by Jedi2

[Freedom Farter]

2 hours ago, Jedi2 said:

Of course if they moved to small charges for prescriptions, placed some university tuition fees on Scottish students, (both at lower rates than England), and hadn't implemented a Council Tax Freeze then they would be under less pressure on taxation.

However, as a part of the centre right,(economically), they have to keep those middle class voters happy.

I remember you were called a concern troll before. That might be what you're doing here. Pretending to criticise the SNP from a left perspective while presenting a perspective not actually in line with left consensus. If that's not the case and you're being sincere, here's an argument for the more common left belief that universal availability of benefits is better than means testing: https://jacobin.com/2022/11/universal-means-testing-benefits-korpi-palme-taxes.

[Jedi2]

22 hours ago, Freedom Farter said:

I remember you were called a concern troll before. That might be what you're doing here. Pretending to criticise the SNP from a left perspective while presenting a perspective not actually in line with left consensus. If that's not the case and you're being sincere, here's an argument for the more common left belief that universal availability of benefits is better than means testing: https://jacobin.com/2022/11/universal-means-testing-benefits-korpi-palme-taxes.

'Concern troll' accusation essentially was any questioning/criticism of SNP policy.

Anyway..not convinced that it's 'left wing' to provide free prescriptions (which cost the Scot govt around £1.5 billion a year) or indeed free tuition to Scottish students...you still have someone on say £100K a year getting free medicines, and stats suggest that it is middle class parents who benefit most from free tuition fees for their children.

Both policies are still designed as a sop to the middle class/earners in the same way that Council Tax freeze is...which means Council services being cut...middle earners are better placed again to offset such cuts while low income families are not.

Ultimately, up until this weeks 6 bands of income tax, the only 'redistributive' policy enacted by the SNP was arguably the Proceeds of Crime outlay.

'Left wing' they ain't.

[DrewDon]

26 minutes ago, Jedi2 said:

'Concern troll' accusation essentially was any questioning/criticism of SNP policy.

Anyway..not convinced that it's 'left wing' to provide free prescriptions (which cost the Scot govt around £1.5 billion a year) or indeed free tuition to Scottish students...you still have someone on say £100K a year getting free medicines, and stats suggest that it is middle class parents who benefit most from free tuition fees for their children.

Both policies are still designed as a sop to the middle class/earners in the same way that Council Tax freeze is...which means Council services being cut...middle earners are better placed again to offset such cuts while low income families are not.

Ultimately, up until this weeks 6 bands of income tax, the only 'redistributive' policy enacted by the SNP was arguably the Proceeds of Crime outlay.

'Left wing' they ain't.

Can you please point me to the "stats" that show middle-class parents 'benefitting most' from free university tuition for students? 

[welshbairn]

23 hours ago, Ned Nederlander said:

Costs more to means test prescriptions than having them free at point of delivery apparently.

I was living in Wales when they abolished prescription charges there, and the cost given was 40 million, which in NHS budget terms was a few quid down the back of the sofa. That was Welsh Labour of course, traitors to the Starmer vision now probably. 

[welshbairn]

38 minutes ago, Jedi2 said:

'Concern troll' accusation essentially was any questioning/criticism of SNP policy.

Anyway..not convinced that it's 'left wing' to provide free prescriptions (which cost the Scot govt around £1.5 billion a year) or indeed free tuition to Scottish students...you still have someone on say £100K a year getting free medicines, and stats suggest that it is middle class parents who benefit most from free tuition fees for their children.

Both policies are still designed as a sop to the middle class/earners in the same way that Council Tax freeze is...which means Council services being cut...middle earners are better placed again to offset such cuts while low income families are not.

Ultimately, up until this weeks 6 bands of income tax, the only 'redistributive' policy enacted by the SNP was arguably the Proceeds of Crime outlay.

'Left wing' they ain't.

Scotland has never had tuition fees, will Labour really have them in their manifesto for the next Holyrood election? 

[Cheese]

Looking forward to the Jedi3 account in a few months.

[Mark Connolly]

8 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Scotland has never had tuition fees, will Labour really have them in their manifesto for the next Holyrood election? 

I'll be asking for my money back then, because I definitely paid them in 1999-2000

[Jedi2]

33 minutes ago, DrewDon said:

Can you please point me to the "stats" that show middle-class parents 'benefitting most' from free university tuition for students? 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/29/free-tuition-scotland-benefits-wealthiest-students-most-study

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

I'll be asking for my money back then, because I definitely paid them in 1999-2000

I was thinking I should check that but I've a crappy phone signal so didn't bother... 

[ICTChris]

7 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

I'll be asking for my money back then, because I definitely paid them in 1999-2000

Me too. We are part of the unique demographic of Scottish tuition fee payers.

[Billy Jean King]

On 24/12/2023 at 00:21, Jedi2 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/29/free-tuition-scotland-benefits-wealthiest-students-most-study

Be interesting to hear Kezia's opinions on this subject today 

Edited December 25, 2023 by Billy Jean King

[Crazy Days]

England now has legislation in place regarding XL Bully dogs but unsurprisingly the SNP will not follow/have to be different to Westminster and are not adopting the same guidelines.  Good to see they are putting their principles before public safety.  Pity help them if someone gets badly injured or worse up here.

[AyrExile]

32 minutes ago, Crazy Days said:

England now has legislation in place regarding XL Bully dogs but unsurprisingly the SNP will not follow/have to be different to Westminster and are not adopting the same guidelines.  Good to see they are putting their principles before public safety.  Pity help them if someone gets badly injured or worse up here.

It's not a bad thing though keeping your core vote happy particularly when popularity is waning   

[vikingTON]

57 minutes ago, Crazy Days said:

England now has legislation in place regarding XL Bully dogs but unsurprisingly the SNP will not follow/have to be different to Westminster and are not adopting the same guidelines.  Good to see they are putting their principles before public safety.  Pity help them if someone gets badly injured or worse up here.

What evidence is there that England's legislation will have a demonstrable impact on public safety? 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

3 hours ago, Crazy Days said:

England now has legislation in place regarding XL Bully dogs but unsurprisingly the SNP will not follow/have to be different to Westminster and are not adopting the same guidelines.  Good to see they are putting their principles before public safety.  Pity help them if someone gets badly injured or worse up here.

The legislation was always in place - there was no need to bring in new legislation.

It's populist pish of the first degree as was the original Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

[lichtgilphead]

3 hours ago, Crazy Days said:

England now has legislation in place regarding XL Bully dogs but unsurprisingly the SNP will not follow/have to be different to Westminster and are not adopting the same guidelines.  Good to see they are putting their principles before public safety.  Pity help them if someone gets badly injured or worse up here.

I would rather believe the RSPCA than Sunak's populist pish

https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/endcruelty/changingthelaw/bsl/xlbullies

The UK Government has now confirmed that XL Bully dogs will be added to a list of dogs which are banned in England and Wales - and we understand this is hugely concerning and upsetting for owners, as well as animal welfare organisations like ourselves.

The RSPCA is opposed to this ban, which we don’t believe is effective in protecting the public. We do not agree with the broad legal definition of an XL Bully dog announced by the UK Government but we must comply with the law and we are committed to supporting dog owners as we await more information.  

Edited December 31, 2023 by lichtgilphead