Scottish voting coming up soon and I think I am voting reform

[ScroogeMightHaveBeenOnToSomething]

Scottish elections coming up next month. I think I have decided to vote reform.

I guess my reasons are (in no particular order)

1. Policing - I am getting really worried by the lack of law and order. I live in a decent place and there is constant trouble at the bus station at night with buses getting their windows smashed. Police have been seen riding the buses to try and get it under control. However I just don't think our current police force is fit for purpose. The job is too dangerous for what it pays and so it can't attract people. They don't have enough powers to deal with the little scrotes and there is no respect. I mean look at the whole shoplifting chaos and the tik tok riots. The whole thing is start to feel quite dangerous and reform are saying they will have more police with more powers and be more strict with law and order. This is what I want - more jails, more police, tougher sentences, respect brought back
2. Housing. Okay so we all know about the housing situation and it's long been an issue. Tonight I was watching an old episode of 'how to get a council house' and I felt so angry and helpless and outraged. Family of romanians come to UK with no money. Mum and Dad and 5 kids. The dad has no particular skills so has been doing odd jobs at a car wash but currently not working. Both have broken english and missing teeth (in other words I don't think they will find getting work easy). So what does the council decide. Well the man is claiming job seekers allowance which maintains his 'work status' and so because of this and the fact he has 5 kids he gets a 4 bed council house. Presumably paid for then by benefits since neither he or his wife are working. They were both very, very pushy and aggressive and then when they got the house waxing lyrical about 'how generous english people are'. You couldn't make it up. Update on how they were getting on a few months later. Neither parent had started working so them and their 5 children were just in their paid for house living on their benefits with no skills that the UK needed. I mean seriously if you want to see what is wrong with the UK this is a good place to start. British people homeless and this outrage going on. So yes give me reform who can hopefully do a Trump and start rounding the fuckers up. I have no issues with people moving to UK and coming with a plan and money and getting jobs and supporting themselves etc. This family came to the UK with no money, no jobs and literally were outraged when they thought they were not getting their free house. The housing lady said they were getting a house through gritted teeth. I got the impression that it was to shut them up and get rid of them but totally unfair on homeless british people.
3. Benefits/Welfare - well I guess I have touched on that above. I think most of us used to have real sympathy and no issue with real disabled people or genuine out of work people being helped. They were in the minority, it was often short term as it was something they were embarrased about. Now I feel like because there are so 'many of them' I have no empathy at all. Which means the genuine folks are being lumped in with the scroungers and I sort of hate them all now if that makes sense. So another reason for voting reform.

Now I'm no doubt going to get told how terrible I am and that the kids are just having fun throwing bricks at buses, that I'm racist for not wanting unskilled romanians and their 5 children to live life free on our tax pounds. I'll also be a monster for being sick of the benefits issue and woah is me little johnny is going to be out on the streets with his 25 disabilities. Fuck me though. Surely voting for more of this shitshow would be insane.

Will it be better under reform. Yeah probably not but at least it's someone different and it might be better and yes I have read their manifesto.

(By the way one episode of get a council house had a boy with multiple sclerosis and he was getting a council house which of course was right. However you saw him crying and telling his dad he didn't want to live on his own (he was about 20) and it made me think of the posters here who are dead against homes or institutions for their disabled kids. I just thought what a disaster giving this boy a house on his own with careers 4 times a day was going to be (he was in trouble with police alot and was always drunk and getting brought home by them). He was just far too disabled to be living alone even if he was getting a house plus benefits. Sure enough the update was he had been moved into supported accomodation. So for this chap some kind of home was the right place to be and where he wanted to be. I've digressed a bit with this point as it's not really about reform and voting but I just wanted to throw that in there to see why people don't want their kids to go into homes. I mean do they really want to live alone in a council house with benefits. This one definately did not. Anyway might need a seperate thread for that issue or I guess we can discuss both issues here)

The thing is I agree with nearly everything you write. You are a genuine person who worked and then suffered genuine illness and need help.

I have no issues with you getting help. You paid in to the system and played by the rules until something outwith your control made it impossible. I fully support you getting help now and I hope that does not change.

My thoughts are people like yourself should be furious at all the 'scroungers' who have never paid in and fully intend never to work. They are ruining the system for the genuine who need help. Sinking the ship so to speak.

The trouble is when the benefits claiming people start reach a certain number and working people start to suffer because of it then empathy soon runs out for 'people on benefits'. If only genuine people claimed and everyone else worked there would not be a problem.

Everybody knows who is a genuine person. They have normally worked for years prior to becoming ill. Or they were born with something horrible and will never work.

Britain is in decline no matter what party comes in. With our increasing interest /debt and UK being downrated credit wise we are on a real downward spiral. We can't actually afford our current welfare bill so what do we do.

Well people in debt struggling each month either stop and take drastic action to turn it around or they keep going till they go bankrupt. Which one will the UK do?

P.S. I wouldn't actually expect you to lose your PIP under reform so don't worry if you can.

How many times have you specifically referred to Scottish issues and Scotland,OP? You've claimed to be Scottish but have not said anything at all that persuades me of this - especially in your most recent post. What are your local, or Scotland specific concerns? And how would Reform make a difference?

Still want to know what Scrooge was 'on to'...

