It’s time to raise taxes for the UK's middle classes

I was totally gobsmacked about the sheer size of some of the houses, both modern and Victorian style. Please note they definitely weren’t in my street! Some were so large it wouldn’t have taken many of them to resolve the homeless and asylum issues at a stroke! OK, I exaggerate for the sake of effect but when me and my weary legs returned back home it got me thinking.

When calls go out for more government money throughout the UK to help with poverty, the NHS, social care, etc the cry always seems to go out, “Who will have to pay for this? There is no money tree. Hard pressed, hard working tax payers pay more than enough already.” The next time I hear this these ginormous hooses along with the extortionately priced German cars in their drives, will be imprinted in my brain. Does the mainstream media properly challenge these assertions? Do they piffle! (I wanted to use another word there but this is a respectable family newspaper!)

You are seriously not telling me that the residents of these muckle hooses can’t shell out in taxes in a really substantial way for the common good, without leaving them on the breadline. However before those of you reading this over your morning fry up, or muesli and croissants, are nodding vigorously in agreement that the top 5% need to have a wake up call, just hang on there.

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Let’s face it, a fairly hefty chunk of Scottish society, not just the mythical 5%, can definitely shoulder some of the burden too. If you live in a nice well heated hoose sufficiently large enough to comfortably accommodate all your family, have “his” and “her” cars, can fairly regularly eat out, have take-aways, not break out into a cold sweat at the level of your direct debits for energy, satellite telly, broadband, gym membership, are relaxed about the costs of socialising in pubs and clubs, gigs, the theatre, vet’s bills, Christmas presents for family and friends, likewise birthdays, clothes, holidays, hobbies, etc, etc ad nauseum … then sorry, the tax man needs quite a bit more from you too for the common good!

Before anyone accuses me of hypocrisy I acknowledge that applies to me too.

In the land of “We’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns” we should be right up there at the very top of the league table as being one of the most equal nations in the world. The Scottish Government should, in my opinion, be doing everything it can now to move us all in this direction.

Once independent, this process should accelerate accordingly. I acknowledge it has already moved in this direction but I would like it to go much further.

I’m not naïve, real politik usually gets in the way and many governments have to juggle keeping the rich and powerful sweet, whilst utilising tax take to help the more vulnerable in society. This was the New Labour way under Blair and Broon. However, is that really the limit of our ambition here in Scotland? I would find that very depressing if that was the case.

I’m not daft, if Nicola, prior to us becoming an independent nation, hacks off the high heid yins of Scottish society sufficiently, the “Scottish” versions of the English right wing print press and the mainstream tv media will go apoplectic and pull every dirty trick in the book to bring her down. Cue a probable dip in the polls for independence. Cue a massive doubt about winning an independence vote. Cue us all being totally depressed.

However I always remember in one of my favourite films, “Sexy Beast”, the cold evil gangster, Teddy Bass, played by Ian McShane, responded to the massive obstacles in the way of breaking into a bank vault with the famous line, “Where there’s a will – and there is a (sweary word) will – there’s a way – and there is a (same sweary word again) way!”

Remember that Nicola!

Name and address supplied

IN his attack on Alba doesn’t Alan Thompson (Letters, Nov 25) serve little purpose other than betraying his myopic support for the SNP and fear of Alba, which wouldn’t even exist if his erstwhile “leader” had demonstrated real intent to get indy done instead of continually kicking the can down the road while with scant preparation for independence under way?

At a time when all on the indy side of the political spectrum should be uniting in a common cause, and tapping into the public fervour shown by the organised marches and The National’s involvement in the million paper distribution campaign under way etc, what purpose does it serve to attack other indy parties/groups rather than the Westminster apologist blue and red Tories?

As for the personal attacks against Alba’s leader, which party has a much wider leadership and real indy striving party structure, Mr Thompson seems to forget that the outcome was not guilty; so instead of rehashing tired old political manoeuvres, perhaps he should be asking just what really happened within the political and justice systems that led to the outcome, cost huge sums of public money and which left the integrity of those systems in tatters?

Like many others, I voted SNP for one single purpose; to send the clearest message to Westminster of Scots’ determination to be independent. To date, we are no farther forward towards this goal, apart from some petty posturing by the SNP’s “leadership”, than we were at the election.

