Nine in Ten Scots households take more than they give

Nine in Ten Scots households take more than they give

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London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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Tartan Pixie said:
London424 said:
I'm pretty sure those numbers are completely made up.
Indeed, hence the wobbly face. There's also a lot of stuff like defense spending and oil revenue that get calculated separately. There is one thing certain about the tory conference though, any statistics regarding Scotland will have been massaged to within an inch of their life.

As someone who's undecided which way to vote on independence I've tried to look in to this and come to the conclusion that there's more bull manure surrounding this issue than the whole of old MacDonald's farm.

Best I could work out (using 2010 spending levels) is that if Scotland gets its full geographical share of oil reserves then it should be able to handle its per capita share of the national debt. How close we get to that situation will depend on negotiations.
I think you misunderstand me. Those percentages actually paint Scotland in a good light. I think you'll find the situation a hell of a lot worse than that.

For example here's some stats for the current deficit. That doesn't include the current debt figures.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Brows...

powerstroke

10,283 posts

159 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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Im not suprised!!! this is a part of the UK in which chip shops dont serve gravy
how do they expect the workers to function and contibute taxes without proper nourishment silly

Edited by powerstroke on Monday 8th October 22:25

madala

5,063 posts

197 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Nine in Ten Scots households take more than they give

Am I suprised.....not in the slightest....

Some Gump

12,671 posts

185 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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So, the tory bint trying to win the hearts and minds of the scottish vote leads with "it's not my fault, it's because everyone else is a tit."
Who tought ths woman politics? LewIs fking hamilton?

bad company

18,483 posts

265 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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heebeegeetee said:
It's a shame Scotland hasn't got any natural resources, like, I dunno, oil or something. They'd be alright then, they could sell that to the world.
Or bankers?

dmulally

6,180 posts

179 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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As soon as government spending goes over the price of a lamp post then it is almost impossible to keep track of where money goes. Especially when there are people hired smarter than you and I to deliberately muddy the waters.

Time to crack out re-runs of Yes, Minister/Prime Minister to get the most accurate portrayal of political spending.

Guybrush

4,330 posts

205 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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If they want independence, why not let them have it? rolleyes

98elise

26,372 posts

160 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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A quick skim read of the article, and it seems to be talking about the consumption of public services rather than benefits.

If thats what they mean, then it sounds right. We pay the Government taxes, and they provided services. It should really be a zero sum at the end of the day (ie tax take should equal spending).

Also personal tax isn't the only form of taxation.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

203 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Guybrush said:
If they want independence, why not let them have it? rolleyes
We don't

We have a minority of flag waving idiots who make lots and lots of noise

speedy_thrills

7,760 posts

242 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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heebeegeetee said:
It's a shame Scotland hasn't got any natural resources, like, I dunno, oil or something. They'd be alright then, they could sell that to the world.
Or a stiff drink that people could enjoy a recharge on a slow afternoon or inspiration while working late.

I've no idea if others appreciate a few quiet moments of reflection with a glass in hand but some of my best work is owed to whisky, in so much as one could ever attribute inspiration to anything. Of course there is no way to attribute that extra productivity to Scotland using conventional accounting principals.

speedy_thrills

7,760 posts

242 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Guybrush said:
If they want independence, why not let them have it? rolleyes
I don't care either way but you have to promise not to humiliate us by doing what Ireland has managed and overtaking the UK economically (Already in GDP Nominal and PPP per capita as well as currently approaching the UK in GNI PPP per capita). We don't want to have to become resentful of Scottish success, it would be too much of a thorn to us.

Tartan Pixie

2,207 posts

146 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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bad company said:
heebeegeetee said:
It's a shame Scotland hasn't got any natural resources, like, I dunno, oil or something. They'd be alright then, they could sell that to the world.
Or bankers?
Selling off our bankers while there's a potential bacon shortage? Hmm, could work. scratchchin

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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dmulally said:
Time to crack out re-runs of Yes, Minister/Prime Minister to get the most accurate portrayal of political spending.
Indeed. Whenever I read these threads I usually end up watching YM on youtube.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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I should think most households are net recipients of state spending. It seems to me to be more or less inevitable when you combine a progressive taxation system, higher use of services and benefits by poorer households and a long right hand tail on the income frequency distribution curve.

When the top 1% of earners pay 27% of the income tax take and the top 10% pay 56% of it - while being least likely to receive benefits, most likely to pay for private health or education and I strongly suspect less likely to make use of other public services - that outcome seems inevitable.


oyster

12,577 posts

247 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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otolith said:
I should think most households are net recipients of state spending. It seems to me to be more or less inevitable when you combine a progressive taxation system, higher use of services and benefits by poorer households and a long right hand tail on the income frequency distribution curve.

When the top 1% of earners pay 27% of the income tax take and the top 10% pay 56% of it - while being least likely to receive benefits, most likely to pay for private health or education and I strongly suspect less likely to make use of other public services - that outcome seems inevitable.

I'd love to see a similar graphic showing the percentages of tax paid by level of net worth rather than income. I think you'd then find the middle and lower ends pay a lot more.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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oyster said:
I'd love to see a similar graphic showing the percentages of tax paid by level of net worth rather than income. I think you'd then find the middle and lower ends pay a lot more.
You think? I would have thought that there is considerable overlap between the highest net worth and highest income individuals, and that while they may be managing to minimise the amount they pay in proportion to their wealth, they are still likely to be paying a very large absolute amount of money.

bad company

18,483 posts

265 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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thinfourth2 said:
We don't

We have a minority of flag waving idiots who make lots and lots of noise
I hope you're right. I like the Union and honestly believe that we all benefit from being members.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

203 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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bad company said:
thinfourth2 said:
We don't

We have a minority of flag waving idiots who make lots and lots of noise
I hope you're right. I like the Union and honestly believe that we all benefit from being members.
Not as much as I hope i'm right as i don't fancy living in the Socialist workers republic of scotland

s3fella

10,524 posts

186 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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I heard most of them get their benefits paid directly in battered Mars Bars, too.

sd477667

223 posts

148 months

Tuesday 16th October 2012
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I heard a figure a bit back that 50% of Scotland is paid by the state be it wages or benefits, hope they enjoy their 90% taxation if they win their independence.