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Original poster

Have you noticed the opoor seem to be getting a better deal in Scotland and Wales?

65 replies

GabbyLoggon · 04/03/2011 13:25

Presription changes. And the government dont nick their houses when they are old.

This happens to about 40,000 householders a year in England. "Gabby"

OP posts:
Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 04/03/2011 13:27

Perhaps Scotland Wales are easier to govern.

But it does make the Tory-led Coalition seem mean-spirited. (And the cabinet are not all millionaires.) "Gabby"

OP posts:
Chil1234 · 04/03/2011 13:31

The two devolved parliaments were supported with heavy central funding when they were originally set up. When the money is reduced, there may be some changes required to previous policy decisions.

BTW... the Westminster government doesn't 'nick' anyone's house when they get old.

Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 04/03/2011 13:34

I thought the government ran the various departments. I know Cameron is trying to pt out
of his poor bashing cuts. (Nick is in Barnsley today) "Gabby"

OP posts:
Chil1234 · 04/03/2011 13:46

The Scottish and Welsh Assemblies run their own budgets and allocate spend according to their own priorities. They have various sources of income - domestic rates, borrowing, EU money - but a lot of it is direct from Westminster.

Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 04/03/2011 13:51

It helps if we try and not act like Tory supporters.

And answer objectively as possible

Currently: Where to poor people get the best deal
from government?

in alphabetical order: England, Scotland or Wales.

I think it is probably Scotland followed by Wales (with England a poor 3rd CUTS considered.)

I dont think any of us regulars who post here are professional politicians; so we dont need to act like them. They have party pressures we do not have.

cheers "Gabby"

OP posts:
Chil1234 · 04/03/2011 13:58

Where is my answer not objective or acting like a Tory supporter? Hmm

You're assuming that free care in old age and free prescriptions mean that the poor are not 'bashed' in Scotland. This may be true, but rich as well as poor people need prescriptions and care in old age. It could be reasonably argued, therefore, that the Scottish parliament is looking after its wealthier residents just as much as its poorest ones.

jasper1980 · 04/03/2011 14:03

Why do you sign "Gabby"? just curiousSmile

weegiemum · 04/03/2011 14:06

There are poor people in Scotland.

I work with them - young mums. With literacy problems. In the charity sector as there are no government schemes to help them.

Doubt they are much better off than those in England, Wales or (have you forgotten?) Northern Ireland.

There are some benefits up here, but there are a lot of areas in which things are much the same, if not worse (health outcomes anyone?)

expatinscotland · 04/03/2011 14:07

LOL.

LostInTransmogrification · 04/03/2011 14:07

There is quite a difference in life expectancy between Scotlands rich and poor (measured in decades not just a handful of years) so the care can't be that much better than here.

JemimaMop · 04/03/2011 14:13

Lots of poor people in Wales too. 15 of the 22 local authorities qualified for Objective One funding from Europe as GDP was 75% or less of the European average.

As I said on another thread, devolution means that different countries choose to spend their money in different ways. It doesn't mean that one is better overall.

thereiver · 04/03/2011 17:31

thats because its only the English who work. we pay the taxes that pay for every thing.

Sleepingonthebus · 04/03/2011 17:39

thats because its only the English who work

Eh?

Minkyjj · 04/03/2011 17:39

I think its a disgace. Devolution is inherantly unfair in its present form. Why is it only england that now has to pay perscription charges of over £7.00 when Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland get off free - the nhs is crying out for extra funding so its madness that we bow to devolved parliaments and allow them to just decide not to contribute - if thats the case, the health budgets should take account that these areas of the UK dont contribute. I am quite pro the idea of devolution but not in its current form of discrimination based on postcode. Before anyone says anything, my family are Scottish but I live in England.
My grandmother lived all her life in Scotland paying her taxes but because she moved to England in her 70s for more family support, she suffered by not getting the same financial benefits she would have been entitled to in scotland. I understand there are many inequalities such as demetia care and the whole mess needs to be sorted out.

eatyourveg · 04/03/2011 17:50

definitely considering crossing offa's dyke when we get to retirement

LisMcA · 04/03/2011 17:51

Bollocks thereiver!

As far as I am aware (I'll find the back up and link later), if independence is voted for by the Scottish electorate, we generate more than enough to sustain us as an independent state.

