FROM NOON SUNDAY.
The Through A Scottish Prism panel gather to discuss the weeks political talking points. We begin our weekly review with congratulations to our two resident female stalwarts Eva Comrie and Yvonne Ridley who were both re-elected on to the Alba NEC. With all the Alba Party members involved in that part of the vote the result was never in doubt. The members know who will work on their and Scotland’s best interests.
The two really big stories of the week, however, were the two court defeats in two days for the SNP Scottish Government. The first hammer blow from the Court of Session was the 21 second judgement on the FOI request denied on the James Hamilton KC inquiry. The brutally redacted version must now be released without the redactions. I suspect certain individuals in Scotland will now be seeking legal advice as the possibilities of justice catching up with some has increased greatly with this judgement.
The second decision was even greater. The much hated and extremely badly drafted GRRB that was subject to Section 35 Westminster veto had that move upheld. Despite countless warnings that this outcome was inevitable the Scottish Government continued ahead with Nicola Sturgeon’s raison d’etre legislation. Despite her insistence that adult human females concerns were not valid, the court disagreed.
The Scottish Government have 21 days to appeal this decision. We hope, at last, some good sense will prevail and that no more taxpayers money will be wasted on SNP stupidity in courts.
The panel discusses these two verdicts and the Bute House Agreement. Should it too be consigned to the bin? Listen to what our esteemed panel thinks on that.
Alongside these two crushing defeats for the government it was also announced this week by Police Scotland that there would need to be further delays in the Hate Crime Bill as our plods needed more training before this draconian piece of legislation could be implemented. The panel asks if now that the hated GRRB has been defeated is there any need of the HCB?
Trans prisoners were once again in the news as new ‘guidelines’ are introduced by the SNP genderist government. Just when we thought the danger was over the sneaky SNP/Greens mob try again to find a way to allow men into women’s prisons.
While the incompetence of the Scottish Government was being exposed to the world, the English Tory Government were showing their evil credentials too. The Bill to allow the government access to pensioners and claimants bank accounts shines a light on just how extreme and wicked English Tory Governments are to people stuck in the poverty trap.Instead of looking for ways to lift people out of poverty, the Tories want to make poverty even more painful. It is worth noting the other Tory Party of Sir Kid Starver support this action too!
Means testing, not just old age pensions but free school meals, NHS, any social policy citing affordability is the favourite trick of the neoliberals. There is never enough money for the weans or pensioners to have some dignity and quality of life. However, when it comes to wars, weapons, bombs, killing innocents,our English masters can always find some cash down the back of the Number 10 sofa!
This week ex-Defence Secretary the hapless Ben Wallace was advocating the urgent need to give £2.6 billion of our tax money to the Nazi regime in Ukraine. His reasoning? If the UK still wanted to be seen as a global player we needed to pay up! How obscene is that? It is like Mafia protection money! No money for our pensioners or weans in UK but money to kill Ukrainian weans and pensioners! It encapsulates so much of all that is wrong in this union and with neoliberal economics.
Meanwhile, the great socialist and victor of Rutherglen Hamilton West Sir Keir Starmer thought he would come to Scotchland to tell the Jockos how everything would be milk and honey when he reclaims Scotchland and Engurlund for Labour.
I reckon his return rail journey will have him thinking again. His shellacking both on the train and when he arrived at Glasgow Central was a joy to behold. The man bought and owned by Friends of Israel got his horoscope. Palestine has mire support in Scotland than Labour warmonger Starmer! Scotland might not be so Labour friendly next year after all!
As US and UK show their support for a genocide in Gaza and Netanyahu says any investigation into Israeli war crimes would be viewed as anti-semitism the panel reacts.
All this and so much more on your favourite Scottish Political review show.
Very well written & a great and informative read on the weeks politics with a Scottish viewpoint. I can NEVER bring myself to vote SNP ever again but with a split in The Indy/Drvo vote it concerns me the Brits will act in unity as rejected by NuSNP with Scotland United. Is thus the price we need to pay for Real Independence down the line? Like Ireland it took 30 years fir SF to become majority North & South & whilst I believe ALBA will do this here it dismays me that English parties may well get far more seats in Wastemonster & Scotland. Is this unavoidable….?
So the UK government want to have access to every pensioners bank account. Why, what for. Pensioners are not criminals. They worked all those years, paid tax and national insurance and now they are to have there underpants down so that the state, or its private contractors, can have a look for Klingons.
And where the pensioners go, the rest of the sheep will follow. Big business in the name of accomodating big government will look after them and the masses like the farm animals that they actually are.
Well here’s a suggestion. Why don’t ordinary people just take access to the lives of the rich and influential. They know where we stay and we know, or can know where they stay. Let us return the favour. Let them know who we truly are. Its all one big open equal and equitable democracy – right!
I suspect because they will eventually means test the state pension and will have to check that none of us are getting away with having too much money – after all – they need it for their wealthy pals who are struggling on their millions stashed away in the Caymen Islands.
Great show today Roddy. Concerning the election vote number for yourself; I think that Phil got it right; it seems to me that there has been some jiggery pokery going on. I couldn’t believe the result.
I thank you for your support
There are many ways to re-examine the State Pension – however here are Facts from which any discussion should begin. The facts shown are taken from and verifiable from Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS).
The State Pension is paid from National Insurance (NI) contributions. Consider – the amounts being paid in from Scotland -v- the amounts then paid out in Scotland.
2017-2018 – NI paid in Scotland – £10362m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £7919m
2018-2019 – NI paid in Scotland – £10643m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £8154m
2019-2020 – NI paid in Scotland – £11211m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £8313m
2020-2021 – NI paid in Scotland – £11016m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £8501m
2021-2022 – NI paid in Scotland – £12243m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £8715m
2022-2023 – NI paid in Scotland – £13,345m – State Pensions paid in Scotland – £9305m