Wednesday 18 May 2016

AND SO IT BEGINS, AGAIN

15 comments:

  1. "Our journey of self government"
    She's being unusually coy! Devolution end point; if there is one; isn't separation, but home rule within the United Kingdom.

    "A mandate to govern...but also to do so inclusively"
    Glad she recognises this. She talks the talk, we'll see if she walks the walk.

    "We will not assume a monopoly of wisdom"
    This represents a new concept for the SNP.

    "We are a left-of-center social democratic government"
    Is this why only the Tories agree with the SNP on income tax levels? 'Cos they're so socially democratic...

    "A new age of national self confidence"
    Does this new age of self confidence explain why the Nats have presided over a higher rate of unemployment than England? Self confidence through competition for limited sources of employment?

    "My job as first minister is to govern for all of our people"
    Good, then she can accept the referendum result of 20 months ago and drop plans to launch a summer offensive for separation.
    She can get on with her day job, actually governing (maybe solving the rising unemployment rates) and cease to bleat on about a concept of 'independence' that a clear majority of us rejected as unwanted.

    "I asked for a personal mandate, and got one"
    Is this why she presided over an election where her party dropped from 69 MSPs to 63? The loss of their majority...some personal mandate...


    Nice touch quoting Edwin Morgan however, the man was a legend. I had the privilege of meeting him once. A charmer.

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    1. Blah, blah, blah. You're acting like wee Ruthie, carping from the sidelines and powerless to do anything, with no workable policies of your own.
      The Tories got humped in the election, get over it.

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    2. You're demonstrating why I'm less than convinced by Sturgeon's pledge to 'govern for all the people'. If you're that ready to dismiss 500,000 of your fellow Scots...you're hardly egalitarian.

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    3. Were you ever convinced? You sound like a troll

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    4. And Tories are renowned for their egalitarian, selflessness; working for the common good of all and sundry.
      I don't care how many vote Tory, I don't agree with their outlook; and they are still a distant second.

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    5. Raising the income tax threshold, introducing same sex marriage (made a big difference in my life), introducing the pensions triple lock, raising the minimum wage way up (I agree it's not a 'living wage', I also prefer to ignore Osborne gimmicky name) - it'd say it's all for the common good.

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    6. Well Dean, I think that Nicola, a bit like Annabel Goldie, sees reality and accepts it. The country, while voting for a majority of "pro-independence" MSPs, did so this time by voting for more Greens.

      The SNP meanwhile, did increase its vote (over a million FPTP voters).

      I know you would rather have seen Ruth as the First Minister. But the Scottish public didn't see it that way. Nicola has accepted that in only giving her 63 seats out of 129, they have told her to govern inclusively. What did they tell Ruth? And will she accept that the people voted to make her opposition leader, that Nicola has proposed a 5 year period of co-operative government...and get down off her tank?

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    7. Same sex marriage, introduced in Scotland by whom? I'll give you a clue, it wasn't the Tories.
      They certainly raised the income tax threshold, for the rich and £billion making companies, raised it to infinity and beyond.

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    8. Although Osborne has carried it forward to £11,000 (miles too low), it was actually a Liberal Democrat policy initially.

      You're right to acknowledge that it is not a living way, as many people earning it will attest, it not even covering their rents.

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  2. "a higher rate of unemployment than England"
    Most of this is caused by the oil situation in Aberdeen which the SG has no control over, and which Westminster couldn't care less about (the unemployment I mean).
    I've noticed that many English HQ based companies are withdrawing back into England (the latest being Greggs in Midlothian), but still want us to buy their products!

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    1. SNP claimed credit when unemployment was lower than in England, but now that it's higher it's ---surprise surprise---someone else's fault.

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    2. Will you then Dean, ask questions about the fact that all the key indicators in NHS Scotland are far better than those in NHS England, which is run by the Tories?

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    3. And while we are on the subject of unemployment, the UK government has taken a fair number of civil service jobs back to England. The tax offices closing in Scotland to be replaced with a super office in Croydon, and all the passport offices closing down.

      Is this a determined effort by the UK authorities to undermine Scotland, or pure chance?

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    4. Yes Tris, I forgot to mention the hurry to close down the HMRC offices before The SG take over "some" Income Tax powers. Perhaps Westminster will SELL them back to us now. Wouldn't be surprised!

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    5. Or we can just use them from Croydon...

      Pffffffff

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