By JB
So Tom hunter, the businessmen, has urged the Scottish Government to emulate Singapore by cutting tax and red tape in an effort to reverse what he described as “managed decline”.
He also said that “If we can get better wealth creators to Scotland, they will create the jobs, they will pay more tax, not because of the rate, because of the take.”
Millionaire urges Scotland to emulate Singapore to reverse ‘managed decline’ | STV News
Managed decline?
On the former according to the database numbeo.com comparing Singapore to Glasgow ( it doesn’t let you put in Scotland) we have this:
Indices Difference
Cost of Living in Glasgow is 21.7% lower than in Singapore (excluding rent)
Cost of Living Including Rent in Glasgow is 34.9% lower than in Singapore
Rent Prices in Glasgow are 54.1% lower than in Singapore
Restaurant Prices in Glasgow are 25.3% higher than in Singapore
Groceries Prices in Glasgow are 18.4% lower than in Singapore
Local Purchasing Power in Glasgow is 22.1% higher than in Singapore
Cost to buy a house or flat in
Glasgow is 80.7% lower than
in Singapore
Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore, Singapore And Glasgow, United Kingdom
While the average net monthly salary (after tax) in Singapore is 20.4% higher than in Glasgow and the mortgage interest rate is 63.6% lower in Singapore all of their wages and more are spent on rent, mortgage and the higher cost of living.
Taking note that setting interest rates is not a devolved power in Scotland. Interest rates are set by the Bank of England, which is a reserved power under the UK Government. while the Scottish Government can set some terms and conditions related to borrowing and lending, the actual interest rates are determined centrally by the UK Government.
Now while I am not a businessman or indeed a millionaire it looks like it would be an extremely bad idea for Scotland and for the Scottish people if the SNP Scottish Government, which I know they won’t, followed this millionaire businessman’s incorrect and misleading advice.
Could it be that he just wants to invite more ‘wealth creators’ to Scotland because with our massively rich natural resources the ‘take’ is so bloody good!!!
Wake up Scotland!!!
JB
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Spot on JB. AND, if the ‘take’ was all that easy why does Tom Hunter think so many who profit from Scotland just ‘offshore it’ and hey presto, there is no take. Other than them just taking the p**.
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So Tom hunter, the businessmen, has urged the Scottish Government to emulate Singapore by cutting tax and red tape in an effort to reverse what he described as “managed decline”.
Having said all this he forgot to say that these two places were Independant not ruled by another country.
Independence for Scotland is the way forward then we can become like Singapore.
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I listened to that interview too and then later to a 2 episode Blethered podcast talking to John Swinney. Tom Hunter spoke about needing top money to attract top politicians to manage the country, implying the current MSPS were somehow lacking (money being the only measure of value here). John Swinney talked about his belief in public service – the soft, woke, intangible but surely necessary value based belief for anyone seeking to lead in a public role, and I know which man I prefer to have making the decisions.
Wealth creation is surely only important if it improves the lives of all rather than being hoarded and doled out by a few. I would have much more respect for Tom Hunter if he threw himself and his millions into making Scotland a better, fairer, greener and more inclusive place to live – establish eco friendly housing companies or whatever his pet topic is rather than just carping about the efforts of others
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…but it would make the already wealthy Tom Farmer would be better off. Would it not?
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Tom Farmer is actually dead, died last week
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och, see what happens when you don’t read or watch the “news”.
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Great spot and great post JB (again).
BTW “Singapore-upon-Thames” was a (Tory) hypothetical new model for the ‘British’ economy after Brexit offering businesses low tax rates and a much lighter regulatory climate as an alternative.
(The idea for this model for Britain is believed to have been originated by Margaret Thatcher, who deplored the increasing “regulatory sprawl of what was then still known as the European Economic Community”).
So to adopt a highly deregulated, low-tax, and less regulated economic system, similar to Singapore is for businessmen , like Hunter, obviously very attractive as a future option that then benefits him and his friends , who are also businessmen , as in those who are the “Few” as opposed to us ordinary mortals referred to as the “Many”.
