By Professor John Robertson OBA
Many thanks, once more, to AR for alerting me to this:
The above two posh wee girls have done a wee project for the IEA in London, and Scotland on Sunday think we jocks, some aging, would benefit from hearing their wisdom on why universal benefits such as free prescriptions and tuition, are too dear for us. I fear, Kate Forbes may not be entirely opposed to their findings.
The Reid Foundation, me, I suspect you and anyone who has lived beyond the confines, of prep-school, a private education, Oxbridge and a daddy-enabled internship, will be struggling to stay polite.
Here’s what the Reid Foundation proved is true, in 2012 (apologies to regulars here but this cannot be overstated):
From The Case for Universalism: An assessment of the evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of the universal welfare state, Jimmie Reid Foundation, 2014:
Maybe the dads of the above two know Sir Keir? They might pass this on:
Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/
The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brown_(Scottish_activis
Talking-up Scotland 
At the heart of the matter is England’s class system where the Middle classes like to feel that they have raised themselves above the “workers”.
To some extent this is the case in Scotland as well but is less prevelant.The idea of having to share equally is anathema to Thatchers property owning disciples who don’t want their taxes being spent on the undeserving masses and would probably be quite comfortable with an insurance based privatised health and care system.
The culture of ME first which is being followed by the MAGA crazies in Trumpland will,as sure as night follows day,soon be implemented in the UK/England along with Trump’s Dribble Down economics leaving the poor in a desperate situation.
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The IEA is a far right extreme propaganda unit disseminating neoliberal nonsense that has been responsible for the upward cascade of wealth in the UK, the hollowing out of public services, austerity and millions living in destitution.
As Keynes said lAnything we can actually do we can afford”. (With a sovereign currency)
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Two budding Maggie Thatcher clones drooling over the opportunity of sharing their right-wing , closed -mind view of the world with the right-wing , closed minds of the IFS !
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All I can say is eh? They look like they just stepped out of the 1950’s, Stepford Wives comes to mind. Crikey. They’ll go far though I’m sure, future Tory or Labour MP
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