From The Sun
BORIS Johnson is planning on spending billions of pounds on Scottish infrastructure in a desperate bid to save the Union, according to reports.
The PM is set to unveil a strategy to fight Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP amid growing concerns that the party could call a new independence referendum following next week’s election.
Plans could include a spending spree on Scottish road and rail links as well as student exchanges between UK nations, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
Despite the fact that we already shove money up to Scotland, and we already have road and rail links, we’re going to take even more money from the English.
Matt Hancock, the Health secretary, is also working on plans to treat Scottish patients in English hospitals to tackle a huge backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
What’s the point in having a devolved Scottish NHS if you’re just going to intervene when they fail? Why should someone in England, who has no say in the Scottish government, go without treatment because the Scots failed?
It comes amid fears that nationalists could win a majority in the Scottish Parliament next week – and call a referendum without the consent of the British government.
Let them have one. Let them leave. What do we lose? Whisky, heather honey and Grand Theft Auto? Well, no. We’ll still trade. Access to the countryside for people who like going on holiday somewhere colder? I’m pretty sure they’d still like English tourist money.
If this is truly a union, that should mean that there are benefits for all parties concerned. That either in exchange for lots of cash, there’s some value in return. Why are we throwing even more money to keep Scotland, when it’s already soaking up English money?
At the time of the first IndyRef I wondered why no-one had whispered in the PM’s ear “Joxit = permanent Tory majority in Westminster”, and I wonder still to this day.
In the original Union trading English money for a Scottish king made some sense; 300 years later and they still want the money but are all out of kings.
I don’t get it. They’re spending lots of political capital and money on something that most people outside Scotland really don’t care about, and will win them no more seats.
And I can’t help wondering if it has the effect of fuelling the ScotNat opinion that we take advantage of Scotland. If Boris was “eh, up to you if you want to stay”, maybe people would believe the figures.
At the time of the first IndyRef I wondered why no-one had whispered in the PM’s ear “Joxit = permanent Tory majority in Westminster”, and I wonder still to this day. I have sometimes wondered the same, but just assumed the people running the Tories are not very smart. But also, there is a counter-argument. With the permanent elimination of Labour as a meaningful threat, a lot of people who reluctantly vote Tory now will think “why the hell would I ever vote for those Blairite scrotes in the laughably misnamed Conservative Party?” People like Reform UK (or some such,… Read more »
As usual with Fattaturk, he is spaffing money pointlessly.
I disagree with the Fairweather Unionists who choose to ignore that by the logic of only keeping the unsubsidised bits of the UK, everywhere north of Watford gets independence.
300 years of success, the only way to treat the Natzis and the Fairweather Unionists who wish to break up the most successful country in the past 300 years is to ignore the constant whinging.
Indeed – the best course is to give Scotland more freedom, not money. The SNP have previously said they’d like to set their own rates of alcohol duty, and their own laws on drug classification. Heck, let’s go further than that and give Scottish Local Authorities fishing rights, the ability to set minimum wages and the power to decriminalise brothels if they want to. How would Holyrood react?
From what I read by people who are really interested in independence, they don’t believe that the SNP leadership is really serious about it anymore – raking in nice fat salaries is more fun. So maybe BJs strategy is working?
I would do anything not to have to deal with Jimmy Krankie. The failed East German tribute act she presides over is a disgusting lump on all our necks.
Scotland can go and I won’t be sorry.
Get your tartan knee off England’s neck.
*…BORIS Johnson is planning on spending billions of pounds on Scottish infrastructure…”
Bribing the regions worked for the EU, so why not bribery by Boris?