Might not vote 2021

[GordonS]

49 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Are you calling my reply Godwin-y because I mentioned Germans among two other countries, about events that were more than 150 years before the Nazis?

The point he's making is a bit more than what you're saying, it's also saying that progress is inevitable and I'm calling bollocks on that. History does not move "decisiely" in any direction.

Coming back to Scotland in 2021, I agree with you, and anyone who thinks the SNP can get more than 50% to support independence on a radical left agenda has never taken a walk round a typical Scottish cul-de-sac. 

Stormzy disagrees with this. Maybe he believes in a radical left agenda and I've had him wrong the whole time.

[HalfCutNinja]

2 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Afraid you're mistaken, you only have to be a higher rate tax payer. Someone on £50k in Scotland is paying £1,493.67 more income tax than the same salary in England. That's almost a fifth of income tax payers in Scotland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55847671

That's true but people forget this is only one tax. When you factor in everything like Council Tax, student debt, prescriptions etc people in Scotland are actually taxed less, and get better services, than their counterparts down south.

[GordonS]

2 minutes ago, HalfCutNinja said:

That's true but people forget this is only one tax. When you factor in everything like Council Tax, student debt, prescriptions etc people in Scotland are actually taxed less, and get better services, than their counterparts down south.

I know, there's much more to it, I was only using it as an example of how the SNP have introduced and popularised a policy that they probably couldn't have done before. I think the window on progressive tax has moved and I think they helped move it.

This stuff is all a matter of opinion though.

[SANTAN]

9 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Stormzy disagrees with this. Maybe he believes in a radical left agenda and I've had him wrong the whole time.

^^^

This guys thinks I read his posts like that. 

[jakedee]

Afraid you're mistaken, you only have to be a higher rate tax payer. Someone on £50k in Scotland is paying £1,493.67 more income tax than the same salary in England. That's almost a fifth of income tax payers in Scotland.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55847671

Apologies, you are correct.

[scottsdad]

On 19/03/2021 at 15:09, scottsdad said:

I've voted in every election I've ever been eligible for, starting with the 1997 devolution referendum. This approaching election and I think - nah. I really might not vote. Nobody on offer excites me, or makes me feel like they have anything to offer. Looking at the runners and riders:

SNP: 14 years in power and they're creaking a bit. What legacy do they have? The NHS, education, police, fire - none have really been improved. They have independence going for them, sure, but what else? This is a government we're voting for,

Tories: They have one policy as far as I can see, and that's not holding a referendum. So if they win they'll spend 4 years not doing something. What else do they have? They put a leaflet through my door a few weeks back and the entire thing was about a referendum. Nothing on crime, economy, education, etc. 

Labour: No thanks. 2014 killed them for me, gleefully parading round Scotland telling us we were hopeless. Gordon Brown touring care homes frightening folk with "Your UK pension will stop" and saying that cross-border blood and organ donations will stop. Lies, denigration, never again.

Liberals: No thanks. 2010 killed them for me. Bedroom tax, tuition fees in England, enabling every single austerity measure and running down the NHS ahead of a global pandemic (cheers, lads). They'll sell every policy they have for a ministerial job.

Greens: Don't know much about them except their young guy spent some time a while back in twitter fights about Winston Churchill. I'd expect this from an adolescent, not an MSP. 

You might get the idea that none of this crown makes me want to vote for them. Feeling really down about this election. 

Add the Alba Party to this list. No way am I voting for Sleepy Cuddles. Years ago he was the politician in Scotland I admired the most. Now he's on some weird ego trip that I can only assumed is to give himself a platform. No thanks, absolutely not. And look at the crowd who are swarming around him!

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

On 22/03/2021 at 14:00, jakedee said:

You have to earn almost £100k p/y to pay £1.5k more tax in Scotland.
I suppose a " big chunk" is perspective.

