I think I can say that we always appreciate kind comments from our visitors. For what it's worth, I have stood on the edge of a loch on a winter's day, just looking out at the calm. Always makes me feel better about the world. Sadly, England is copying the US with crazy people in charge. We need out
Nope...do you honestly believe London sends Scotland money from it's revenue? UK/English government won't even pay for an extra bedroom for it's citizens in England. Scotland would be one of the world's wealthiest countries with #ScottishIndependence π
The Wastemonster takes Scottish taxes, keeps 40% to use for Scotland's benefit e.g. defence, HS2, Hinckley B, Elizabeth line etc.
60% returns to Holyrood
39% used as per UK gov dictates
11% for Holyrood projects: bus passes, free prescriptions, tuition fees, child allowance, bedroom tax relief etc
I was using 2101-22 figures which are similar to those you quoted, except defence was Β£15Bn
However we do pay a portion of the interest on HST, Cross Rail, Hinckley Point, Trident, Channel Tunnel directly, but also indirectly through North Sea oil revenue
The percentages given refer to income tax
When independent, theyβll do what every other country does. Of course, theyβre fairly well resourced and with independence will have full access to their benefits.
Unshackling themselves from the corpse of the English economy helps. More than 2/3 of all tax collected in Scotland is UK parliament controlled.
Disruptions and short-term costs following the split are inevitable, the long-term picture is of rising prosperity, as any recent EU nation will attest.
Scotland balanced its budget in 2024, the same as it does every year, by law. Quoting the Β£20 billion of reserved spending allocated by Westminster is misleading.
Our trade is to wider world forced thro English ports and airports does not get assigned to our balance sheets nor does the tax revenues from corporations with HQs in England. Dont us GERS as true reflection it's a Brit tool to lie
It's shite being Scottish!
We're the lowest of the low!
The scum of the fucking Earth!
The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash, that was shat into civilisation! Some people hate the English, I don't! They're just wankers!
We, on the other hand, are colonised by wankers!
Can't even find a decent culture to be colonised by!
We're ruled by effete assholes!
It's a shite state of affairs to be in Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fucking difference!
Well Scots ye just need to think, they lied in 2014, about everything, so they'll always lie about everything, as they need the UK Scots have never & will never be served nor need the UK.
Always sad but never a surprise to see better reporting on domestic matters coming from abroad. It will trigger a volley of unionist nonsense in response quoting all the old tropesβ¦.
Comments
P G Wodehouse
Y'all are fantastic, wonderful people. The country is gorgeous beyond words. Everything about it speaks to my soul.
I just really, REALLY don't want to live in the UK.
Best of luck with another Referendum. I truly mean that (and not just for my best moving there and living out my best "become an author" fantasies).
First visit I took the ferry over from Belfast, and the second I got sight of land my heart started singing.
Transcendent moment.
They did Brexit; we had to one-up them with Trump 1.
The Tories said, "Let's alienate everyone!" Our Republicans said, "Let's be literal Nazis!"
Ineffectual Labor party got elected; we've "elected" Elon Musk and Apartheid.
USA USA WE'RE #1
(Save me?)
So if Independent they would need to generate that extra or cut services.
60% returns to Holyrood
39% used as per UK gov dictates
11% for Holyrood projects: bus passes, free prescriptions, tuition fees, child allowance, bedroom tax relief etc
96% of that 25% was accounted for by pensions and deficits, leaving Β£0.8b of Scottish tax for everything else. Defence alone was Β£4b.
We don't pay for HS2, Elizabeth line or Hinkley Point.
However we do pay a portion of the interest on HST, Cross Rail, Hinckley Point, Trident, Channel Tunnel directly, but also indirectly through North Sea oil revenue
The percentages given refer to income tax
Devolved spending was Β£61.6b leaving rUK with 16.6% of our tax. WM paid pensions and benefits alone were more than that.
Our share of debt on those is less than the Barnett formula amounts we receive so no, we don't pay for them.
Disruptions and short-term costs following the split are inevitable, the long-term picture is of rising prosperity, as any recent EU nation will attest.
We balance out books annually.
Our trade is to wider world forced thro English ports and airports does not get assigned to our balance sheets nor does the tax revenues from corporations with HQs in England. Dont us GERS as true reflection it's a Brit tool to lie
We're the lowest of the low!
The scum of the fucking Earth!
The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash, that was shat into civilisation! Some people hate the English, I don't! They're just wankers!
We, on the other hand, are colonised by wankers!
We're ruled by effete assholes!
It's a shite state of affairs to be in Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fucking difference!