Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
Decades of left wing carping about benefits being too low and hospital waiting times being too long have left many people assuming they’re not seeing the benefits of living in a wealthy nation, when the fact is there’s no way either Scotland or Wales could maintain the level of public spending they presently have within the UK.
You complain that focusing on GDP is ‘rigging’ the debate when the truth you can’t bring yourself to admit is that what it’s actually doing is ‘winning’ the debate. State benefits cost money. Infrastructure like the new Forth road bridge costs the same to build in a country of 5 million as in a country of 60 million.
Nationalistic pride is cheap. It’s an indulgence when you need comfort at a time of crisis or you hate the party that’s been running the country for years. Actually putting it into practice has a tangible cost. I’m not sure any nationalist in either Wales or Scotland has yet come to grips with the reality of erecting international frontiers on this island. Are Scottish businesses really going to be happy to fill in those 73 page export documents just to get their goods south of Gretna? Are Welsh businesses going to give up on the border towns close to England that are virtually impossible to get to without using roads that cross the border multiple times?
|
You're right benefits do cost money - £22 billion a year on housing benefit that does little to resolve the problem instead props up a buy to let housing market.
Scotland and Wales would have to make different choices on public expenditure yes, but where we differ is your assumption they couldn't make better choices more representative of their needs and populations.