In the Guardian today:
Full-time nursery for children under the age of two costs almost two-thirds of a parent’s weekly take-home pay in England, according to new analysis. Parents in Scotland fare slightly [sic] better, paying half (51%) of one salary for childcare, while in Wales the figure is 63%, and in England 65%, according to analysis by Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/oct/07/nursery-under-twos-costs-parents-england-65-percent-wage
Fare slightly better? Slightly? 65% is 27% higher than 51%.
Higher wages in England? Nope.
At £26,007, Scotland has the third highest median gross annual salary [after only London and South East] of the nations and regions of the UK and it is higher than the UK figure.
https://sp-bpr-en-prod-cdnep.azureedge.net/published/2022/3/9/ce765259-d82e-4db7-8ecf-802683f7e56b/SB%2022-16.pdf
Cost of living? Nope.
Living in Scotland is generally less expensive than many other areas in the UK. Weekly household costs can be 20% lower than in London and 10% cheaper than the UK as a whole. So you can have it all, for less.
https://www.talentscotland.com/live/living/information-about-living/cost-of-living
Talking-up Scotland 
Norway has considerably lower nursery costs
A key contributing factor
In their economic success
Ah but they are Independent
LikeLike
I suspect that the unionists will present this as “Yet another example of whingeing Scots living well at the expense of the Home Counties’ taxpayer”. The Bodger will say it shows ‘pooling and sharing’ in practice.
LikeLike
This is where 12 years of governments ideologically opposed to the idea of universal public services as worthwhile gets you. The rich work hard and make sure they save to pay for private provision so why should they pay for the feckless, the shirkers, the lazy workers? Result? Creeping privatisation of the NHS, education, childcare, prisons etc etc, services judged on profits rather than a well supported workforce and high quality services available for all, any alternative model is written off as the nanny state. Absolutely no awareness of their own privilege or the benefits of a more equal society, I am thankful every day to live in Scotland
LikeLike
No, it costs a lot more than that to keep wee greetin’ DRossie, girnin’-faced Starwars, and that awfa’ wee brat, Cauld-Ham quiet in the nursery.
They’re needing left in a field with the rest of the animals.
LikeLike
When canvassing door to door in the run up to the Indy referendum I came across many instances of people/whole families who had moved to Scotland from down south primarily to get a better standard of living and to share such benefits. My fear then and still is that in at least relative terms many more have made simililar moves since then and that may have a detrimental affect on Independence.
I warmly recognise that helping the poorest in our society has been the major plank of Scot Gov policy over the years but as one Unionist pointed out making life too ‘comfortable’ for the many may not in itself drive ‘No’ people to alter their stance. Indeed it is something we should all be wary off when arguing our cause.
LikeLike
I take your point that not everyone will be in favour of support for others but I do think it needs to be pointed out loud and clear, if needs be explaining why more equal societies benefit everyone. It surely has to be one of our underpinning principles and fought for rather than whispered in case of turning some voters off?
LikeLike