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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Thread 7 - No pitch forks or Pom Poms - Scottish political shenanigans

999 replies

TheShadowyFeminist · 06/04/2021 15:46

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WouldBeGood · 28/04/2021 22:21

Maybe they were transporting Teflon skin for their internet supporters 🤷🏻‍♀️

WouldBeGood · 28/04/2021 22:22

What’s everyone thinking of the All Under One Banner gathering for Indy at the weekend?

I’m thinking it seems ironic given the bitter factions involved.

Scottishskifun · 28/04/2021 22:27

@WouldBeGood

What’s everyone thinking of the All Under One Banner gathering for Indy at the weekend?

I’m thinking it seems ironic given the bitter factions involved.

Thought gatherings were banned..... 🤔😉
LexMitior · 28/04/2021 22:31

[quote forfucksakenett]@LexMitior that's not the cost of transporting paper. It's the yearly bill for all government cars.

According to the article sometimes cars are utilised for transporting documents but it does not specify how often or what type of document.

@RedactedTaeFeck nothing I've said here was intended as a snipe but I have no control over how you interpret it of course. [/quote]
Okay you can sort of work it out or have a rough guess it was reasonable. The transporting of government papers to ministers does happen, though you would have to work hard to justify it in a pandemic because of email. In other words, no real need. Serious affairs of state go via a secure network.

But in the last year, depending on the number of Ministers in SG, you might get close to a large figure. The SG will either be purchasing cars for ministerial transport, and then each would have a driver. Then you have to add costs for the petrol, insurance, and police escort (the last is probably really only reserved for a few).

You could not have sacked or got rid of a Ministerial driver for the SG during a pandemic (indeed I don't think they ever lose their jobs!). They literally know everything about politics; they command huge respect for this reason.

In this way, the cost runs on.

RedactedTaeFeck · 28/04/2021 22:40

@RedactedTaeFeck nothing I've said here was intended as a snipe but I have no control over how you interpret it of course.

Ah yes, obviously my fault...

RedactedTaeFeck · 28/04/2021 22:42

I took a rough guess @LexMitior and I couldn't legitimately get to £900k in a year, I'm sure police escort costs shouldn't be included, that would be in a security budget.

Can anyone fathom a reasonable reason for that level of spend? maybe it is just me?

forfucksakenett · 28/04/2021 23:05

So what did you legitimately get to @RedactedTaeFeck ? I'd be genuinely interested to hear your rough guess because I honestly wouldn't know where to start trying to work out the government car bill.

LexMitior · 28/04/2021 23:11

Of course, but I think you'd need to know a bit more. If its anything like Westminster, I reckon you will never know. Though you can keep at it with FOI and ask more and more questions!

LexMitior · 28/04/2021 23:15

To clarify, 900k is a high figure! I conceived that around half that would have been in sustained costs during a pandemic. The figure should have dropped at least, and correct me if I am wrong, but 900k for each year must be wrong; in a pandemic, the cost should drop, not increase with a presumably a reduction in journeys. The cost actually went up!

RedactedTaeFeck · 28/04/2021 23:22

I don't know why i am bothering as I expect you will just pick apart.

I guesstimated 4 cars. Replacing one every year at approx £50k. a tank of petrol per day per car £73k, 4 salaries including NI and pension contributions at £200k, Servicing £2.5k, Road tax 2.5k, RAC cover £1k, Insurance £6k, Valet 10k, incidental repairs £10k, Parking 10k. coming to under £400k. Could be a lot less, I don't think it should be over double - especially as there has been a stay at home order. It's not like there would be airport pick up and drop-offs or countrywide tours to factor in.

forfucksakenett · 28/04/2021 23:41

Well you expect wrong and I have no idea what I've said on this topic that would make you think I would.

Seems legit. I wonder if they have double the cars. Or it's a more complex wage structure. Billable hours rather than a yearly salary.

4 cars for government 4 for senior civil servants maybe?

RedactedTaeFeck · 28/04/2021 23:58

I based the 4 on 1 being full time for NS, one to be on constant run around so for legal doc transportation, picking up parcels, all the general stuff, leaving 2 for use for other ministers etc. They shouldn't need as much over the last year but obviously a lot is fixed costs for salaries and car maintenance etc so it's really the petrol and the likelihood for repairs that should be reduced. I think billable hours would have been less this year if done that way - maybe people were furloughed?

