Third World Despots and Scotland

[Shabbychic]

I am utterly speechless after reading this dross (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/8081341/Spending-review-why-so-soft-on-Scots-and-foreigners.html) by Simon Heffer in the Telegraph. What an utterly despicable, ignorant little man. [evil]

And some people wonder why Scotland want to go it alone?

[crayola]

Heffer used to write right wing trash for the Mail. He should have stayed there because he isn't good enough for the Telegraph.

[ducati]

I don't like the anti Scots tone, but its hard to argue with some of the observations :eek:

[Shabbychic]

I don't like the anti Scots tone, but its hard to argue with some of the observations :eek:

What observations? Observations in general, or about Scotland? :confused

[scotsboy]

I think he pretty much hits the nail on the head.

[Shabbychic]

I think he pretty much hits the nail on the head.

So you see Scotland as a third world country, who holds a begging bowl out to the English taxpayer?

[John Little]

Well now - if you will insist on reading the Torygraph what do you expect?

[Shabbychic]

I don't really insist in reading the Telegraph, I just like to read about, and see what is going on out there. Mind you, I do draw the line with regards The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Record and the ilk. There are things going on out there that I really don't want to know. :Razz

[John Little]

Anyway the man's a fool. He's set up a completely false paradigm which misses the point entire.

We are a United Kingdom and we are in this thing together. Every part of it contributes according to its means. At the moment, if you separate things out it may well be that England is paying more cash than Scotland. I don't much care - the population is bigger down here.

And I wonder what he would be screaming about if a lot of the wealth and proof against impoverishments that derived from oil in Scottish waters this last 40 years did not exist?
That benefitted the whole of the UK - as, in its day did Scottish coal, Scottish engineering and Scottish shipbuilding.

Put it this way. I earned more than my wife. Then we earned the same. Then she earned more than me. Now I earn more than her. But it all goes into the same account.

The man is a fool - he damages the Union with his crashing about so he's not even a very good Tory for they are a Unionist party.

We live in a club of nations and Scotland has more than paid its dues.

[Shabbychic]

Yip, according to economist Andrew Hughes Hallet (http://scotlandunspun.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-renowned-economist-says-scotland.html), Scotland has indeed paid it's dues. ;)

[scotsboy]

So you see Scotland as a third world country, who holds a begging bowl out to the English taxpayer?

No I don’t and I think he actually states in the title Third World Despots AND Scotland.
I agree that the Scottish Conservatives are a fringe group and irrelevant.............I also agree that Scotland has a hard-core addiction to state support and handouts.............I do think that Scotland proportionately gets more than its fair share of hand-outs.

[John Little]

Yip, according to economist Andrew Hughes Hallet (http://scotlandunspun.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-renowned-economist-says-scotland.html), Scotland has indeed paid it's dues. ;)


Aye that may well be so - but as I said - it works both ways. I actually do not care who pays most. I think the marriage a good one and we are better than the sum of our parts.

[scotsboy]

Aye that may well be so - but as I said - it works both ways. I actually do not care who pays most. I think the marriage a good one and we are better than the sum of our parts.

Agree there are swings and roundabouts.

[crayola]

Yip, according to economist Andrew Hughes Hallet (http://scotlandunspun.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-renowned-economist-says-scotland.html), Scotland has indeed paid it's dues. ;)
I think all that this link and the one provided by the OP show is that it's equally easy to be biased in one direction as the other. These are Complicated Issues and we over-simplify at our own peril.

It's generally accepted that oil activities and revenues are easily big enough to make the case in either direction depending on whether you credit them to Holyrood or Westminster or to some fraction of both. Now we learn we can do the same with defence.

[flowertot]

Aye that may well be so - but as I said - it works both ways. I actually do not care who pays most. I think the marriage a good one and we are better than the sum of our parts.

During times of war the Uk has always asked more of the Scots than anywhere else in the union. In WW1 for a nation with only 10% of the UK population Scotland suffered 20% of the casualties.

As John Little says "we are better than the sum of our parts"

We all have our faults but together as a nation, along with Wales and NI few if any can better us

[John Little]

I agree with the sentiment but would change the emphasis. The UK asked and Scotland freely gave; up to 1916 the army was voluntary - no conscription.

In parts of the Highlands I believe that the rate of the adult male population who volunteered was over 70%.

I do not think the UK asked more - but I believe that the response was better than many other areas.

[ducati]

I've been looking at at the local Memorials for first and second world wars victims recently.

The striking things are the numbers; 40 or 50 for each small village, and the names, so many of the same name.

The populations and families must have been absolutely decimated in both conflicts. (and since)

We are approaching Armistice Day as someone has started a thread, all I can do when reminded, is give thanks for their sacrifice

[Phill]

We are approaching Armistice Day as someone has started a thread, all I can do when reminded, is give thanks for their sacrificeAye.


I am utterly speechless after reading this dross (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/8081341/Spending-review-why-so-soft-on-Scots-and-foreigners.html) by Simon Heffer in the Telegraph. What an utterly despicable, ignorant little man.Don't let yourself get wound up by gutterpress tosh, the idiot just want to try and justify his position by courting controversy.


I do draw the line with regards The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Record and the ilk. There are things going on out there that I really don't want to know.Don't worry, it's unlikely you'll be reading much in the way of accurate truthful reports from those purveyors of bottom paper.