The title of our different podcasts relates to the topics the panel discuss. This week we have examples of several events that highlight the paucity of the Union. Doublespeak, dishonesty and downright corrupt practices of the English government were exposed to us these past seven days.
I am joined this week by Eva Comrie, Lloyd Quinan, Phil Boswell and Allan Petrie. We begin the podcast by discussing the Stirling Bannockburn Council By-election result. An SNP gain from British Labour, that is the good news. The bad news is that once again the turnout was truly appalling. A mere 17.6% of those eligible to vote bothered to go to the polling stations.It is truly an indictment of how switched off the voters have become with the present political parties in Scotland.
It comes as no surprise when you look at the antics of our politicians on both sides of the border. This week at Holyrood the Labour Party made a big play of backing an SNP motion in support of the WASPI women that have had their pension rights stolen.Meanwhile, at Westminster their Labour colleagues who have responsibility for pensions brushed aside such nonsense and took the view that WASPi women like pensioners and the poor can go without as apparently the country cannot afford to do the right thing by these sections of society, our most vulnerable!
Different for Ukrainian pensioners and poor they have a one hundred year x £3 billion commitment from the English Labour Government.The incumbents of numbers 10 & 11 Downing Street also told us that despite the pre-election promise to tax non-doms till they squeaked this has been dropped after pleas from the wealthy non-doms to Rachel in accounts!
The British Government has also told us this week that they are going after benefit fraudsters but not tax evaders. It would seem that avoiding tax is not as a big a drain on the nation’s finances as benefit fraud. They really do think we are that stupid. Labour has been squeezing those least able to defend themselves rather than take on the wealthy tax avoiders. That is the reality of the union. Punish the poorest because successive UK governments are too afraid to go after the tax dodging spivs. A donation to the parties by these corporate crooks is all it takes for ministers to turn a blind eye to criminality and fraud. Unfortunately, the poor cannot bung our corrupt politicians instead they pay the price of the politicians greed and lust for power.
As if to highlight the corruption and criminality of the Union it has been revealed this week that during the British Raj, London stole £64.82 trillions from the Indians and drove the population into abject poverty When India kicked them out in 1947 the country was bankrupt and a barren wasteland! Now India has a larger economy, army, navy than its coloniser. It has truly prospered with its independence.This is the price of colonialism. Don’t ever fall for the ‘broad shoulders of the union guff.’England is robbing Scotland blind!
We know that the average Londoner earns by September that which takes a Scot a full year to earn. Nothing more demonstrates the inequality in the union than this fact.
https://news.stv.tv/world/londoners-earn-by-september-what-scots-pocket-in-a-year-report-finds
As to living in a democracy that notion too was exposed as a fantasy this week. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell are to be interviewed under caution following their attendance of a pro Palestinian protest in London. In the union you are not allowed to hold a different view from the ruling class. To do so puts you in danger of arrest and imprisonment.
Meanwhile, in Scotland the independence movement remains divided and dormant.The dominant party the SNP is telling the Scots that our future lies in the EU. However, as long as the SNP allow freeports and SEZs that bars us from entry into the EU.The governing party pushes this lie week after week it is time for them to start telling the truth. Uniting the movement is down to them too! If we are to become independent in 2026 they need to start talking to the different independence supporting groupings to devise a strategy.
Excellent discussion folks, weel duin!
On the matter of GDP, any analysis shows Scots with just $40,000 GDP per cap are made into the poorest people in NW Europe by the UK colonial ‘union’ hoax compared with nearby independent nations of similar population size. Scots GDP is less than half that of Ireland and Norway which both have GDP per cap over $100,000. Denmark with far less natural resources than us is 50% higher at $60,000 GDP per cap. Even barren volcanic Iceland on the edge of the Viking world is 40% richer at $56,000 GDP per cap.
We can therefore reasonably assume that a resource rich independent Scotland in control of all its economic resources and corp taxes should have a GDP per cap somewhere between that of Denmark and Norway/Ireland – this implies that the union is costing Scots at least £150 billion a year, every year!
As you say the Barnett Block Grant of £45 billion sent to Holyrood is chicken feed compared with what is being fiddled out of Scotland year after year.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/the-real-economic-price-of-the-uk-union-for-scots/
As you commented and I completely agree with your view, that the snp will look at the result in Bannockburn albeit that it was on a 17.5% turnout and all the recent polls indicating that they are ahead of the yoonionist parties for the Scottish elections although they probably won’t gain a majority , BUT they have already indicated and continue to do so that they will willingly work with Liebour and support them should they gain power
As we are well aware the snp are NOT interested in independence they are ONLY focused on retaining their seat at the HR and WM trough , even if they lost a swathe of their constituency seats the main troughers will just appoint themselves at the top of the list seats to continue their troughing with even less responsibility or effort
I posted on a previous PRISM that the ONLY way the snp will listen to anyone is if their livelihood is affected through force and that could possibly be achieved by the formation of a independence council with the 5 members of PRISM being the catalyst to bring other organisations on board, as you said yourself Eva Comrie , Lloyd Quinan , Phil Boswell and Allan Petrie are a force to be reckoned with and with yourself able to control and guide the direction of travel at least independence would have a chance , otherwise the likes of GMK , Paypal Paul will just continue their grift
Eva asked where are the great leaders of the independence movement , they are sitting at your table
Well written, well researched articles
Thank you John