Broke ?

[rob murray]

Scotland's public spending was almost £15bn more than its tax revenue in the last financial year. For the first time in 35 years, Scotland generated less tax per head than the rest of the UK. Are we broke ?

[bekisman]

Scotland's public spending was almost £15bn more than its tax revenue in the last financial year. For the first time in 35 years, Scotland generated less tax per head than the rest of the UK. Are we broke ?

Yep, was watching MQ's twas mentioned.. Nats seem rather muted at the moment, where are they?

[rob murray]

In actual money spent, Scottish revenue including a share of oil and gas tax was £53.4bn, while expenditure on all aspects of government activity in Scotland, both devolved and reserved, ran to £68.4bn.The scale of the deficit looks less daunting when capital expenditure is removed. That is sometimes done to measure spending without the investment element that provides longer-term returns. On that measure, the current spending deficit for 2014-15 was £11.9bn, according to GERS - or 7.8% of GDP, compared with a UK figure of 3.3%.
As a benchmark of a sustainable level of deficit, the rules for eurozone membership require deficits to be no more than 3% of GDP......so forget about STurgeons guff over indy 2 triggered by EU, ie scots vote in england etc vote out : not only can she legally not call for indy 2, but we wouldnt get in with these figures as theere are enough basket cases in EU as it is.

[rob murray]

Yep, was watching MQ's twas mentioned.. Nats seem rather muted at the moment, where are they?

I would imagine at the subsidised bar what do they call it again...the last chance saloon

[rob murray]

Yep, was watching MQ's twas mentioned.. Nats seem rather muted at the moment, where are they?

Heres the best Ive read on the nats take on deficit : The march of a nation cannot be reduced by mere accountancy ! In all seriousness everyone wants a prosperous scotland and we need to create one, and if we have wealth and indy2 is called and people vote yes then so be it, but all need to pull together and build a divesrsified richer scottish economy as its in all our interests.

PS Swinney and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who faced the media today argued that the decline on North Sea oil tax income - offshore revenue - has been offset by onshore revenue. Double dutch... are they saying that the economy outwith oil was strong but not strong nough to balance out oil revenue reductions suppose its their job to put a positive spin on things ? IN football terms although we lost 9-0 the performance was good ?

[rob murray]

GER figures are 14 /15, 15 / 16 will be very similar what with sustained low oil prices, so 2 years on the trot with massive deficits.

[rob murray]

GER figures are 14 /15, 15 / 16 will be very similar what with sustained low oil prices, so 2 years on the trot with massive deficits.

Oh just realised 2014/15 figures included high barrel price for some months, 2015 / 16 will be 12 months at sustained low price so deficit will actually be bigger.

[bekisman]

Just announced: "Scotland's largest local authority is considering whether to cut 1,500 posts from its workforce in the next year in order to meet a £130m budget shortfall."
To tell the truth rob, don't think anyone is interested, it's not like it used to be, quite animated at times, but what with Facebook, Twitter etc who's going to bother with this? Although it is very important. Come May and the voters (if they bother as apathy is rife) will still line up and vote for who they have always voted for...

[rob murray]

Just announced: "Scotland's largest local authority is considering whether to cut 1,500 posts from its workforce in the next year in order to meet a £130m budget shortfall."
To tell the truth rob, don't think anyone is interested, it's not like it used to be, quite animated at times, but what with Facebook, Twitter etc who's going to bother with this? Although it is very important. Come May and the voters (if they bother as apathy is rife) will still line up and vote for who they have always voted for...

I wouldnt say not interested, its the fact the whole oil revenues / rich nation capable of standing alone shebang has been exposed as a massive con trick and no nat can talk their way out of it : If Scots had voted for independence, this would have left the nation in a worse position than Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece. SO forget indy2 on EU the EU wouldnt want another basket case. NATS should hold hands up, stop blaming everyone, and using diversionary tactics to hide the truth from peope and focus on rebuilding a diversified strong scottish economy. I accept that come May NATS will win handsomely, why, I really dont know ? as a NAT government based on 14/15 and 15/16 deficists will have to increase taxes and make cuts making everyone worse off.