Most transport would be around the central belt.

Costs might be higher where you are maybe collecting visitors at the airport, collecting staff out of hours from airports but some of that could be done by taxi via expenses I guess.

In one of my jobs long ago when I was just a young girl, I had to go to the court of session regularly to lodge papers in a wee office up in the back. Most times i'd get taken up by the guy in the runaround wee van. Sometimes if that was already off somewhere, i got to go in one of the official big cars and the driver would even put his hat on and let me sit in the back like I was one of the directors.

LexMitior · 29/04/2021 12:03

I don’t know if anyone has looked at the IFS and IFG figures on Scottish public spending this morning but they are shocking! At this rate, there will be a positive case for England being independent - fiscal transfer cannot carry on like that.

Perhaps one way of squaring this circle may be grant an independence referendum on acceptance of equalised public spending across Scotland and England; that might work.

Scottishskifun · 29/04/2021 12:32

😬 I didn't realise how bad it was! 15% public deficit position in 1 year alone!!!!!

I've said previously that a pandemic is not the time for a independence debate and that the economy needs to recover first and they both prove this!

That's a huge huge hole in public finances with zero information on how it will be filled. There isn't enough higher tax payers to fill that gap which means more middle/lower income family squeezes!

WouldBeGood · 29/04/2021 12:34

That's quite scary.

People need to be aware that independence will mean austerity. For some, that will be worth it. But not for most people, if they are fully informed of the financial position.

annabelindajane · 29/04/2021 12:43

I liked the comment

“ while not perfect the GERS statistics tell such a clear story that debate
currently shouldn’t be a debate at all”

annabelindajane · 29/04/2021 12:46

For the blood and soil independence seekers could any of them tell us unionists exactly how much austerity they think inflicting on society is acceptable ?

happygolurkey · 29/04/2021 13:02

@annabelindajane

For the blood and soil independence seekers could any of them tell us unionists exactly how much austerity they think inflicting on society is acceptable ?
Nice to see Unionists sticking to the request for people not to use sweeping generalisations.

I guess someone will be along in a minute to scold and finger wag at me for have the temerity to the smearing of independence supporters with horrific white nationalist Nazi ideology

happygolurkey · 29/04/2021 13:03

(the temerity to object to)

Scottishskifun · 29/04/2021 13:04

I would love for the SG to answer that but reality means they will just shift the question of austerity from the tories!

happygolurkey · 29/04/2021 13:09

lowest of the low

Scottishskifun · 29/04/2021 13:11

@happygolurkey I didn't read that as general sweeping comment at all. We all know both sides of the debate are split into several different wider brackets and it's no secret there is a fraction of the independence movement which is independence at any cost.
I actually read your post as more sweeping judgement of people who do not wish for independence at this time.

happygolurkey · 29/04/2021 13:29

Using a Nazi Germany slogan in relation to independence supporters is fine is it? This was chanted by Neo-Nazis in Charlottesville FFS!!!!

I actually read your post as more sweeping judgement of people
Which is exactly what I predicted would happen in my post - that objecting to an utterly heinous comments would result in someone coming along and saying it's all MY fault. Ten out of ten for gaslighting.
Utterly shameful. I don't know why I'm even bothering to form a response - if nobody here sees anything wrong in using this sort of terminology on a public forum chat then you are beyond being worth engaging with

LexMitior · 29/04/2021 13:31

@Scottishskifun

😬 I didn't realise how bad it was! 15% public deficit position in 1 year alone!!!!!

I've said previously that a pandemic is not the time for a independence debate and that the economy needs to recover first and they both prove this!

That's a huge huge hole in public finances with zero information on how it will be filled. There isn't enough higher tax payers to fill that gap which means more middle/lower income family squeezes!

Well it’s a big lie that Scotland can keep itself in the manner it is accustomed to. It’s not affordable for the UK Government to keep permitting that level of fiscal transfer; the Union is an economic arrangement.

Have an independence referendum but I assume that the moment it came in then equalised allocation (dismissal of Barnett) would come in; there would no purpose to extend it.

Scottishskifun · 29/04/2021 13:37

Apologies I honestly didn't know that slogan!

I'm also not sure what about my post is gas lighting I was simply stating that their are fractions to both sides and your original post stated unionists considering that and therefore putting everyone into the same element that your complaining being done?! 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

There was nothing shameful about my post just not knowing a slogan!