thepaisleypanda

what many people fail to take into account is that to run a tax system in Scotland may indeed COST £600m Importantly: How much does it cost each Scotsman to administer it at the moment?: does the rUK (but not the Scots) pick up the bill? People forget that WE own (& pay for) HMRC / DVLA / Passport office etc, just as much as a woman in Norfolk does!

that's my point! - how can trident etc need "modernised" - no-one friggin uses it anyway!

How do unused weapons of MASS destruction become "obsolete" ?

Good piece of business by TC. Kello is on a 1 year contract - Ridgers is now on a 2! Regardless of what happens, we won't be in the ludicrous position of not having a decent GK next summer.

Having watched the news today - They seem to be appreciative of the Canadian forces! Why is that? Was Canada not independent in the war? Come on Dicko - humour me!

come on? Answer the question! (If you can!)

In what way was it "resounding"? All I heard was that "is for the Scots to decide"

hoi! Less of the "auld guys" if you please!

Unashemedly knicked from Wings Over Scotland ======================================== After all, while the extension of tax powers is at best an empty charade and at worst an expensive millstone around the neck of the Scottish Government’s budget, and the proposals for devolving elements of welfare vague and highly unlikely to ever be implemented, there are a couple of recommendations that would, while minor in the context of Holyrood’s overall finances, at least be welcome. Something nagged at the back of our mind, though. Lord Strathclyde is unambiguous about Air Passenger Duty, a tax the Scottish Government has long wanted control of. “We consider that Air Passenger Duty should be devolved”, says the report on page 15. And on VAT, while a lot less forthright, he does put forward a case: “Were it not illegal under EU law, we would have been inclined to recommend that VAT be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Well, that’s a shame. “However we recommend that, as an alternative, there should be serious examination of the case for a share of VAT receipts raised in Scotland being assigned to the Scottish Parliament. This would mean that Scottish Ministers would get the benefit of any increase in economic activity in Scotland and would thereby reap a fiscal reward were their economic policies to prove effective.” Now, “serious examination of the case” is a hefty dose of weasel words – wasn’t “examining the case” exactly what your commission was supposed to be doing for the last 15 months, your lordship? You looked into it for a year and a quarter and arrived at the conclusion that someone should look into it? Well, take a lollipop for trying. But nevertheless, a share of Scottish VAT receipts coming to Holyrood would be an unequivocally welcome step – depending, of course, on whether it was balanced by a reduction in the Barnett Formula, two words which don’t appear anywhere in the report. (Nor does the near-synonymous phrase “block grant”. Readers more cynical than us might be tempted to arrive at the conclusion that talking about devolving taxation to Scotland without spelling out exactly what the ramifications for Barnett would be was a staggeringly disingenuous omission.) So, Air Passenger Duty and VAT? Something tangible, at any rate, and certainly more than Scottish Labour were prepared to offer. But wait. What’s this lurking in a dark and dusty corner of the Wings library? Correct us if we’re wrong, readers, but that looks an awful like a couple of paragraphs from the final report of the Calman Commission, published not so long ago (June 2009) after the Unionist parties’ supposedly definitive joint deliberation on devolution. The Calman Commission recommended that Air Passenger Duty SHOULD be devolved, just like the Strathclyde Commission has. It may be worth bearing that in mind when contemplating the likelihood of it actually happening this time. The Calman Commission also concluded that a share of VAT should NOT be assigned and general taxation SHOULDN’T be devolved, because it could introduce “serious economic inefficiences” - presumably the hundreds of millions of pounds this site has repeatedly pointed out would be wasted on pointless duplication of HMRC resources. We feel, therefore, that we may be able to hazard a guess at the outcome of the “serious examination of the case” for VAT-assignment suggested by Lord Strathclyde. (In fairness, Calman rejected it because Holyrood wouldn’t be able to adjust tax to compensate in bad years, but while that problem is solved in theory by the proposed devolution of income tax, we’ve already established why it can’t be done in reality.) Or if you need a tl;dr version of all the above: “Yeah, yeah, heard it before, pal.”

Just putting things in perstpective!!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19386492

Or, a wasted agent??

Bullock? Really?? - Helped us win the league & avoided us having Chris Smith as keeper.

True to a point, but, if England were to win it, then a Yes vote would be a shoe-in! (Not that they have much chance of even getting out the group, but still!...)

UKIP aren't necessarily home & hosed yet! If they are however, then the prospect of a Tory / UKIP co-allition can only be good for the Yes vote! http://edinburgheye.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/where-does-david-coburn-live/

And Dicksons link has been "delted!" Proof possitive that , it,s not worhthy of the internet!!!

You disappoint me Dicko - your reel usually gets a bigger bite than that! Surely one line contradicts the other? Where is the "bountiful wealth" the UK generates? It sure isn't this part of the island!

Proof indeed that there are plenty of resources left around this island - just that much hasn't yet been discovered. So, if south Englandshire has loads, they will be happy then to see the Scots (who they subsidise apparently) go independent? How is UK "the most successful political union ever?" - successful for whom exactly?

Brilliant idea - one of his very 1st team mates!

that was Derek Rae in his BBC days! (Now the main comm on BT sport!)

You really are Clutch ing at straws now!

I know, but the 2 cup wins I have witnessed were pretty good!!

Im a St Mirren supporter and a Yes supporter! Simple enough!

The referendum is in 2014 (September) Independence day will not be until April 2016 Scottish Parliamentary elections - May 2016 - The Government will be dissolved during Purdah period, so, in fact, there is a chance the SNP will never be in Government in an independent Scotland! Do keep up Dicko!

http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/in-brief/9196-uk-government-criticised-after-embassies-charge-to-promote-whisky Cos they get paid for it?