TBH I am sick of hearing what people like Sir Tom Hunter thinks , as pure self interest is not really something that should be encouraged or promoted by any honest or independent media, but here we are again , both STV and too the BBC are again promoting what he says and thinks , as do other media as well, as if his skewed vision for his UK was not one that was being driven solely for the benefit of business over us the ordinary people.
The BBC had him on their Sunday Politics show and this resulted in an article on their BBC website as the top story on the BBC Scottish Politics page and also on the Scottish Business page, where he also noted this “Singapore” idea but was touting the “Build baby build’ to tackle housing ‘crisis’ – Hunter”……”housing crisis” says anti SNP and pro Labour businessman Sir Tom Hunter. Enough (propaganda) said.
However he is just yet another one who is always given a media platform based on his opposition to Scottish independence and so his support for the UK being sustained and so it matters not what he says or how he says it , his voice will , like others who also support the UK, be the ones that will be promoted by all of the UK media .
Vote SNP in 2026 via a majority , as in June 2024 Sir Tom Hunter attacked both the SNP and also the Tories , as he backed Labour, that is the new Starmer led Labour party who, as a party, have adopted a more right wing business friendly and business First approach in their politics, indeed Rachel Reeves said today “The best decisions are made when govt and business work in partnership”.
Best for whom ?
Not us the plebs that’s for sure. However it will be best for the likes of Businessman Sir Tom Hunter, hence his support for Labour, but also it will be best for Labour too who as a party get donations from businessmen like Sir Tim Hunter, who had formerly donated money to the Labour party and now he pledges his support for them. (who knows whether he will again also pledge more money to them in the future. As other business people already do , like say donations in 2026 ?).
Liz S
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Having lived In Singapore and experienced the dramatic growth of the Southeast Asian economies, albeit now some 25 years ago, there is some merit in referencing various approaches but the circumstances and strategic situations as well as historical perspectives are very different. We don’t need to look beyond our near neighbours eg Ireland, the Nordic countries (I have lived in Sweden too) to see where we could be economically. Our history and culture are our own.
Mr. Hunter is rightly a respected business man but his political views can certainly be questioned.
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Sadly, another Soothsayer in the same mould as Sir Ian Wood
Do sane men really start to lose it when they are anointed as a “Sir” and then become defenders of the “British Empire”?
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This just in:
Rich man wants policies to help rich people become richer.
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Funny how tax only becomes a problem when rich people are asked to pay. We ordinary folk may moan a bit, but pay up we must or we are hounded round the houses by HMRC.
Why us and not them?
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Off topic.
BBC radio 4 news at 12, leads on EU/UK Westminster government deal for some regulation tweaks, etc
What sealed the deal was an extension of fishing quota deal offering EU a 12, twelve, year access deal to UK, or Scotty, waters.
Scottish fisherman’s association spokesperson said the truth
No consultation with Scottish fishing interests, Scottish government. None.
Just that UK Westminster government has shafted Scottish fishing yet again.
She was not contradicted andadecher statement a few times in her piece.
Take note, Just in case it doesn’t pass the news blackout of BBCScotland..
Dottieb
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Emulate Singapore? What would this take: what would it cost us?
From a profile of Singapore published in 2021: https://freedomhouse.org/country/singapore/freedom-world/2021
‘Singapore’s parliamentary political system has been dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the family of current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong since 1959. The electoral and legal framework that the PAP has constructed allows for some political pluralism, but it constrains the growth of opposition parties and limits freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.’
‘The current prime minster, Lee Hsien Loong, has been in power since 2004 and secured a new mandate after the July 2020 parliamentary elections. While polling-day procedures are generally free of irregularities, numerous structural factors impede the development of viable electoral competition.
‘Only one candidate—Halimah Yacob, backed by the PAP—was declared eligible for the 2017 presidential election, making her the winner by default.’
