A JOURNALIST for The Telegraph has said it is time for the UK to give Scotland “full fiscal independence”.
The financial journalist and thriller writer Matthew Lynn appears to take issue with the very existence of a country which seeks to tax the wealthy and provide decent public services in his latest column for the right-wing paper.
In a familiar appeal which seeks to cast the Scottish Government as the reckless spendaholic whose financial situation is entirely unrelated to the decades of swingeing austerity imposed by UK Governments, Lynn claims that responsibility for Scotland’s financial situation “lies with nationalist politicians (and the voters who kept them in power for two decades)”.
Bloody democracy, eh?
“Under the woeful reign of Nicola Sturgeon, and just as much as under his successors, the SNP has been handing out ‘freebies’ to try and bribe the voters into supporting independence,” Lynn said.
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“From university fees, to free NHS prescriptions, to free bus travel, the SNP has spent money with a carefree abandon.
“It never occurred to any of its ministers to demand value for money, or to wonder how all would be paid for.”
Truly, it must take an intellectual giant to bemoan high taxes and in the same article claim ministers had no idea how to pay for public services.
It’s almost as if the two are related, Matthew.
But, wait, it gets better.
He continues: “Over the last 20 years Scotland has made no effort to balance the books.
“It can hardly complain now that the money has finally run out.
“The SNP has been arguing for more powers for years. Surely the moment has arrived where it should be given full fiscal independence, allowing it to set its own spending, and raise its own taxes.
“It might be painful - but it would be a lot better for everyone than constantly blaming England for all of its problems.”
It’s interesting to note that Lynn’s main proposed benefit of giving Scotland full autonomy over its economy isn’t that it would be better for the UK’s finances.
No, it’s that it would make Scottish politicians shut up about the rampant mismanagement of the UK economy.
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In other words, they’d rather be left to line the pockets of billionaires in peace without any pesky devolved governments asking for money to feed and educate children.
But as much as the Jouker backs Lynn’s suggestion of full fiscal independence for Scotland, he does have some reservations about his skills as a soothsayer.
In 2007, in an article about the soon-to-be-released iPhone, Lynn predicted that Apple “will sell a few to its fans, but the iPhone won’t make a long-term mark on the industry”.
It seems a pinch of salt is needed when listening to the advice of a financial journalist who dismissed the launch of the most successful product of all time.
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