Expectations and a new Government
The cynical politician (ie the most effective) knows that you introduce the harsh measures in the first years, so that the public have a chance to forget before the next election.
A look at Gordon Brown's pattern of raising taxes (and the Thatcher Government before that) demonstrate the truth of that assertion.
I am at a loss to understand the motivation of SNP Government in promising everything to everyone and raising expectation with every new announcement. Today, Alex Salmond is quoted in the Herald as expecting the next budget for Scotland to be very tight, yet the financial promises are being thrown around like there is no tomorrow.
As I previously forecast, Gordon Brown has a tough Scottish budget planned, pulling funding in centrally for 'contingency' spending, which will allowhim Alasdair Darling to get Alex Salmond to take the blame for all the cuts whilst redistributing the spending to pet projects - think of the Directors taking 20% off your budget in the name of efficiency, and then awarding all the other departments extra money to bring them back to where they were. You're stuffed, and there are no fingerprints but yours on the cuts.
The silly promise (in political terms) to freeze Council Tax is yet another salami slice taken off the budget that in turn becomes a noose around your neck. Every promise becomes the danger of letting down the voters, or the desperate urge to find 'savings' elsewhere.
Whatever happened to the promise to find savings in the Executive? It might upset too many voters and vested interests?
The cuts will be made in a thousand small places, where no large group will be too upset - such as ADS and the RET promise? - but possibly without the insight that a thousand upset small groups is as bad as one enormous cut.
The next few years will see a tactical battle between Brown and Salmond over money, and we will be caught in the middle. Who will prevail? I don't know, but Brown has the money whilst Salmond is the master tactician with emotion on his side.
It would be fascinating, were we not collateral damage in the clash of egos.
A look at Gordon Brown's pattern of raising taxes (and the Thatcher Government before that) demonstrate the truth of that assertion.
I am at a loss to understand the motivation of SNP Government in promising everything to everyone and raising expectation with every new announcement. Today, Alex Salmond is quoted in the Herald as expecting the next budget for Scotland to be very tight, yet the financial promises are being thrown around like there is no tomorrow.
As I previously forecast, Gordon Brown has a tough Scottish budget planned, pulling funding in centrally for 'contingency' spending, which will allow
The silly promise (in political terms) to freeze Council Tax is yet another salami slice taken off the budget that in turn becomes a noose around your neck. Every promise becomes the danger of letting down the voters, or the desperate urge to find 'savings' elsewhere.
Whatever happened to the promise to find savings in the Executive? It might upset too many voters and vested interests?
The cuts will be made in a thousand small places, where no large group will be too upset - such as ADS and the RET promise? - but possibly without the insight that a thousand upset small groups is as bad as one enormous cut.
The next few years will see a tactical battle between Brown and Salmond over money, and we will be caught in the middle. Who will prevail? I don't know, but Brown has the money whilst Salmond is the master tactician with emotion on his side.
It would be fascinating, were we not collateral damage in the clash of egos.
5 comments:
I suspect it's a simple as this:
Salmond WILL 'promise everything to everyone' knowing full well he will ultimately not be able to deliver on many of them due to obvious financial constraints.
He will blame central government funding as being the limiting factor and claim that all these initiatives WOULD be affordable, if only Scotland had it's independence.
But perhaps I'm tooo cynical?
Bonking Brendan actually turned up at a meeting in his constituency last night and not even a piper in sight. You should have been there to see it Angus. It was bloody hilarious. The meeting was called about the re shaping of the ambulance service. Poor “Anyone But MacNeil” was dumbfounded when the head of the service stood up and said that they would be retaining two ambulances to serve the islands between Berneray and Eriskay. Our poor MP had gone to the trouble of turning up at a meeting with a view to being a hero. Instead, those who had fought for the retention ie Lochboisdale community council rightly thanked the head ambulance man and went home happy. Job dones Service secured. Meanwhile our MP has been trying to convince the world that it was him wot done it. Again we know the truth. He was not involved neither was Absent Allan – yet they make claims about writing letters. Unfortunately for them the people of South Uist know otherwise, as do good councillors like Uisdean Robertson from North Uist. It was a great spectacle. I do hope the SNP retain him as a candidate for the general election. On last nights showing he is in for a serious mauling.
I'm sure an Freedom of Information Act request to the Ambulance Service would get the correspondence, or lack thereof.
Lochboisdale CC and some of the Councillors deserve the credit, not "Lock up your daughters" MacNeil
Funny how Labour arranged the coronation of Wendy on the 100th day of Mr Salmond's government.
She got a teeny bitty on the news and he got a half-hour of prime time telly later on.
If they want to stitch him up for cuts lol, they will have to try harder than that.
There is a facebook group now called Nationalists for Wendy, it seems quite a few folk think she will speed Scotland on the road to independence?
Funny, I've not seen a press release from either of them claiming any success for actually doing anything other than writing letters.
What two things has he actually achieved in the apst two years?
(Apart from the Cash for Honours, whcih exploded in his face)
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