We all want to live in a more equal Scotland? We? The Conservatives?
Ayrshire list MSP Sharon Dowey has surely gone too far with this one.
Previously she has, strangely, endorsed kindness to animals when her boss wants fox hunting with hounds back, but a more equal society for people?
I’ve checked their 2019 manifesto. Equality gets no mention there. Equal opportunities does get a mention but, of course, closing private schools to make this possible, is not on.
And, on poverty, will she protest this?
According to reports, the prime minister and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng are planning to increase benefits in line with earnings, rather than inflation, in a move that could raise up to £5bn for the Treasury. The move would mean an effective cut in benefits in real terms, further impacting some of the more vulnerable in the country.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/liz-truss-criticised-plans-benefit-cuts-real-terms-073648037.html
Does she plan to endorse Scottish Government efforts to date, resulting in this?
Scotland has a lower rate of poverty (19%) than England (22%) and Wales (23%). https://www.jrf.org.uk/data/uk-poverty-rate-region#:~:text=Scotland%20has%20a%20slightly%20lower,as%20Northern%20Ireland%20(18%25).
Talking-up Scotland 
Tory List MSP ”Challenges Poverty ” – Tory leader DRoss supports her stance – then he doesn’t , then he does , then ….
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“then ….” Checks for milk ?
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checks to see if her CV is truthful.
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The u-turn on the 45% tax rate may be welcome but the substantive nature – and consequences – of the Tories’ mini-budget has not changed!
See this from the Resolution Foundation today: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/press-releases/richest-households-lose-from-45p-u-turn-but-are-still-set-to-gain-almost-40-times-as-much-from-tax-cuts-as-poorer-families/
‘Richest households lose from 45p U-turn, but are still set to gain almost 40 times as much from tax cuts as poorer families – 3 October 2022
‘New Resolution Foundation analysis of where today’s U-turn leaves the distribution of gains from the Chancellor’s recent package of tax cuts – which include abolishing the Health and Social Care Levy, reducing the basic rate of income tax by 1p, and reversing the recent rise in dividend tax – shows:
‘Smaller tax cuts at the top. Scrapping the abolition of the 45p tax rate removes 62 per cent of the cash gains going to the richest 5 per cent of households, and 54 per cent of the gains going to the richest 10 per cent.
‘Still a very regressive policy package. A QUARTER OF THE CASH GAINS FROM THE REMAINING TAX CUTS PACKAGE ARE GOING TO THE RICHEST 5 PER CENT OF HOUSEHOLDS – far more than the 16 per cent of cash gains spread across the entire bottom half of the income distribution. (my emphasis)
‘RICHEST HOUSEHOLDS WILL GAIN ALMOST 40 TIMES AS MUCH AS POORER FAMILIES. The top 5 per cent of households are STILL SET TO GAIN £3,500 ON AVERAGE NEXT YEAR FROM THE REMAINING TAX CUTS, compared to just £90 on average for the poorest fifth of households.
‘Chancellor still has tough choices to make before 23 November. The remaining £43 billion of unfunded tax cuts still leave the Chancellor on course to miss his fiscal target of having debt falling in the medium-term. Unless further U-turns are made, the Chancellor will need to announce significant spending cuts on 23 November. THE SCALE OF THOSE SPENDING CUTS IS LARGELY UNCHANGED BY TODAY’S U-TURN.’
And mortgage providers rises are not u-turning on their rate rises!
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Talking of levelling up just as a reminder that when that Kwart tells Conference that they are on the side of the poorest and most vunerable, families living in poverty in the UK have trebled since they came to power with a further £18bn cuts in public spending on the way next year and you can guess what sections that will adversly affect the most.
Before Thatcher de-regulated the Financial sector that precipitated the sub prime scandals that crashed the economy the National debt in 2007 was 30% of GDP now it is 102% so their fame for fiscal prudence just collapsed.
When they say they are capping Energy bills at £2500 this will largely benefit the richest in big houses. When they refuse a Windfall tax it is most likely the Energy companies will hand out even larger Dividends to their share holders/ investors who are most likely to be?… Yes the richest.
So remember we are all in this together and they are on your side.
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TheCondemscut £18Billion from Welfare. £6Billiona year from Education. £20Billionfromthe NHS. Austerity. Now the Tories plan more austerity. 18 months to go before the Tories go. An absolute total mess. Devolution is holding them back.Another IndyRef.
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