Scots will get neither honesty nor a better life until we end the union
Viceroy Ian Murray says a small business that must balance its books is like a government with a sovereign currency and central bank that doesn’t, demonstrating once again his woeful ignorance of government finance. His cluelessness is matched by Chancellor Reeves’ who says she learned financial management at her mother’s kitchen table.
First, a government can create as much money as the economy and people need in order to flourish. It’s not constrained by what it collects in taxes since taxes don’t fund government spending - money created by the government’s bank, the Bank of England, does.
Since the Viceroy brought up the post-war UK economy, which was in far worse shape than today’s, let me remind him that the Attlee Labour government opened the spending taps which ushered in an era of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. He also nationalised natural public goods such as health, education, energy, housing and transport, giving ownership of these assets back to the people. If Attlee had imposed austerity as Reeves is doing, he would have relegated the UK to third world status.
Second, unlike Westminster, the Scottish administration must balance its budget, the majority of which is the Block Grant, pocket money Westminster, in its ‘wisdom’, deems sufficient to provide the public services Scots rely upon. The Viceroy doesn’t acknowledge that when Westminster cuts spending, as Reeves is doing, Scotland’s allowance is reduced, accordingly.
The Scottish budget is under pressure because Holyrood isn’t a government, but a devolved administration. It doesn’t have a central bank so can’t create money or invest in its economy and most of the taxes collected in Scotland flow to London. It doesn’t control economic, foreign or trade policy or possess any of the other powers of a normal sovereign government.
Viceroy Murray’s right about one thing, however - Scots do deserve better. But we won’t get it until we refuse to be a UK vassal and become a grown-up nation again.
Is it possible that Murray and Reeves are so ignorant of economics and Government financial working, or are they deliberately trying to mislead the public? I think it must be an attempt at mass deception, they surely can't be that ignorant? Or so incapable of learning how Government finance works.
' Holyrood isn't a government but a devolved administration'. There lies the problem.
Most people in Scotland view Holyrood in the same light and they do Westminster, no matter now we try to point out the big differences.
I was working abroad when the vote to set up a devolved administration in Scotland was voted on. I remember at the time thinking that I would have said NO. Because 'They' would write the rules etc, and would always have the upper hand.
Alex Salmond made a mistake in calling it a 'Government'. He must have known that he was simply administering Scotland on behalf of Westminster.
How can we convince the Scottish electorate that we really are a 'Colony' when we go along with the title 'Scottish Government'.
When you see the language that the UK mainstream directs at the performance of the SNP at Holyrood - and it certainly hits home. Every decision the SNP make in Holyrood can be attacked from some quarter.
What would be the situation in Scotland today if we had a Labour/Lib-Dem administration in Holyrood, and a Starmer Government in Westminster, and we were witnessing total exploitation of Scotland's massive resource potential for the benefit of England.
The SNP could have a field day.
In the 1970s - I was there - we had a highly successful Scotland's Oil Campaign, and got over 30 % of the vote in the second 1973 election. We got a message across.
How can we get our message across today when we witness the brutal daily attacks on the Scottish so-called Government and the denigration of the SNP as a political party.