‘Singapore lacks an independent election commission; the country’s Elections Department is a government body attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. The secretary to the prime minister is the head of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and redrawing the boundaries for electoral constituencies. The prime minister appointed the committee’s members in August 2019 in preparation for the 2020 elections. ‘
‘Singapore has a multiparty political system, and a total of 11 parties contested the parliamentary elections in July 2020. However, a variety of factors have helped to ensure the PAP’s dominant position, including an electoral framework that favors the incumbents, restrictions on political films and television programs, the threat of defamation suits, the PAP’s vastly superior financial resources, and its influence over the mass media and the courts.’
And is this what Hunter finds attractive and ‘enabling’? ‘The corporatist structure of the economy creates dense ties between business and political elites that have been criticized as oligarchic in nature. These networks contribute to the PAP’s political dominance. Many senior government officials formerly served as military officers, and the military has a close relationship with the PAP, but it does not directly engage in politics.’
‘The constitution stipulates that lawmakers lose their seats if they resign or are expelled from the party for which they stood in elections. This inhibits Parliament’s ability to serve as an effective check on the executive.’
‘All domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television channels are owned by companies linked to the government. Editorials and news coverage generally support state policies, and self-censorship is common, though newspapers occasionally publish critical content. The government uses racial or religious tensions and the threat of terrorism to justify restrictions on freedom of speech. Media outlets, bloggers, and public figures have been subjected to harsh civil and criminal penalties for speech deemed to be seditious, defamatory, or injurious to religious sensitivities. Major online news sites must obtain licenses and respond to regulators’ requests to remove prohibited content.’
About the source: based in Washington DC ‘For more than 50 years, Freedom House has systematically tracked the most pressing threats to democracy and freedom around the globe. We publish detailed research on more than 200 countries and territories, because accurate data and rigorous analysis are essential to shining a light on the erosion of freedom.’
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Emulate Singapore? How far should we change to do so?
From The Straits Times (May 11, 2024) ’20 years as PM – Singapore’s political system is rare and once lost there is no turning back, says PM Lee‘.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapore-s-political-system-is-rare-and-once-lost-there-is-no-turning-back-says-pm-lee
It quotes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is also secretary-general of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and is the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who governed Singapore for c.31 years.
“People ask how does politics work in Singapore? So I explain to them, they look at me, they think I am a man from Mars. They cannot imagine anything like this happening in their country,” he said, citing the tripartite relationship between the Government, unions and businesses as an example.
‘But for the system to keep on working, it is crucial that voters understand where their interests lie and vote for the government that can best serve them, said PM Lee.’
‘He warned that the system can become distorted when voters want the PAP to govern, but also want more opposition MPs to check and question the Government.’
“You may think that you can get a better outcome this way, but in fact, it will weaken the Government’s ability to serve you,” he said.
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Emulate Singapore? And its disciplined society?
Judicial caning for males under 50 remains a punishment meted out by the state. At any one time, the maximum number of strokes of cane that you can be sentenced to is 24 – so that’s quite reasonable in the 21st century???
‘Caning—being flogged with a moistened rattan cane— a judicial practice in Singapore and is meted out for offences ranging from vandalism to illegal possession of drugs. It is mandatory for crimes such as attempted murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, auto theft, vandalism, illegal immigration and optional for others.’
Source: https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Singapore/sub5_7c/entry-3763.html
Emulate Singapore? And its form of democracy?
From ‘Our World in Data’ and its Democracy index – ‘Based on the expert estimates and index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (2006-2024). It combines information on the extent to which citizens can choose their political leaders in free and fair elections, enjoy civil liberties, prefer democracy over other political systems, can and do participate in politics, and have a functioning government that acts on their behalf. It ranges from 0 to 10 (most democratic).
Norway = 9.81 (ranked 1st)
UK = 8.34 (ranked c.17th)
Singapore = 6.18. *ranked c. 67th)
Taking account of EVERYTHING, why don’t we just get Scotland to emulate Norway instead?
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Jeezuz what next it sounds like one of the LAST places on Earth that Scotland would want to ’emulate’. It’s a very poor country, but of course where the rich plonk their massively dodgy funds, and really other than a tax haven it’s got not much going for it at all.
Also sounds absolutely anti human rights.
Sigh.
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’Charities’ pay no tax.
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