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)

I think part of the reason the benefits bill is so high is that we've had terrible healthcare for the past 15 or so years

it doesn't matter who I deem worthy. It matters who gets voted in and what they deem worthy.

I also live in a town. Long waits to see the GP and a big shortage of GPs. Loads of new builds with no thought to increasing doctors, dentists (no NHS dentists available) or school places. Extremely long waits for the hospital, even for cancer, where fast treatment is crucial. The hospital has a really bad reputation. The children are learning less and less in school and there is no attempt at discipline. Lots of vandalism by local teenagers, and the police can apparently do nothing about it. Educationally, Scotland is miles behind England, and the gap is widening. The Scottish Government are looking at scrapping exams in some subjects (that way children can't fail them).

I think it's fine to disagree. I mean that is the point of the voting system isn't it.

I think most people agree benefits are too high so that seems to be one thing everyone is agreeing on.

I'm not aware of any other party who is planning to sort out welfare? If someone else is then please do make me aware so I can read up about it.

yes I agree. Long waiting lists are leading to people being off work longer than they should be. Our NHS sadly does need changed.

You'd be fucking mad to vote for them. Turkeys voting for Christmas.

The American model really isn't the way to go.

Well Labour have just reduced the LCW/LCWRA component of UC, so if you think too many people are claiming for bad/backs mental health that will be right up your alley.

The conservatives have said they’d revoke the 2 child cap removal, so if you think people shouldn’t have more than 2 children - you’ll love that.

Of course it matters, who you deem worthy will need to align with who a party says thy deem worthy - in order to get them voted in.

There isn’t such thing as Mild Autism. You are woefully ignorant! It makes me feel very sad to read your bigoted posts.

Romanians in Kirkcaldy are working for a living in the fish packing plant, the last I heard, and are privately renting small flats where they're crammed in but paying their own way.

ETA That's in response to the Original Post.

I'm honestly interested in what you think should happen to those too sick to work but don't fit your personal definition?

I mean, if they are too sick to work and they have the only source of income removed are you happy for them to literally starve? .

And no I'm not talking about those 'scrounging' which is itself very hard to do for any length of time.

Those too sick to work require evidence from consultants and GPs and those able-bodied are required to spend many many hours a week seeking work or face sanctions from the Job Centre.

It is estimated that over 300,000 people in GB died due to austerity measures which saw tightening of the benefit system and removal of benefits from those who truly needed them to survive.

So do you hate the disabled so much that you are happy for more deaths?

https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2022/october/headline_885099_en.html

FWIW, a member of my family has been diagnosed with what was then termed Asperger's and is working happily in a responsible job, has paid for his house outright and recently married.

His diagnosis helped us have a better understanding of some of the older members of our family. I can think of three male cousins of my mother who held down jobs in spite of being "shy". One of them married and had children. One of he unmarried lads was the eldest of his siblings. He was offered a bursary to Edinburgh University, but declined: his mother was a widow and he joined the water board instead in order to earn for the family.

My diagnosis at the age of 36 was OCD, but 30 yrs later it's been suggested that it's actually ASDS and ADHD. I admit to being fairly socially inept, but I worked in education for 40 years. With hindsight, I did a lot of masking.

We've been fortunate in that no one in the family (to my knowledge) has been completely unable to cope, though we've had our challenges. Older family members were deemed to be "shy" and "set in their ways".

I do know people with ASD who will never be able to live independently or work for a living: two from my childhood and some from my days as a teacher.

Bad politicians all over the world always blame someone else, and generally speaking immigrants are top of that list. Funnily enough, they themselves are never too blame. Despite all the problems people like Farage create, they seem better off financially. All whilst being hateful to everyone & never taking accountability for their own actions. If they can get you to focus your anger and hatred towards those that are less fortunate than you, it means you won't be looking at the real cause of the issue - that is back at the politician in question.

The housing shortage is due to poor planning by govs that didn't build the houses needed to support the population increase (people are living longer now due to modern medicine).

Additionally, putting a cap on how many surplus properties people have for rental purposes would help solve the issue - not forcing people to pay extortionate rent for sub-par living which doesn't allow them to save for their own place. Putting renters at the mercy of so many greedy & unscrupulous landlords.

