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THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL Party has pointed to the recent Budget as an example of the “opportunities” that an independent Scotland could enjoy.
Tuesday’s €9.1 billion Budget was a substantial increase on Budgets seen in the pre-Covid era – in 2019 and 2020, the Budget package was €3.8b and €3.6b respectively.
It also included a social protection package worth almost €2 billion.
While the Budget was criticised by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC), who called for the Irish Government to be “more serious” instead of “repeating past mistakes”, it was warmly welcomed by the SNP.
“Increased tax credits, greater help for families, support on energy prices, tax cuts, mortgage relief and more educational and law enforcement staff,” said the SNP in a statement yesterday.
“Unfortunately, this is not remotely what is being discussed in Westminster.
“This is the latest budget from the Republic of Ireland, a country that has defied expectations, and is now a wealthy, happy, independent nation, at the heart of both Europe and the United Nations.”
The SNP said independence has “unleashed Ireland’s potential, with the country recently enjoying a budget surplus”.
The SNP’s leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn last month posted a message on X reading: “Ireland is sitting on a surplus of €24bn. UK is sitting on a black hole of £22bn. Just saying.”
Ireland is sitting on a surplus of €24bn.
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) September 27, 2024
UK is sitting on a black hole of £22bn.
Just saying. https://t.co/26TiICBzsZ
UK ministers have repeatedly warned of difficult choices because of the £22 billion black hole they say officials have discovered in British public finances.
It’s leading to concerns Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves could stick with spending plans which would provide limited relief for under-pressure councils when she delivers her Budget on 30 October.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s surplus was more than double what was projected and includes the €14 billion windfall fund from Apple’s unpaid tax.
The SNP said the UK’s “withered tax system rewards the ultra-rich and persecutes hard-working voters”.
It also claimed that there have been “few major changes since Margaret Thatcher’s crusade to turn the UK from a compassionate society to one driven by competition, individualism and self-interest”.
The SNP said that with “full tax powers”, Scotland would “be able to pursue progressive income tax policies while ensuring competitive business and corporate taxes that attract investment and jobs, which Ireland has pioneered so successfully”.
IFAC, which was established to offer an independent view of how the Government manages its budget, has said that the Irish Government’s surplus is driven by an “extraordinary amount of corporation tax” and a well-performing economy.
However, it warned that “if these were to reverse, a deficit of almost €9 billion could emerge”.
The Council also noted that while a surplus of €80 billion is projected between now and 2030, there is a deficit of €50 billion when corporation tax is excluded.
And while the amounts collected in corporation tax have more than doubled in three years, IFAC cautioned that it is “incredibly concentrated”.
“Just three companies account for 43% of all corporation tax — €10 billion of the total €23 billion collected in 2022,” said IFAC this week.
The Government is planning to save less than half of the excess corporation tax and IFAC said more should be set aside, “given how concentrated and risky these receipts are”.
The SNP said Scotland is “more in line with the European neighbours we admire and respect” and noted that there is free tuition and a nationalised rail service in Scotland.
“All this is in danger, thanks to Labour,” said the SNP.
“Spending plans in Westminster have forced us here in Scotland to make difficult decisions.”
The SNP became the largest party in the Scottish Parliament in 2007 and has remained so since.
“If we have achieved this much during 17 years, restrained by Westminster’s devolution rules and the lack of borrowing and tax powers, imagine what Scotland could do with the full powers of independence,” said the SNP.
The party added: “Like our neighbours in Ireland, we could truly build that better path that the Westminster politicians will tell you doesn’t exist. The one they’ll tell you only leads to ruin.
“Well this week, it was Ireland’s turn to prove them wrong.”
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This is taking dreaming to a new level.
@offside again: camper vans for everyone!
@offside again: Stockholm Syndrome.
@thomas molloy: tell me, is your mother alive
Just reminding the Scottish cousins that it took the best part of 70 years after independence to become prosperous. It was one of the poorest countries in western Europe with one of the largest emigration rates in modern times. It was only in the 90s, mainly thanks to EU structural funds (that Scotland can’t enjoy thanks to Brexit), that things picked up. Nonetheless we still have problems of uneven wealth distribution, lack of affordable housing and had to be bailed out during the financial crash by the IMF, CEB and World Bank with dire consequences for the poorest in society.
@Anthony Dinsdale: good comment.
1
@Anthony Dinsdale: what’s the problem with our uneven wealth distribution?
Never seems to be any complaints about the uneven income tax collection.
Scots voted to remain in UK.
They had their chance.
End of story.
Next please …
@Gavan Hogan: Scotland voted to remain in the EU by a margin of 24%, 62% for remain and 38% for leave.
@Pat Barry: If they voted to leave UK, they would now be still in EU.
Ireland never had a chance to vote for independence. It was achieved by death and destruction.
Scots people don’t appreciate how lucky they were to be given an independence vote.
Irrelevant now anyway.
