Disasterous Decsision?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23155904
Ok we know the Scots were never much of a fan of the Iron Lady but surely this is a retrograde step.

[LazyGun]

You give Brown a hard time for selling off our gold reserves but give the Tories a free pass for selling off taxpayer funded infrastructure on the cheap to city and banker buddies, creating artificial utility markets populated by companies stuffed to the gills with highly paid middle management and multimillion pound directors of the board, who benefit from infrastructure developed over decades- centuries- with public money at a fraction of its true value. And they embark on their corporate raiding of the consumers pocket in a market with no real risk, captive consumers and fat profits all around. Such is the shortsightedness of such a ridiculous private market in national utilities that we are left in the situation where they cannot between them even manage to hold a sufficient reserve of fuel, leading to the prospect of power rationing!

And the money raised, such as it was, through such short sighted and ideologically driven changes? Frittered away paying for tax cuts which always benefit the richest most, and paying for the thousands of individuals thrown on to the scrapheap of unemployment, or severance packages for "voluntary redundancies".

Water companies are a case in point - Where is the competition that supposedly benefits the consumer by driving the price down and ensuring efficiencies? where is the tories other favourite mantra, choice?

And for all this inefficiency you mention of state run concerns - how is that the East Coast Line, currently being run by the state, generates half a billion a year in revenue to the exchequer?

Instead you waffle on endlessly about "non-jobs",those awful union fellas and the destructive power of socialism whilst happily and enthusiastically endorsing wrecking ball policies dismantling apparatus and institutions of the state that ultimately costs the taxpayer billions in lost investments.

[Wharton]

This is a Scottish issue, all foreign views count for nothing.

[ToraToraTora]

early 80's tax cuts increased tax receipts.

[emmie]

most social housing including ours gets very little money spent on it, any work that has been done has been done by me. the external problems are slightly different, but it was twenty years since we had any works done. And people who have bought their council homes have now been faced with councils that can and do charge whatever they like for any works they deem necessary. no leaseholders can challenge the costs or the contractors brought in to do the work, something that does not happen if you own privately.

[Quizmonster]

LazyGun, an excellent summation of the vulture tendencies of the Conservatives and their money-first city backers. The Scots have been first to take government action against the right-to-buy ploy and well done to them.
When the sales of national assets started, I saw them as a scenario in which some snake-oil-type salesman knocked on your door and said,
"Nice house you're living in here. Would you like to buy it?"
"What do you mean 'buy it'? It's mine."
"That's as may be, but would you like to buy it?"
"Obviously not!"
"Well, we're going to sell it, whether you decide to buy it or not."
"For pity's sake, go away you idiot!"
"Fair enough. If you don't want it, perhaps you'll tell Sid, eh?"

And sure enough, Sid - with an eye to the main chance - did just that!

[ToraToraTora]

...and I don't think I've ever mentioned Browns gold sell off, but as you mention it LG, it was a bit silly, a bit like ruining everyones pension for tuppence halfpenny and saddling future generations with that problem. hey ho, no one expects much from Labour.

[emmie]

when the Scots start moving down south en masse, to buy a home, because they can't find anything there, don't blame us. they won't find much they can afford, certainly not in the capital, but hey we take anyone in, as long as you can pay... or not.

[Quizmonster]

How on earth would keeping public housing in public hands affect the private buying/selling property market? Why would Scots with money available to buy a house have to "start moving down south en masse" in order to do so?