In fact I would go as far to say that without Scotland's revenue from Oil & Gas and the upcoming renewable energy industries Westminster would struggle.

I am proud that Scotland looks after it's most vulnerable citizeans with the free care for the elderly and free prescriptions.

Thankfully, we may be saved from the worst of the cuts Westminster are proposing, we do however know that we are by far safe from any cuts. Hopefully, our devolved government will continue to protect the services they can from Westminster.

expatinscotland · 05/03/2011 02:38

I pay UK tax. My husband does as well.

Yet we are pay more on our own resources and people have the audcacity to say it's unfair!?

Unfair, that my own children are often seen as nothing but dogs but those Etonians in power, a joke as much as their own countrymen who are not as wealthy as they were born?

They seek to divide us, from our own brothers, by means of what's been a changeable border, so that they can make us hate one another?

Who buys that type of rubbish?

You think it's better on the poor than our brethren poor across the border?

Bollocks!

That is a load of claptrap, divide and conquer wag the dog tosh designed to keep our noses to the grindstone and not question how they treat every single one of us who is not born rich.

PenguinArmy · 05/03/2011 03:00

Fucking hell Gabby, please stop signing off "Gabby"

Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 05/03/2011 11:51

There are poor people everywhere, I am talking relative poverty.
Penquin Army...stop depressing yourself over unimportant nicknames. "Penquin Army" is ok but npt
a real issue with me.

Penquin...get serious talk poverty. Whats your bank balance? How much are you paid; or were you paid? Are you a Liberal living in Barnsley?

Do you find "poverty" an embarrassing subject?
Are you a Tory or Liberal voter? ( I am not)

LISMCA....thank you for giving us a rational post on Scotland and poverty.

I repeat every system has poor people. But the CUTS will hit the poor in the poor areas of England. cheers "gabby"

OP posts:
southeastastra · 05/03/2011 11:54

yes i've noticed and it's unfair - can we do anything about it - no

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 05/03/2011 12:01

minky: the NHS doesn't lose out - it,s just that the government pays all the charges for the individual.

Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 05/03/2011 12:04

Southeastastra,

Well, there are council elections in may. And there will be other by-elections. And internet posters are said to be important these days.

I dont know if they are in this country or not. But Obama is said to have won on the Internet.

We must try and not despair; because if this Tory government becomes extremely unpopular they will possibly
change some of their policies. (But dont hold your breath on that one)

As a lady broadcaster I knew used to say."This too will pass" (and things tend to...eventually)

cheers "Gabby"

OP posts:
Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 05/03/2011 12:33

Itsallgoingtobefine. I dont know much about the complexities of the NHS debate. (I suppose it is a sort of privatisation the Tories want) They fought the NHS at its conception.

I asked my doctor if he had had his 2million quid yet, he laughed and said "No"

If the Coaltion lose Cabinet ministers it will probably be LibDems over the NHS (The activists dont like the plan)
The luckypeople are, I suppose, the Fatalists, who say they believe that everything is pre-ordained
and there is sweetFA we can do about it.

Difficult to prove that. cheers "Gabby"

OP posts:
Minkyjj · 05/03/2011 12:40

Itsallgoingtobefine - I understand that in theory the NHS doesnt directly lose out because some of the UK dont have to pay for perscriptions but look at the bigger picture and you realise that in the long run its not going to be good news for any public services including the NHS as it means revenue is lower in a time of increasing budgetary restraints. If there isnt enough money in the bank, there wont be enough to pay out for services such as the NHS. People may be against increased taxation streams and cuts to services but lets face it, if the money isnt there unless you bring in magicians its not going to magically appear. Therefore arent means tested perscription charges fairer across the UK as a whole than based on where you live? I agree with LisMcA that its great that the scottish parliament are trying to protect their poorer members yet why is it that national pride and fight so readily comes out when questions of fairness are raised when linked to devolution - every poor person deserves the same care, its nothing to do with where you live.

deemented · 05/03/2011 12:53

And don't forget that here in Wales we have free breakfast club for every single primary school pupil. And,come next month, we'll no longer have to pay for the Morning After Pill either.

But, English school pupils get more spent on them per head then Scottish or Welsh pupils, over £200 more, in fact.

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