One of the most chilling experiences I have had recently was at an NHS Scotland conference last week on welfare reform in Scotland. The impact of the UK Governments welfare reforms is devastating - especially on the many Scots with disabilities the bedroom tax is causing huge hardship, food banks are running on empty and, as our report shows today, poverty has returned to Scotland in a way I could never have imagined a decade ago. George Osborne is planning to push through another £12 billion in cuts to people who are workless through no fault of their own. And there is nothing that the Scottish Parliament can do about it because it doesnt control welfare - or taxation, or the huge oil revenues that flow to the London exchequer to finance Boris Johnsons grandiose schemes. Politics of envy? Damn right. And what was the Unionist response? Danny Alexander coming north wagging his finger, and warning: the currency decision is final - and anyone who doesnt get it will be sent to the back of the class and held after school. Well, heres a message to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury: the currency decision, Mr Alexander, will never be final, because it is not in the UK Governments gift to make it. The pound is common property of the UK, not Londons toy balloon. As for the threat on cross-border pension schemes - the EU is on the point of announcing that it wants to see a lot more of them. His pensions warning was just another nasty little scare, like mortgage rates, Europe, food prices. And dont think this scolding, contemptuous tone from the London financial establishment will somehow disappear if Scots obediently vote No. Weve learned a lot in the past few weeks about power and how it is distributed. The campaign has revealed the true face of the Union. They may win the referendum, but theyve lost Scotland.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 10:38:58 +0000
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