Thats not actually correct, my wife is a GP, changes to the way pension contributions are taxed etc has seen massive tax bills for doctors, one of her colleagues got hit with a 70k tax bill due to some kind of pension anomaly. His actuary essentially said that because out of hours pay (which is paid as paye now instead of as a contractor) contributes to the NHS pension scheme coupled with GP’s being self employed business owners then with the new tax models over paye/self employed status and pension taxation quite a lot of doctors around the UK were in a very similar position, the government refuses to change the regulations.
That explanation is probably over simplified and im sure someone more informed will know more. Some people may think ‘good enough for them’ or whatever but the knock on result of that is for many GP’s it would actually cost them money to work out of hours shifts meaning services are under staffed, the government know all this but refuse to budge, I think they are probably looking to go to nurse practitioner led out of hours care instead of GP led to save money. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Inanimate Carbon Rod

[ayrmad]

5 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Thats not actually correct, my wife is a GP, changes to the way pension contributions are taxed etc has seen massive tax bills for doctors, one of her colleagues got hit with a 70k tax bill due to some kind of pension anomaly. His actuary essentially said that because out of hours pay (which is paid as paye now instead of as a contractor) contributes to the NHS pension scheme coupled with GP’s being self employed business owners then with the new tax models over paye/self employed status and pension taxation quite a lot of doctors around the UK were in a very similar position, the government refuses to change the regulations.
That explanation is probably over simplified and im sure someone more informed will know more. Some people may think ‘good enough for them’ or whatever but the knock on result of that is for many GP’s it would actually cost them money to work out of hours shifts meaning services are under staffed, the government know all this but refuse to budge, I think they are probably looking to go to nurse practitioner led out of hours care instead of GP led to save money. 

Know someone who's job it was to investigate the tax affairs of doctors, said a lot just acted like their earnings from private sources didn't need to be declared, usually just wrote a cheque to cover the 5 figure sum asked for. 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

16 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

Know someone who's job it was to investigate the tax affairs of doctors, said a lot just acted like their earnings from private sources didn't need to be declared, usually just wrote a cheque to cover the 5 figure sum asked for. 

Ive met some of these chancers and they are a disgrace. For me the best thing to do would be to ‘nationalise’ GP services, meaning GP’s surgeries cannot be privatised by large conglomerates and there can be a more even consistent service. It means estates etc will be properly maintained and out of hours provision could be boosted if it simplified salary etc. 

[Scary Bear]

On 22/03/2021 at 10:08, scottsdad said:

Interesting take. I think the SNP really is stale now in office. Independence aside, I'm not sure that they're up for more years of government. They've made things a bit better across the board, but wouldn't anyone? I have voted SNP in recent years and when I think about it, it has become a habit. Just the natural thing to do - like voting Labour was once upon a time. Less than 2 months out from the election, I don't know what they're proposing other than inderef2.

I like in a town where there is crime, and I do worry about my kids round here. The roads are a shambles, more potholes than tarmac. Unemployment is a concern (not for me, but for my neighbours). The schooling is good, the bins are improving. 

I also think the SNP are stale and I think you’re right that it’s just like when people in Scotland voted Labour en masse just because they always had. All that’s changed is the colour of the rosettes. 

The SNP are the same old faces and the ideas just aren’t there. It’s just asking people to eternally vote for them on the ‘jam tomorrow’ promise of someday, maybe, if the Tories let us, have another referendum on independence. 

[ayrmad]

30 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Ive met some of these chancers and they are a disgrace. For me the best thing to do would be to ‘nationalise’ GP services, meaning GP’s surgeries cannot be privatised by large conglomerates and there can be a more even consistent service. It means estates etc will be properly maintained and out of hours provision could be boosted if it simplified salary etc. 

I think it was the fact that they were able to just write a cheque for £30/40k that got to him the most, don't think that's the normal response from those evading tax. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by ayrmad

[scottsdad]

I said before that I have always voted. It has turned to farce once - the 1999 Ochil election. The candidates were as follows:

Richard Simpson (Labour) - elected for the constituency

George Reid (SNP) - elected via the list

Nick Johnston (Tory) - elected via the list

Jamie Erskine, the Earl of Mar and Kellie (Lib Dem) - was, and remains, in the House of Lords.