"Everybody knows who is a genuine person"

Scrooge is a fictional character

Are you in Scotland @ScroogeMightHaveBeenOnToSomething ?

I do live in Scotland. I was born here and have lived here my whole life except 5 years after uni when I went down south due to lack of jobs up here. I did not want to be unemployed so I relocated to get some job experience.

I got a full grant as had poor parents. There were no fees. I don't know what happens to students today. I don't think they get a grant anymore and I don't think there are fees yet but that could change.

My user name is coincidental and nothing to do with this particular thread. If anything is was more to do with me retiring and having to cut my costs to ensure I am self sufficient. Obviously I retired early so I am happy to do that.

You jest about the workhouse but the truth is UK did not have a welfare system before 1940's or an NHS. Given we can no longer afford either without changes we should all open our eyes to the fact that if we used to live like that, then yes we might have to again if that is what our financial UK pot dictates.

I mean rich people can become poor and have to sell their mansion.
Rich countries (UK) can also become poor and have to cut their cloth.
Poor countries can also work hard and turn things around (Poland seem to be doing that)

What's a "genuinely disabled" person?

yes Scottish - born here and lived here whole life except 5 years in Surrey.

I know Scrooge is a fictional character. Pretty sure everyone does. My username is nothing to do with the thread. It was more to do with my own financial situation and having to cut some costs in my own life (mainly because I need to pay a private GP now as it seems impossible to access the NHS one I am supposed to have)

Poland is in the EU.

Do you think Reform will be more, or less, likely to introduce university fees in Scotland?

Do we have 22 parties?

You know the UK is still in the top 10 of the world's wealthiest countries, right? Reform seem to rely on us framing ourselves as poor.

ETA ...there is obviously wealth inequality. Im all for redistributing that. Unlike Reform

Reform isn't a fan of the NHS, you will need to make more cuts if they get in government

On local level, how will Reform cut the Benefit bill where you live?

Romania is an up and rising country, far more so than Poland. "Romania has experienced high economic growth, outperforming several peers in household material well-being, such as Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria.". Quote from AI.

Yet still Romania remains lower in GDP than other EU countries on the "western side of Europe".

What's needed is for the UK to get back into the EU.

There’s a few people commenting on this thread who aren’t Scottish…

Really. All the issues we have and all you have got is am I 'that thick'.

Do you have anything to add except insulting me.

I went to uni, i did a professional qualification. I was a high tax payer till i retired at 51. I must have done something right no?

Now retired I watch lots of current affairs and read lots of news although it getting harder to know what is genuine now. Even the telegraph is getting a bit trashy. I read it and the guardian as they tend to be opposite in terms of politics.

Do I think reform is a perfect solution. Absolutely not.
Do I think any other party has got a perfect solution - well we all know what has happened under labour and SNP seem to be ruining law and order in Scotland. So who should I vote for? Lots of people suggesting I spoil my voting papers but that will just result in SNP getting back in.

Will reform be terrible? Well we won't know until we give them their shot. Their manifesto suggests they will address some things I am concerned about. None of the other parties seem to be doing that or able to do that so.......

I'm not keen on living in a post apocalyptic world where people decided to 'give something a shot'. The damage that will be done in the interim is not worth it.

There was one white man in his sixties who had worked his whole life and his son had died and he had turned to drink. They housed him and I was very glad about this as he seemed to just need help to get back on the straight and narrow after his grief. He was polite and grateful and trying to help himself unlike the romanian family who were aggressive, pushy, entitled and had arrived here about 5 mins ago literally

Hmm. This tells me a lot about you @ScroogeMightHaveBeenOnToSomething As does your haziness on Scottish policies.

Well you will just have to take my word on it won't you (re being Scottish).

If i wasn't Scottish I wouldn't be wasting my time debating a thread on our upcoming elections would I.

I also don't have any issues with non scottish people commenting.

I mean what happens here affects the whole UK as at the moment the UK subsidisies Scotland due to us having more people working in the public sector than private sector.

My late mother was born in Scotland.

Yes I know Reform is planning on changing the NHS. Somebody needs to. It is crashing and burning at the moment.

Hopefully by tightening up criteria so only genuine people in need qualify for benefits. I only know they plan to reform the system so I am prepared to give them a chance.

There is no other party promising to address these issues.

What are Reform's plans for reforming the benefit system and NHS in Scotland?

I like your post.

Yes I remember that now - to get a council house you had to be employed. I was brought up in a council house. We were pretty poor but my dad always had a stable job.

That would seem like a sensible way to allocate council houses wouldn't it. I wonder why they stopped doing that.

I think this might be area specific. Two examples.

My MIL went to her GP as she had issues regarding bleeding from her vagina. She was 87. Sent immediately for various tests. It was womb cancer. She was then booked in for an operation. Has had it (now 88). This was all completed within 6 months.

My son had problems with his vision. He got a same day GP appointment (different practice from his Gran) and has now had a multitude of tests which are ongoing but are all arranged around his work (teacher).

I can’t fault the NHS.

Could it be your area?

I'm pretty sure you can google their manifesto as well as me.

Reform and yourself @ScroogeMightHaveBeenOnToSomething need to understand that Scotland is different to England (and Wales). Different laws for a start.

You are aware that Scotland voted Remain, along with Northern Ireland?