From a year ago- Don’t forget why the Scotland Bill is as it is:
The Scotland Bill is built on a principle that the Scottish Government should be more accountable for its spending, and in bearing responsibility for revenue collection- or so we are told. If this is the case then followed to a logical conclusion there would be nothing more effective than full fiscal responsibility including all revenue collection, spending and the right to raise whatever taxes the SG feels are necessary within her borders.
However, Michael Moore in the 27th January 2011 debate made it crystal clear what had driven the shape of the proposed bill.
In response to Angus Robertson’s intervention, Moore responded,
“As I have said, our proposals in the Bill are founded on careful consideration, and on impressive and important academic research that made it clear that if we wish to preserve the United Kingdom-I understand that the hon. Gentleman does not-we should ensure that, in increasing accountability in Scotland, we focus on income tax rather than corporation tax, and I am satisfied with that.”
This clarifies beyond a shadow of a doubt that the overriding consideration in the formulation of the bill has been the Unionist agenda, without consideration of what is good and necessary for Scotland’s economic wellbeing. The economic wellbeing of the country is not an abstract concept; it is the wellbeing of every man woman and child in Scotland. The people have been abandoned by the Red and Blue alliance (with a wee yellow tinge) for the sake of their obstructionist agenda.
It is this consideration that has ensured that only half of the Calman recommendations have been implemented, despite the plaudits lavished on the report by the Unionists.
It is this consideration, clearly stated that has ensured that there will be no consideration of the devolution of Corporation tax or Air passenger duty. This is obviously not a principle driven decision, or the UK government would not be considering devolving the self same taxes to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Either breathtaking hypocrisy and barefaced disrespect for the people of Scotland, who have dared to elect an SNP majority, or this should be sounding alert to NI unionists that the UK government is bent on ditching them and is attempting to act contrary to their interests – which is it? As the fella says, “we should be told”.
The taxation and funding arrangements are political maneuvering (ill) designed to maintain Scotland walking a line on or below subsistence, including built in deflation of Scottish revenue in relation to UK tax take increase. It is the national equivalent of wage slavery, ensuring just enough to feed the family and maintain a dependence on the employer, but not enough to prosper lest the worker should develop delusions of independence and wander off to greener grass.
