IntenseDebate - Angus

5 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Henry Hill: Post-Ruth ... · 4 replies · +1 points

Robert the Bruce was a Norman.

5 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Andrew Laird: The Prim... · 0 replies · +1 points

London, the South East and to a lesser extent te East of England are "subsidising" everyone else. In terms of budget deficit, the North East and North West of England have a far worse per capita budget deficit than Scotland. But why is this a problem. All countries with devolved systems of government e.g Canada, Australia and Germany have mechanisms for fiscal transfer. Indeed it is essential when you have a currency union.

5 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Henry Hill: Support fo... · 0 replies · +1 points

I am sceptical about the claim that Dublin was supporting the IRA. Remember that the Free State emerged after a civil war with the IRA. Membership of the IRA was a criminal offence and punishable by imprisonment in the Irish Republic. Of course there was controversy about their refusal to extradite IRA operatives who were seeking sanctuary in the south but that was merely a consequence of Irish neutrality.

5 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - The EU doesn't underst... · 1 reply · +1 points

If NI were to remain in the customs union then it would no longer be part of the UK. It would mean tariff barriers between NI and the rest of the UK - to the detriment of the NI economy.

Of the 200 or so countries in the world, how many of them have part of their territory in a different customs area controlled by a foreign jurisdiction.? I can't think of a single example.

6 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alex Redpath: An Irish... · 0 replies · +1 points

Jersey and Guernsey are not in the UK - they are Crown dependencies. London and Scotland are in the UK. I can't think of any examples of any sovereign state which have internal tariff barriers.

7 years ago @ http://www.conservativ... - The case for a morator... · 0 replies · +1 points

I understand what you are saying but a federal system is not possible when one component of that federation has 85% of the population. There is no precedent.

The largest state in Germany (North Rhine Westphalia) has about 20m people or about 25% of the population. This is balanced by Bavaria and Baden-wittenberg, both around 10m.

The largest state in the USA is California with 33m or 12% of the population. Again this is balanced by other large states - Texas and New York.

Similarly with Australia and Canada, no state is dominant.

8 years ago @ Conservative Home - Ruth Davidson: Sturgeo... · 0 replies · +1 points

Not sure that I agree. It was under Ted Heath and John Major that the Scottish Tory vote collapsed. In fact, Mrs Thatcher is the only Conservative leader to increase the Tory vote in Scotland.

Under Ted Heath, the Tory vote went down to 25% in the Oct 74 election, largely due to the Tories hemorrhaging support to the SNP.

Under John Major the Tory vote went from 25% in 1992 to 15% in 1997 due to the urban middle classes defecting to New Labour.

8 years ago @ Conservative Home - Ruth Davidson: The SNP... · 1 reply · +1 points

You clearly know nothing about Scotland. I was born in Scotland and have lived my entire life in Scotland and to suggest that my reason for voting No was motivated by something as sordid as money is frankly laughable.

My motive for voting No was based on the absurdity of splitting this small North Atlantic island into separate statelets. A small island where we all speak the same language, have the same religious tradition and three hundred years of shared history.

8 years ago @ Conservative Home - Henry Hill: Now Sturge... · 0 replies · +1 points

I agree that Barnett should be abolished but 'per head' solves nothing. What we need to move towards is a rational system of fiscal equalisation as they have in Canada, Australia or Germany.

8 years ago @ Conservative Home - Henry Hill: Now Sturge... · 1 reply · +1 points

Not quite right. The block grant adjustment is indexed to the tax receipts in the rUK and there is no account taken of population changes. The overall block grant is calculated by Barnett as at present.

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