An inside job, I know, as Tom Arthur SNP asks:
https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20190319.pdf
So less tax and despite that, these universal benefits worth thousands:
An inside job, I know, as Tom Arthur SNP asks:
https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20190319.pdf
So less tax and despite that, these universal benefits worth thousands:
Talking-up Scotland 
Well, I know we benefit from living in Scotland. As people occasionally point out, why don’t the ‘better together’ mob promote this as a thing about how beneficial it is to be in the union? It’s a bit like they are all well versed in exactly the same type of narrative where they have all been told to keep it negative whatever the news – why would there be so little variety in opinion and attitude when it comes to the people that speak out ‘in favour’ of the union?. There is nothing positive about the union, obviously, is what it tells us.
Interestingly, the petition recently raised to revoke article 50 and remain in the EU has gained huge traction – it was fast approaching 600 000 when I last looked (overtaking the older petition to leave the EU with no deal, which stands at 370 000):
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241584
I wonder how this reflects ‘the will of the people’ as T May sees it? (I watched the soup pot version of her little announcement, but the other version by all accounts seems to have involved total fantasy and points to serious mental health problems).
Having looked at some of the issues in negotiating full independence and setting up institutions for that, I can see why the SNP wants the uk to remain in the EU – yes we all want a slam dunk sure fire vote for independence, but I think the Brexit stramash has damaged Westminster reputation enough that campaigning for independence after the UK remains in the EU will be much easier (border stuff isn’t a big issue – think about how the unionists stated how we’d all be foreigners in 2014 – kind of looks ridiculous now we know so much more about borders, and we know now it’s just the inherent xenophobia, who knew eh, of a large portion of the English population, not an actual issue while we are all in the EU). So, anyway, I am happy to see the uk remain, article 50 to be revoked, and I believe this gives us an easier route to independence. Of course, the uk government could claim, no change of circumstance, but the uk government is going to have to change – the SNP should stands on an absolute firm manifesto of an independence referendum (and nothing else, for any Westminster GE). We can’t tell, while part of the union, if Westminster is going to ‘grant’ a section 30 (so it is all agreeable), but there will be many more mechanisms to force the issue when we get rid of the looming Brexit disaster. Any no-deal – and that means no trade abroad, because you can’t trade without an agreement – should mean instant independence for Scotland, if we have a democracy.
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Nice work again, John, illustrating once more the deft touch of the SNP Government in circumventing the income tax trap set by Westminster crew. Isn’t it refreshing in these days of political turmoil in the south to see Holyrood actually looking to the interests of its people?
On the matter of rescinding the Article 50 application raised by Contrary, it appears to me that this is the only action available to Westminster which is deliverable with any degree of certainty. All the others require the consent of so many ‘partners’ that they are unlikely to succeed.
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Despite the question relating to the UK median wage aren’t the median wages for full-time workers in Scotland and the rest of the UK not the same.
So, it’s probably the case that the median Scottish tax-payer is paying much less tax than the UK median – but hardly anything to boast about.
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