[rob murray]

Just announced: "Scotland's largest local authority is considering whether to cut 1,500 posts from its workforce in the next year in order to meet a £130m budget shortfall."
To tell the truth rob, don't think anyone is interested, it's not like it used to be, quite animated at times, but what with Facebook, Twitter etc who's going to bother with this? Although it is very important. Come May and the voters (if they bother as apathy is rife) will still line up and vote for who they have always voted for...

And who has imposed the shortfall ? who is threatening LA's with huge financial penalties if they raise council tax ? WHy Westminster of course, cant be scottish government can it ? Cutting budgets, controlling local expenditure, threatening massive penalties...........nah cant beleve scottish government would do that is that not what the tories do ??

[rob murray]

Alex Samon 2013 :

Looking ahead to the publication of the paper on Tuesday, the First Minister Alex Salmond said: “If oil is taken out of the equation, then Scotland’s economic output per head is almost identical to that of the UK. The benefit we get from oil and gas will be a huge bonus.” Well Mr Salmon and acolytes oil hs been taken out of the equation hasnt it, and we are in a huge financial hole so where does he get off on the Scotland’s economic output per head is almost identical to that of the UK ? Its not



Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-...#ixzz42WHinJbd

[Redsnapper]

In other words Rob, for 97 % of the last 35 years Scotland has generated more revenue per head than the rest of the UK. A pretty good record I would say. Actually Rob I'm talking tongue in cheek - I would have thought you were a bit above using such a simplistic statistic - a bit gutter press eh ?.

[rob murray]

In other words Rob, for 97 % of the last 35 years Scotland has generated more revenue per head than the rest of the UK. A pretty good record I would say. Actually Rob I'm talking tongue in cheek - I would have thought you were a bit above using such a simplistic statistic - a bit gutter press eh ?.

Yes it is a great achievement but figures contain oil revenues, you conveniently forget to mention salmonds spin that scotland is a rich country and oil is a bonus, clearly meaning we can do ok without oil, which clearly we cannot hence the £15billions deficit, anyway, according to people like you : whats a few £'s and accountancy got to do with the march for freedom ? : and of course everyone is against the SNP, press are all gutter snipes, only true info comes from wingsoverscotland eh ! Paranioa....... believe what you want to your a reality denier

You also very very clealy ignore : "Scotland's largest local authority is considering whether to cut 1,500 posts from its workforce in the next year in order to meet a £130m budget shortfall." And who has imposed the council shortfalls ? who is threatening LA's with huge financial penalties if they raise council tax ? WHy Westminster of course, cant be scottish government can it ? Cutting budgets, controlling local expenditure, threatening massive penalties...........nah cant beleve scottish government would do that is that not what the tories do ?? SO whose simplistic now then ?

[rob murray]

Just announced: "Scotland's largest local authority is considering whether to cut 1,500 posts from its workforce in the next year in order to meet a £130m budget shortfall."
To tell the truth rob, don't think anyone is interested, it's not like it used to be, quite animated at times, but what with Facebook, Twitter etc who's going to bother with this? Although it is very important. Come May and the voters (if they bother as apathy is rife) will still line up and vote for who they have always voted for...

AFter reading redsnappers "contribution" below I tend to agree with you, no one is interested so I'll stick to twitter and leave the fantasists to crack on wi the march to freedom.

[theone]

In other words Rob, for 97 % of the last 35 years Scotland has generated more revenue per head than the rest of the UK. A pretty good record I would say. Actually Rob I'm talking tongue in cheek - I would have thought you were a bit above using such a simplistic statistic - a bit gutter press eh ?.

Unfortunately the independence referendum, and any future referendum would occur, and influence, the future and not the past.

[Bystander1]

I doubt there will be another Indy referendum within my lifetime, or that of Mrs Sturgeon-Warns.
The SNP could not win when their White Paper was the greatest piece of fiction the country has ever seen. Now that the truth is out on that score not even Eck would seriously have another go.

[theone]

I doubt there will be another Indy referendum within my lifetime, or that of Mrs Sturgeon-Warns.
The SNP could not win when their White Paper was the greatest piece of fiction the country has ever seen. Now that the truth is out on that score not even Eck would seriously have another go.

I hope you are right - it's time to move on.

I only wish that when the UK government allowed the referendum in the first place that they had insisted it could not be repeated for a minimum of 30 years.

"Once in a generation" was the SNP's words. I wish they'd stick to it.