The great abortion that is Holyrood is all abuzz. For the first time, the Scottish “Parliament” is preparing to exercise its semi-independent tax policy. Scottish Labour and the Limp Dims, predictably, couldn’t see an opportunity to put up tax rates they didn’t like. The fragrant Greens were chomping at the bit at the chance to impose a 60pc tax rate on those earning over £150,000 pa. The Scots Tories were quite sensibly arguing that making Scotland an even dearer place to live and do business was probably not the soundest approach to take.
What does our blessed Nicola do? Bottle it, of course. Whereas in the rUK a 40pc taxes is imposed for those earning in excess of £45,000 Scotland will impose that rate at £43,000. Having shown absolutely no ability to manage Scotland’s services, economy or education – Scotland is falling behind E*****d in all three, the Nats prove themselves no more capable of handling Scotland’s taxes. Scotland will still be the most-heavily taxed part of the UK, services are unlikely to be improved and the (dis)repute of Holyrood is unlikely to be helped. One wonders if the constant banging on about the EU, EEA, “Independence”, etc. are attempts to distract the increasingly dismayed Scottish population from the utter – and growing — incompetence of the Nats.
Boadicea's Chariot 
The Bottler’s mate, the Fat Former Controller, blames the ‘yoon’ meeja for the Nats’ mounting ills. Pls explain why Scots continue to support them as their balance sheet falls apart.
Will the Scots continue to support them, I wonder? If the wee crankie does actually get to ask the question, her fisherfolk might provide her with a rather unwelcome reply, especially if it appears that Britain will be taking back control over its fishing grounds but the Scots find they are going to be tied into an EU quota system that no longer includes British waters.
Oops,
To finish off what I was saying, an agreement to stay in the EU would prevent the whole Scottish inshore fleet from fishing in British territorial waters, thus putting them all out of business at a stroke.
JL, I recall that Ms May has already told the Wee Crankie that she won’t get a veto on Brexit and it seems highly unlikely that she will risk asking for a 2nd indyref.
Quite a few Scots disdain the SNP and not that many actually want a second vote on “independence” — about 25pc or so. However, Labour are simply not credible. Dugdale’s only great achievement seems to be making Corbyn look inspired. Labour ruled Scotland for generations treating it like their personal fiefdom. After the collapse of the Tories in the 1990s, the SNP became the opposition.The few Tories left in Scotland were abandoned by the Westminster Party. The only check to the SNP’s ambitions was the ever less capable — or, for that matter, credible Labour Party. When the Fat Controller formed a minority government backed by the Greens in in 2007 necessity forced him to restrain the SNP’s worst instincts. Scotland didn’t immediately fall off a cliff and Labour were as dire as ever. In 2011, the SNP won a majority. Labour had learnt nothing either at Holyrood or in the councils. There were, to be fair, some decent members of Scots Labour but they were dragged-down by the Glasgow Machine. By 2015 the SNP has clearly started to over-play their hand and they lost their majority at Holyrood. The quirks of the first-past-the-post system still made it possible for them to all but destroy Scots Labour at Westminster. An active enough minority with a sizeable anti-incumbent bloc of voters can manage that in the British system.The Scots Tories have shown signs of life again under the Marvellous Ruth Davidson. To her credit, Theresa May hasn’t been as negligent of matters Jockish as other Conservative leaders have, either.
PS: Hunnish politics are in a state of flux because of Schulz. Sod it, I’m willing to take the risk and settle in the UK come October.
I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing about the above. Musing on this I have to admit that I really don’t care for Scotland very much at all as a place. Unfortunately coloured by living there. The violence, domestic and otherwise, the drinking, the misogyny plus a couple of disastrous holidays in the Isles put me off for life. I have never been back and never will.
The only thing I remember with any fondness is going to watch the salmon jump up some waterfall on the Dee, quite incredible to watch their persistence.
Shame really to feel like that about a part of one’s country, but then a lot of people feel like that about Wales! Especially when they swap languages! I suspect far more feel like that about Wales than Scotland. Which is rather good as they don’t come and visit us!!!
Not to worry, bugger their politics, just keep on selling the whisky and kippers, but you can keep the sheep guts! Bit like France really just send the cheese and claret and I’ll get amnesia as to where they really come from, somewhere over where, there ? Oh really!
CO: Familiarity breeds contempt, innit? I enjoy going to Scotland on holiday — I’m not sure I’d want to live there. I shan’t forget the night when two drunken Weegie lasses tried to ooze into my taxi. I felt like I was being assaulted by two drunken Jabbas the Hutt in drag — drenched in gallons of perfume so cheap that a Sarf Lon’on street walker would blush for shame. Ireland’s no better. I went there once on holiday and have no desire to ever return. Well, to the Republic in any case — it’s little more than an Irish pub with lots of scams directed at gullible Yanks.
How jaundiced y’all are! Caledonia and Hibernia are both great. Just choose your places and your company – which is true the whole world over, innit?
I do think one is prejudiced by unpleasant happenings in locations that one visits, especially when one is young. One tends to never go back, there is always someplace else to go and one progressively adds them to the list of like or dislike. Agree on Ireland too, pretty grim especially down the Falls Road in the seventies!
Yes, I really was there.
Sometimes J one can’t choose, one gets thrown in so to speak. Especially when it is business. Nobody goes to Glasgow voluntarily!
Janus: Hibernia has its charms and I understand why many are rather fond of the place. It just came off as a bit over-rated and really not that interesting. Ireland has a strange atmosphere now. There’s a lot of distrust and paranoia. The scandals that have rocked the Republic since the 1990s, what with the state and church colluding to shield child molesters, de facto slavery and child trafficking sparked a backlash. It is a very pretty country, but no more than England, Wales or Scotland.
CO: Of course. One must always learn from experience. If I know that I don’t like a place, or dislike the people from a place, I see no reason to go. Falls Road… Troubles… You really amaze me at times. Pray tell more!
Aye right, CausT.
Nursing my wrath on this post (and most of the comments thereanent),
I’ll probably forgive you, in due course but I believe that you and others are mainly writing total keech. To be fair, Janus seems to be moving into a more emollient mode herein.
It’s really very simple. In 2014, the majority of Scots voted to remain proud members of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
I see no perceptible change in that sentiment. Nicola can howl on as much as she chooses about Brexit but she is, in reality, terrified about actually having another referendum. She knows full well that she would lose it.
But, but……JM, your fearless leader seems to differ:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/pm-tells-ministers-to-fight-for-union-as-indyref2-nears-1-4373089
JM: I agree with what you say. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, only about a fourth of Scotland’s population seems to want a second referendum. I also wrote that quite a few Scots disdain the SNP. My point is that Wee Krankie and the SNP are banging on about Brexit and IndyRef2 is to distract from their inability to govern anything.