So, in fact, all the candidates ended up in parliament in one form or another.

[AlbionMan]

On 21/03/2021 at 11:32, Big Rider said:

The 3 Cs of Conservatism - Corruption, Cronyism, Cuntyness.
Pheromones for attracting Rangers dafties right enough.

No, you got confused that was communism

Edited March 29, 2021 by AlbionMan

[HTG]

5 minutes ago, AlbionMan said:

No, you got confused that was communism

Nah, he's right on the money with the current UK govt. The most deluded, wrapped in the flag arsehole can see that 

[Scary Bear]

21 minutes ago, Pato said:

Just out of interest what sort of things would you expect a more energised party to be doing? Making the assumption the referendum issue is parked.

Assuming the referendum issue is parked, what is the point of the SNP or any pro-independence party? I thought the main point of them was to push for independence.

I’m not sure what policies I want to hear about. I know I like the more radical ideas when I hear them. I like hearing about land reform. I like hearing stuff about more flexible working and 4 day weeks and the likes. I like hearing about how we are going to build up the economy. I like hearing about big infrastructure projects like the  Dualling of the A9, Aberdeen by-pass, new ferries (if they ever get built), new forth crossing, etc.

I want better health & social care programmes. I’d rather have policy aimed at prevention rather than dealing with things reactively. Most government health initiatives (e.g. mental health, drug addiction, alcohol addiction) are about tackling the problems brought on by life rather than figuring out what is so bad about life and trying to change that. 

A lot of the issues that annoy me are to do with under-performing local and central government where the constant mantra is that they’ve no money, which allows them to be eternally shit and blame it on inadequate funding of services. It seems like local councils have pretty much given up. How will the Scottish Government deal with this?

I want to see better investment in local parks and amenities to build on the legacy of lockdown and everyone being outside again. 

 

[scottsdad]

In my constituency we have candidates from the main parties plus one independent. The independent guy's leaflet reads almost exactly the same as the SNP one. 

On the list however we have some apparent zoomers. We have:

Abolish the Scottish Parliament,

Alba (aka The Sleepy Cuddles Alliance),

All for Unity (7 candidates here; imagine applying to be an All for Unity candidate and ranking seventh out of seven),

Freedom Alliance (George Michael fans perhaps?),

Reform UK (no idea what they want to reform - is this one of Farage's?),

Tories,

Scottish Family (and yet all the candidates have different last names...suspicious),

Greens,

Labour,

Lib Dems,

Scottish Libertarians (zoomers),

SNP,

Scottish Renew (not a scooby what needs renewed),

UKIP (Holy cow! Is this still a thing?)

I'm half tempted to go along and vote for one of these oddball parties, and just write "Douglas Ross Blows Goats" on the constituency ballot.

 

[lichtgilphead]

9 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I'm half tempted to go along and vote for one of these oddball parties, and just write "Douglas Ross Blows Goats" on the constituency ballot.

He will probably claim that goats don't vote for divisive separatism, so it's a ringing endorsement of his political views and should count as a vote for him.

[Scary Bear]

I haven’t been inspired by any party but I’ve ended up voting. I twice received the same flyer through the door. They were posted inside letters. They were both from the Tories.

In the end I have voted due to dislike of the Tories. Quite sad really, but that’s the reality.

[scottsdad]

Looking up my local list parties again...I posted about Scottish family on another thread (anti-Gay, anti-abortion, anti-everything really but especially anti-sex education).

Today I looked up Reform UK.

Mother of God. Would you vote for this guy?

[Granny Danger]

On 17/04/2021 at 11:14, Scary Bear said:

I haven’t been inspired by any party but I’ve ended up voting. I twice received the same flyer through the door. They were posted inside letters. They were both from the Tories.

In the end I have voted due to dislike of the Tories. Quite sad really, but that’s the reality.

A hatred of Tories is a mark of humanity and empathy, those who don’t hate Tories are the sad ones.