@Pat Barry: my ol’ granny used to say ‘ you made your bed, now you have to lie in it’. Scotland could’ve been the new Norway….billions of pounds of oil money sloshing around
@Gavan Hogan: too many are institutionalised at this stage.
@Gavan Hogan: I’m not with you, the vote was not to leave the UK. Scotland and NI voted to say in the EU and England and Wales voted to leave.
@Gavan Hogan: I get you, that UK vote was over a decade ago though, although I’d say they’d still vote to remain in the UK by a small margin if asked now.
@Gavan Hogan:
Scots are a defeated nation.
Do not have the bottle to go it alone
Even the Brave hearts respect how FFG has made us!!!! Is it any wonder hundreds of thousands of unvetted economic migrants lick their lips when the nirvana of ‘ milk & honey ‘ is mentioned?
It was a lovely budget, everyone is better off
Ha ha, if you want to give money to the rich and nothing to the poor then it’s a perfect budget. Wait for the prices to increase and the poor are not those Job-Seeker’s Benefit, you’d actually be better off going on that in this state than working but I’m sure the rich won’t agree as they’ve received everything that thry want.
@Brian D’Arcy: unlike Scotland, our fiscal prudence ensured no pensioners that worked hard all their lives will be afraid to turn on the heating in the dead of winter, the disabled, those living alone, carers, new parents…. YES they all got a small slice o cake but I for one wouldn’t begrudge it to them.
@Kevvy kerrr: can I be your mother?
@Brendan’s Mother: hey Vince, grew up in care….bounced around from pillar to post so if he honoured!!!!!! Especially seeing how brenny ignores you
@Kevvy kerrr: can I speak to your mother on a plate?
@Brendan’s Mother: never had a mommy so sure, fill your boots!!!!
@Brian D’Arcy: yeah, nothing for the poor in this country except one of the highest dole payments in EU one of the highest state pensions, free school meals & books, free contraception, rent subsidy, free GP card for over 70s, free transport over 65s, free GPs for Kids, lowest paid exempt from income tax, back to school grants, family income supplement. For sure we need to improve many things and do things better, money is wasted all over the place as we know, but we are a welfare state. There are levels of poverty in Italy, that you won’t generally see here. A small group of people here on big salaries pay a disproportionate amount of PAYE and the lowest paid pay nothing, we’re one of the few countries in Europe that doesn’t collect income tax from the lowest paid,if not the only one.
@Brian D’Arcy: I don’t think this budget “gave nothing to the poor.” For example: Minimum Wage increases to €13.50. USC reduced from 4% to 3%. Standard rate income tax cut-off point increased to €44,000. Entry threshold to the USC of 3% is increased to €27,382. €250 worth of energy credits. All weekly Social Protection payments & pensions will increase by €12. The hot school meals extended to all primary schools. Junior & Leaving Cert fees waived. Free school books up to leaving cert. Free public transport for all children to the age of 9. Loads more credits & allowances, but I hope you get the picture that this budget mostly tried to look after the lower and middle income groups.
@Dermot Blaine: If you’re on Jobseekers Benefit it means you’ve already paid enough taxes to get something out of it if/when you’re unemployed. This benefit will only last for a definite time period. That means they’re entitled for whatever they get as to get it one would’ve had to pay into it prior.
Many sectors are not as established as others. If you’re an artist, work in heritage etc. this temporary benefit is a life-saver. Without it we’d have a lot less in this sector.
@Uí Braonáin: I think you misunderstood my comment. I have no problem with any of these benefits, I’m disagreeing that the buget is only for the rich as stated by another commentator.
@Uí Braonáin:
How come we do not see a rush by the intergenerational welfare jockies to get a job if things are that bad in hand outs land.
@Dermot Blaine:
The USC tax is a very democratic tax, as no one can avoid paying their share. Rich or poor.
Give it a rest….almost as boring as Sinn Fein constantly droning on about border polls?
We fought for our independence. They couldn’t even vote for theirs @
Every single time the haggis munchers are offered independence they simply reaffirm their love of England and vote to stay.
They need to pipe down or man up!
Well we have to pay a debt that no woman, child or man ever caused. So dream on Scotland. No British PM will ever let the fractured union of the U.K. be broken up especially now when it’s crippled with debt thanks to the Tories.
@Tommy: is mum still with us?
@Brendan’s Mother: what are you talking about?
I wonder if Brexit (unintentionally) scuppered Scottish independence??
Independence when the UK was in the EU was relatively simple so immediately after the Brexit vote there was a surge in Scotland in favour of independence because they were being dragged out of the EU against their will.
But as time went by those wavering Scottish voters will have seen the angst the border in northern Ireland caused and the very real difficulty the one in Dover continues to cause, I think they will say “do we really want that between Scotland and England?”
Just my opinion.
It was there for you,all it took was a stroke of a pen.
Scots are a defeated nation.
have your say