With the SNP government’s record, its deal with the Greens which I would never have voted for, and the impending bull dozing of GRA amendments despite widespread opposition, it’s unlikely I will be doing so again.

Who can forget Sturgeon asking for a section 30 order in December 2019 and then neither following it with a planned response, because we all knew it would be rejected, nor even refuting PM Johnson’s blustering and spurious reasons for refusal which are now considered by unionists to be statements of fact and reasons to deny us our democratic right to determine our future governance?

Shouldn’t Mr Thompson get realise that the indy vote winning gift of Westminster’s atrocious conduct is even now evaporating, more so if there is the anticipated change of Tory leader?

The SNP will not be forgiven for squandering the best opportunity for indy presented by the most self serving and incompetent Tory government in history, led by the biggest buffoon ever to scam his way into the office of Prime Minister.

If we can’t achieve independence now, how will we ever rid ourselves of the burden of overbearing Tory government we don’t vote for? Isn’t it time for the Alan Thompsons of the SNP to ask their own leadership just how they propose to deliver indy and question whether they have any serious intention to do so, rather than sniping at the horse coming up on the rails?

Jim Taylor

Edinburgh

SCOTLAND will have a new constitution when it becomes independent.

Assuming we don’t want to have an archaic and unwritten one like England based on precedent, a formal constitution must be capable of amendment by the mechanism of referendums, issue by issue.

All referendums including that on independence itself must be on the basis of a constitution otherwise it is analagous to getting builder-work done without a specification. This suits the unscrupulous cowboy builder – aka Westminster – but ends in tears. At the moment we do not have a even a draft constitution which would have to have been put together under the aegis of the Scottish Government’s agencies after broad consultation. Perhaps this is the issue that should be acknowledged now as being critical by the SNP who are presently “on watch”.

Before Covid is mentioned as a delaying factor, the COP summit surely invalidates that argument. If the Tories decide to have a snap election as a ploy, they will not be stopped by this excuse.

The SNP (God bless their cotton socks) are trying to be two incompatible things at once: to be a mature government at home and be gingery radicals abroad. Thus they have been offered several doors to let us out to our freedom.

The first and that which they have chosen to stand at in an orderly queue, is the one labelled Article 30. It is locked and the whole Westminster system have their shoulders against it as well. The next door called parliamentary mandate is openable as they have a key – a working majority based on a commitment to independence.

This door however may be padlocked against them by the electorate if they wait too long. The last door is older and is opened simply by resiling from the Treaty of Union and all its implications. This is framed by the principle of the sovereignty of the Scottish people and braced by The Claim of Right, passed by Westminster.

When we do get out in to the world on the other side of the door the weather may be inclement. COP26 tells us that. Thus we must be ready with a waterproof constitution and, as this will have to be changed, with experience. We must become sophisticated users of referendums as the electorates of many successful countries are. Referendums are the chief tool of democracy and like old tools can have two new heads and three new shafts.

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PS A technical note: old doors were lined, ledged, braced and sometimes framed. This specified the constituent parts

Iain WD Forde

Scotlandwell

AS National readers already appreciate the UK’S Constitution isn’t perceived as the wonderful institution it may have been. The now “very flexible” unwritten constitutiion supported with Boris’s MP majority in the Commons, his pals in the Lords, a tarnished ‘feart’ Metropolitan police force perhaps in his pocket, he feels he’s unstoppable , omnipotent and can do anythng he wants . He’s untouchable. His actions primarily preserve and expand the rights of the rich and the privileged. All happening within the fast fading mirage of the so called ‘levelling up.’

The latest curtailing of the expensive HS2 folly only emphasises the first class nature of London and the south east, the second class nature of the north and as he deviously power grabs, the third class nature of a forgotten Scotland. He continues to break laws, evade scrutiny, and mislead the public, with little or no redress. Westminster is broken and beyond repair. It makes one think why don’t we do the same? Take more action in our own hands. Nicola, a stickler for doing everything right and by the book maybe should give Boris’s approach a try.

It of course raises, yet again, the question of UDI. eg. Have an early Holyrood election with Independence being the number one issue that SNP, the Greens and others support. When a return of pro independence MSP’s is achieved, International support would still be needed. Scotland after Nicola’s successful hosting of COP26, is at an all-time high in popularity with other countries who already recognise Scotland as an independent country in waiting. So why wait.... Surely the time is ripe for a relook at this strategy.

Robin MacLean

Fort Augustus