The Scottish Budget
Having studied yesterday’s budget in more detail, I still can’t see how it can balance and deliver what is promised
I’m appalled at the dropping of the promise on student grants, and on nursery places and pleased at the promises on prescription charges and rates.
Is it me or do many of the changes seem to be superficial? I’m looking forward with great interest to see how the promises can now be delivered, and what is actually going to be delivered. I may be proved wrong, but I think too much was promised in the desperation to be elected.
The expected increases in ‘efficiency savings’ i.e. cuts, in local Government expenditure from 1.5% (difficult) to 2% (unrealistic) is going to have a major impact on service delivery. Some Councils will do very well, most - I predict from experience – will struggle in the short-term especially on the necessary staffing reductions i.e. redundancies.
I forecast tears before bedtime, and never have I been happier to be outside of the process.
I’m appalled at the dropping of the promise on student grants, and on nursery places and pleased at the promises on prescription charges and rates.
Is it me or do many of the changes seem to be superficial? I’m looking forward with great interest to see how the promises can now be delivered, and what is actually going to be delivered. I may be proved wrong, but I think too much was promised in the desperation to be elected.
The expected increases in ‘efficiency savings’ i.e. cuts, in local Government expenditure from 1.5% (difficult) to 2% (unrealistic) is going to have a major impact on service delivery. Some Councils will do very well, most - I predict from experience – will struggle in the short-term especially on the necessary staffing reductions i.e. redundancies.
I forecast tears before bedtime, and never have I been happier to be outside of the process.
8 comments:
Salmond gambled big time. He told students he was going to wipe our debt- beer tokens included, give us 1,000 extra NEW police, reduce class sizes to 18 for P 1-3 etc etc etc. He knew full well that the economy would slow down globally in the coming years and that his settlement though double what Dewar got would not come to anything like the funds he needs to fund these opportunistic schemes.
Now all he can do is blame big bad Brown and hope the electorate swallow it....I hope and pray that they do not.
He did not just gamble with his manifesto and get away with it; he gambled with our future and he is putting it in jeopardy
So... mr S is a prophet is he... must vote for him next time...
anon 2.29
He believes he is God so maybe your right.
Well now we know who was telling the truth during the last election campaign. Mr Allan pledged that an SNP administration would, with immediate effect:
Introduce RET. It’s not. 2. Pay off student debt. It’s not. 3. Give £2000 to first time buyers. Not happening. 4. Hold a referendum on wind farms. Kicked into the long grass(or is it deep into Barvas moor). 5. Have an enquiry going back 10 years (well till 2000)into the NHS in the islands. Not mentioned anymore.
Undoubtedly there are some good elements in Mr Sweeny’s budget. But if you can’t make an impact with 30 billion British pounds….. twice the budget the late, great Donald Dewar had a short 8 years ago.
Always read the blog mostly for entertainment but felt I had to comment on SNP promises against delivery.
1. Poor canditate
2. We have been conned.
3. Only the letters are correct Still No Progress.
How has the Scottish budget been affected by the Edinburgh trams that were voted through Hollyrood by the opposition? I guess it blew a hole in the SNPs figures, but how big a hole?
Anyone got any figures?
I noticed at the Mod that Lochaber High School was in some state. Years of underinvestment have taken their toll. How many other schools are in a similar state of disrepair?
There's a horrific job for someone to try and get Scotland's schools up to the standard our kids deserve.
How does the Scottish budget square up against the "early actions" promises made by the SNP in their manifesto?
http://www.snp.org/policies/early-actions
Some things appear to have happened, like keeping Monklands and Ayr A&E open and putting forward bills to abolish the graduate endowment fee and the tolls on the Forth & Tay roads. What about the rest? Marks out of 10?
Post a Comment