By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197

If Westminster politicians have no problem telling the entire electorate of the UK that Scotland is “subsidised” by England, then there are a couple of very simple questions that they should answer.

Official figures show that in England today, around 3.4 million children and 1.7 million pensioners live in relative poverty. That’s a combined total of approximately 5.1 million people. Scotland’s entire population is just under 5.5 million.

If Scotland is really such a financial burden on the UK Treasury, why does it keep carrying that cost? Why is the welfare of Scotland so important to Andy Burnham et al but English children and pensioners are not?

Why will this latest occupant of Number 10 Downing Street not consider granting a section 30 order to allow Scotland to become an independent country — if the people in Scotland and their Parliament want it?

Why not take this golden opportunity to remove what is so often described as a subsidy, and use those ‘new found’ resources to eradicate child and pensioner poverty in England?

Those who say Scotland is “too wee,” “too poor” or “too dependent” to stand on its own cannot have it both ways.

Either Scotland is a terrible financial drain on the UK, in which case independence would relieve English taxpayers of that burden, or Scotland contributes enough to the UK that the constant subsidy argument is hard to sustain.

If the new Prime Minister is “not willing” to even consider Scottish independence while continuing to claim Scotland is subsidised, it inevitably raises the question of whether this argument is driven more by the lingering mindset of a dying British Empire than by the welfare of the actual people it has been elected to protect.

What say you Andy Burnham — especially to the children and pensioners living in poverty in Greater Manchester and throughout the country of your birth?

Introducing the above, the excellent, Mark, wrote:

I’m awfully slow at getting started again — hopefully a mix between holiday, World Cup and recent outside temperatures. On the other hand, you’re unstoppable! 

We’re easily flattered here and have shamelessly adopted the ‘Unstoppable!’

Thanks again Mark.

John, unstoppable but only when sitting down as opposed to weeding a garden.