Not wishing to be churlish but the Barnett formula helps. Scotland’s NHS is better than England’s on some measures, not all, though I think it’s a better system. All the rest - yup, fair. Midges - hate the little bastards, you’re welcome to them.
My healthcare here took care of any blood sugar issues before they had a chance to even begin. The midges leave me alone completely in favour of easier prey. This is my home and I love it.
That's an interesting way of calculating the Block Grant, but unfortunately only adds up if you proceed from the assumption that Scotland pays no tax whatsoever, and leeches its entire budget from rUK.
If you stop being being silly & start counting, the actual sums are slightly different.
Those figures are correct, but what they represent is how Westminster divides up tax revenues. They express the Block Grant as being drawn from a pot of money to which Scotland does not contribute, while our taxes go into a separate pot.
Some may think there's an element of cynical PR behind this!
can you elaborate? I thought it would be better for scotland to leave the uk and rejoin the EU, but I'm open to having my mind changed, I don't know a ton about the subject
Wales, Scotland and NI now have devolved governments which has given these countries some autonomy over education, health service, and some law making. This is good.
The illustration shows differences in public services. To me, it evidences key policy differences and how the country's values are diverging. It's not good if you want to maintain a union. Now Englih people are asking for their own devolved entity and some of the benefits Scots enjoy.
I’m beginning to wonder if I should move back.🤷♀️ Also, how many ppl have asked you what midges are?
I was literally laughing until I cried Thanks I really needed that🤣🤣🤣
Decades ago, as I boarded a plane at Gatwick to go to Edinburgh, at the gate leaving the Brit informed the Scott's have no sense of humor...he never met the Americans who voted for the Russian Asset. Of course, although he was not kidding, he was wrong. LOL
None of the "free stuff" is free. It's paid for from taxation. As for the NHS the statistics for the main male cancer, prostate cancer, in Scotland are appalling. I man in 3 when diagnosed has incurable cancer. In SE England it's 1 in 8, on average elsewhere in the UK it's 1 in 6.
We know. We just get back more for our taxes rather than paying more. It's nice. It's not like Scots don't pay out a lot in tax too. We are a highly educated and hardworking nation. Having our government carefully give us these benefits is something we appreciate.
Millions of your taxes pissed up against the wall on the ferries cockup, the IT fiasco. the Salmond frame up, etc., etc. Never mind the shocking prostate cancer statistics, it's all terrific in the NHS.
I can live with the issues if kids don't have to pay for their education, and sick people don't have to pay for their drugs. Problems can be solved, we have the fundamentals well in hand. Judge a society based on how it treats the most vulnerable of its people.
Lots of people in England don't pay prescriptions, diabetics, schoolchildren, pensioners, those on income support and the unemployed. No fees for University means less places for Scots as the Universities have to take foreign students to keep afloat. Not quite the picture painted by the SNP.
It's my lived reality. I am not really fond of playing political at this point. I just go by my everyday life here. It's better. We have broadband, free prescriptions, new roads, my healthcare needs are well met and when I have had to talk to members of the Scottish parliament, they have helped.
After years of abuse for ring an ethical vegan, a remainer, and part of the liberal elite wokerati, my skin is too thick for the midges. Scotland here I come!!
To be fair, I’m not sure the towns have many midges, plus, I recently discovered this handy guide in case I’ve been misled about that: https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/
Ahh, very handy. We are actually in the process of planning a move to Inverness so also timely. That said, lived in Japan for over a decade and bitey things were not much impressed with me, passing me by for more flavoursome folk 😞
I have a friend who comes from Japan to spend the hottest part of the summer in the UK partly to avoid the midges. Hopefully Scottish midges will also avoid.
Comments
Damp still places with water nearby.
If you stop being being silly & start counting, the actual sums are slightly different.
Some may think there's an element of cynical PR behind this!
I assume you support English independence. Why pay for us pesky Scots.
I was literally laughing until I cried Thanks I really needed that🤣🤣🤣
But not that big an issue.
I thought that that was where Roger Moore got the idea of turning an aerosol can into a flame thrower with a lit cigar.
( Oh, now... it's not like Midges don't deserve it. )
We know it's not free. We know 'free' means 'free at the point of delivery'.
https://www.flytying.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/black-midge-dry-fly.jpg
Verily nice to call it home!