to wonder why people in England have to pay for prescriptions

[AtYourCervix]

and in Scotland and Wales they are free?

How the fuck can that happen?

Oh I see vintage you're suggesting English independance. Fair enough.

It has crossed my mind that the reason Salmond goes for these headline grabbing policies is to stir up discontent in England.

I'm not an SNP voter but I think they'll do well as a result of the current government. Sinking ship and all that...

Wales chooses how to spend the money it is given for health and education, that is why in Wales each child has several hundred pounds a year less spent on them than a child in England. Wales chooses to give free prescriptions and parking as most people need these, but has lower levels of 'tertiary health care' than in England.

The majority of people on prescription in England don't pay anyway.

But that's my point - if we are all part of the UK - it should all be the same or it should be totally devolved and each to their own. Not some english people paying more to make up for scotland's rpescriptiosn for example or Welsh children missing out on good healthcare but english children having way better.

There are are two obvious solutions and the middle ground isn't one of them.

Surely it's not that different to one trust funding a drug, and the adjacent Trust no funding it. Just that all the postcode regions are bigger.

It's a total farce, as is the university situation. Pretty much the only nationality within Europe that cannot go to university free in Scotland is the English! They have to prove they have lived there for three years before they qualify. but someone from France or Poland can waltz in and study there for free, subsidised by the English tax payer.

fellatio that's because they don't like us - I say that being 1/4 scottish.

But Fellatio, lack of fees was the status quo - English MPs chose to vote for tutition fees (and yy, the West Lothian question is an issue, but still, it's a policy that England instigated for itself). fwiw, Scottish students have a reciprocal agreement with the EU to study there for free too - that's a good thing.

vintage - that's not true and not helpful, tbh. fwiw I'm English.

Fellatio what do you think would happen in Scottish Universities if English kids could study there for free but have to pay fees in England? Cue mass exodus north of the border. Sorry but that would be detrimental to Scottish kids so can't be allowed to happen.

It was a joke - all my relatives are scottish.

However, that said, Dh's family had to leave scotland due to him and his brother bieng bullied for being english . It was really bad and purely because they were english - bullied by children 2 school years above them too.

habbibu did you not see the awful things written on that poor lady's house when she moevd to scotland after her dh had died. It was in the paper last week. Very sad.

And wrt to the W Lothian question above, I'd like it if C of E Lords were restricted to religious matters. That's not going to happen either...

No, I didn't, and yes, there are tossers in Scotland, of course there are. And they'll find any reason to pick on anyone for being different - English is as good as any. But to generalise is just really unhelpful. I have loads of English friends in Scotland, and we've never had anything but a warm welcome. But that'll nver make the news.

Maryz that kind of cost would knock the budget totally off kilter, at a time when you don't need extra stress. Out of interest, how much (as a % of income do you pay in Tax/NI?
In Australia, you have to have ambulance insurance as well. If I saw someone collapsed in the street in the UK and called an ambulance, they would take them to hospital. In Australia you did the same and it turns out they were just drunk; YOU, as the person who called the ambulance would be liable for the cost. If you were on the breadline, your good deed could cost you dearly.

So what about the mass exodus from Europe then? Does that not risk the same thing?

Well, it's reciprocal, so doesn't technically affect Scottish students, iyswim. Are you pro Scottish independence, then, Fellatio?

I'm really getting a bit bored of folk moaning on about how Scots (and Welsh and N Irish - but mostly Scots) are so much better off than the English.

You're all missing the point. Prescription charges and Uni fees are relatively new. They were introduced by your government! Look to them for answers.

Scotland has decided to keep these things free - as is it's right through devolution. It's not "extra" money paying for this. It's different priorities in how a set budget is spent.

Vintage you get bigoted tossers in every country. I think you'll find there are a fair few in England too.

Fellatio. No I don't think it does.

The English taxpayer doesn't solely subsidise uni fees in Scotland.

Fellatio, it would be less attractive for Europeans to study at Scottish universities because the courses are taught in English.

And why should a SNP or labour devolved parliament introduce or continue with a policy it is fundamentally opposed to? That makes no sense in a democracy.

It's all swings and roundabouts anyway. Better off in one regard just means worse off in another.

That's not true our universities are world renowned and many graduated already speak good English and see studying here as an advantage.

But there are world renowned universities across Europe!

I'm still entertained by MasterChef describing Oxford as the "most iconic" university in the world...

You'll find a lot of English students in Scotland already, Fellatio - far fewer other EU. Probably lots of reasons for that, but odds are if tuition were free for English students in Scotland Scottish unis would be swamped by the English.

So why has there not been an exodus from Europe to Scotland?

Things are just different in different areas isn't council tax much cheaper in England, haven't property owners made thousands more down south, pay is higher in SE, in London kids get free travel. That is life, if you don't like it move to somewhere that provides what you want.