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Old 22nd Sep 2014, 02:08
  #407 (permalink)  
The Stimulator
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Halfway up a Scottish mountain
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FM Salmond complained that Westminster cuts meant he was unable to do more about social issues but his Government imposed a rates freeze for years starving Councils of additional funds. He never used enhanced powers already granted by Westminster to vary Income Tax by up to 3% up or down. Perhaps no great surprise in the long, long build up to the referendum but a moot point if he really wanted to redistribute income.
I'm with Draken 55 here.

I'm quite surpised that more hadn't been made of the freeze on Council Tax (5 years now I think) which whilst great for us as individuals means automatically that Councils have to cut services. These are some of the very cuts in services that the Yes campaign were blaming solely on Westminster.

As far as the tax varying powers already in place, why would the SNP use them - it would make them unpopular, and they couldn't place so much of the blame for social injustices on Westminster (also it may affect their chances of re-election, and what politician is intentionally going to risk their chance of getting a place at the trough).

Perhaps the wounds in Scotland from last week may just about have healed before Nicola Sturgeon (who seems a shoe in for leader) opens them again.

One spin-off from the continuing talk of another referendum in the near(-ish) future may be an unwillingness on the part of Westminster to upgrade any of the infrastructure at Lossie/Kinloss. Whoever takes over the SNP may need to consider that. Stability and co-operation is needed now.

Last edited by The Stimulator; 22nd Sep 2014 at 03:15. Reason: Add a sentence about Lossie/Kinloss.
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