I wish you would be more angry about that. And about people being be homed by the council into accommodation (private landlord rentals to the council) that are inhabitable & full of mould - & meant a toddler died, because the landlord was greedy & immoral. This is rife across the uK.

Rioting, looting, thieving - uK salaries are absolutely shitty & havent increased in years. Jobs are scarce. For many working isn't enough for people to get by. Closing youth centres etc was a terrible idea. As was penalising couples that stay together to lose their benefits. People are angry and unhappy. You want more people locked away? I want more people to have hope for their future and options. Clearly we need more police too, but is Farage really the only answer to these issues. Keeping prisoners fed is costly business.

Yes, some asylum seekers will get housing, but that show was made to incite hatred imo. I know plenty of people that work really hard and are struggling financially, and still need to claim benefits. That's a cost of living issue, and wage stagnation issue. A socio-economic issue.

And lastly but certainly not least right wing policies are disgusting. They are anti-women, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and anti-peace.

You should watch a bit more politics online and see what Reform has done for the local areas they already govern. They're keen on more gambling/betting shops on their high streets - we all need more of those. And,they have more “brilliant” ideas to “help”!

Welsh elections next month also, and I too shall be voting Reform. Had an absolute guts full of Labour and Plaid.

I completely agree op, that we cannot live in a country with such a huge welfare state. It is not fair on the taxpayer.

Reform want to cut the welfare bill AND cut income tax. How is that going to help the bottom line. We'll surely end up with the same problem as now?? But with shittier services and people unable to feed and cloth themselves and their children? Which will lead to further social problems.

You seem to be putting your vote on a chance for change and if they don't govern well then you'll accept it was a mistake? Well look at the Councils in England where they are in power... Research their track record.

Garbage. You are referring to the Dublin convention which has been totally misrepresented as a way to bash both Reform and Nigel Farage (who actually had no power over the post Brexit arrangements). Returns under the agreement were minuscule and almost every year we were net recipients despite geography and migrant flows as our EU “friends” refused to honour it and our home office folded and accepted everyone when asked. Educate yourself before making uninformed comments. There was no effective policy to send anyone back.
These people are here because we don’t control our borders and because of Boris absurd immigration policies.

NF has only recently become a MP. Before that he had no position of power in parliament or any local authority so what exactly is the “record” you are referring to.
Reform councils increased council tax by less than any other party and have produced some reasonable savings but like every council they are hamstrung by statutory duties.
Nf had no say in post Brexit arrangements. The useless tories allowed the immigration and they made the useless deal that cost us billions.
Reform have in my opinion wrongly stated that the NHS will always be free at point of use. All very nice except its almost impossible to access in very many case with very long waits and people are increasingly using private care even taking out loans to pay for it. So for many their healthcare is already private.
Please do some research as most of your post is misinformation.

We have all had our compassion kicked out of us. There’s none left as we are being taxed to death to pay for the workshy, unskilled, lazy and people who hate us and our way of life not all of whom are migrants,

Voting Reform in a Scottish election because you "want foreigners rounded up" when Immigration is entirely Reserved 😂

And they kick off when they get called out for being morons...

I understand all your concerns I really do, although I don’t live where you do BUT reform are proposing to cut taxes. Do you really believe they will invest more in public services to help the things you are concerned about?!
The other thing to consider is that having a policy is one thing but having the right approach and political experience to actually make them a reality is another. Life would get worse for everyone under reform.

The TV shows are aired to gain the exact reaction you are having.

This is basically how Hitler got into power - blaming Jews and foreigners for the country’s problems.

Nazis promised to restore German pride and power…..like farage and his make Britain great again.

The Weimar government caused millions to lose faith in democracy and turn to extremist parties like the Nazis…..like you turning to reform.

Propaganda depicted Hitler as a strong, dynamic savior, "above party politics," who could rescue Germany ….. like Farage wants to rescue Britain.

You think Reform is going to help you with your access to healthcare? Don’t make me laugh. Better take out some private health insurance now.

Reform supporters are spinning exactly the samesort of lines in Wales. Where immigration is also not devolved.

Anyway, Reform hasn't a hope in hell of getting into power in Scotland, so can make all sorts of promises.

I'll be voting for anyone who isnt SNP.