THE publication of the latest GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue for Scotland) figures has triggered a now traditional feeding frenzy. A black hole in Scotland’s finances is heralded by Unionist politicians as validating the continuation of the Union.
The killer phrase for me from the GERS report is: “The report is designed to allow users to understand and analyse Scotland’s fiscal position under different scenarios within the current constitutional framework.”
READ MORE: RECAP: All the updates as GERS figures published by the Scottish Government
GERS is therefore a measure of the public finances under the current Union, hardly the greatest endorsement for how the economy has been managed on the UK’s watch. Indeed, major economic levers required to stimulate economic growth are still currently reserved to Westminster.
GERS is a set of figures based on a measure of guesswork that indicate very little, except highlighting the negatives of the current Union. It has little bearing on the finances of an independent Scotland.
The point of independence is not to do everything in the same way as it has been done within the current constitutional framework, but to move away from this one-size-fits-all fiscal straitjacket to a tailored approach that prioritises stimulating economic growth.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
A FREQUENT criticism of the 2014 Yes campaign is that there were no figures to counter the UK assertions that Scotland would have a huge fiscal deficit post-independence. Ten years later we still do not have any figures.
READ MORE: Shona Robison: Only 'frontline' public sector jobs to be filled due to cuts
Clearly this weakness in the argument for independence was not lost on the Welsh. Plaid Cymru commissioned the University of Dublin in 2022 to conduct an assessment of Wales’s finances post-independence. Their report showed that the UK figures on a Welsh deficit were wild overestimates. In reality, the fiscal deficit for Wales post-independence would be in line with that of other OECD nations (The National, September 30 2022).
I suggest that the SNP should also fund Dublin University to conduct similar research for Scotland. The team in Dublin already have an established methodology for conducting the work and are outside the sphere where the UK might influence results. This work needs to be commissioned now. If the SNP have no money then crowd fund it. But whatever, get it done.
Kerr Walker
Alford
IN her short tenure so far the Chancellor has shown no humility, no compassion, and most definitely no class. As the pensioners sit and wait on the non-arrival of their Winter Fuel Payment so cruelly and totally unexpectedly taken away from them, it is obvious this woman has no scruples whatsoever.
This Labour Chancellor is without doubt hell-bent on taking as much money from us as she can. When the printed and spoken media tire of this lot they will turn their attention elsewhere, and this probably won’t be all that long in coming.The one thing that will not happen then will be the SNP or the people of Scotland getting a fair crack of the whip.
READ MORE: Labour consider private finance scheme for major infrastructure project
The “anybody but the SNP” mantra will still be to the fore. We have no friends in the media, and thank god for The National or we would be totally isolated.
Let’s look ahead to the run-up to the 2026 Scottish election. This will be the pinnacle of the Unionist media onslaught on the SNP and all other independence-supporting parties.The BBC presenters, ever dutiful to the Union, will be wetting themselves with anticipation at the fun ahead. This will also apply to the army of big beast London presenters they will, at the licence-payers’ expense, be transporting up to Edinburgh to impart their Unionist bile in our faces.
The so-called Scottish papers will just do what they usually do and belittle us with gay abandon, but go up a notch or two seeing that it is the most important election in the history of Scotland.
We have to be ready for this, my friends, and I cannot state highly enough the need for the right plan, and most importantly the right people at the top of the SNP to deal with it!
At the moment we have neither. I read with interest a letter at the weekend straight out of Old John’s playbook: a triple big-beast leadership of Mhairi Black, Kate Forbes and Stephen Flynn. That has been my preferred option for some time. What a line-up that is. It has the wow factor written all over it! If that does not excite the voters then we are indeed doomed.
Let us make no mistake, we have an almighty battle ahead. There is no time for just getting by and giving us more of the same. Time is not on our side and neither is the media. We have no friends except for The National.That will be even more apparent as the time moves on.
Can you imagine the boost having Mhairi, Kate and Stephen at the top of the SNP? That, my friends, is what I would call an unstoppable train. Time to get on board, I think!
Old John
Ayrshire
IF anyone thinks that lekky bills will be lowered by renewable energy going from Peterhead to Yorkshire, it may be time to speak to a responsible adult. Ask the politicians who spout this to give written, binding statements as to how much and you will see a disappearing act that Houdini could never have matched.
When atomic energy was first being mooted we were advised that lekky would be so cheap that meters would become redundant. We have a government in Westminster that wants your money. Any way will do.
M Ross
Aviemore
READ MORE: Stonehenge's six-tonne Altar Stone came from Scotland, research finds
WELL, well, the altar stone at Stonehenge came from the north of Scotland, which just goes to prove they’ve been looting us since even before the year dot.
Kenny Burnett
Dyce
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