tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post3844054076998838443..comments2024-03-26T09:38:39.888+00:00Comments on Borthlas: Who subsidises who?John Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-13919885833855637402016-04-21T11:34:27.106+01:002016-04-21T11:34:27.106+01:00The challenge I see is that in an independent Wale...The challenge I see is that in an independent Wales some of the trans-national or cross border features of our relationship with England and Scotland would mean it would still feel like a unitary state on the ground.<br /><br />Mainly a common market, passport-free movement of people and goods (including pensioners), and currency. <br /><br />Economically we would still look and feel like a unitary state and this would constrain our policy choices regarding immigration, influencing demographics and raising revenue.<br /><br />We'd still have more control over our own affairs than now, of course.Pragmatic Nationalistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-32576009327163513362016-04-21T08:22:29.690+01:002016-04-21T08:22:29.690+01:00Anon 10:36:
Your further comment better explains...Anon 10:36: <br /><br />Your further comment better explains what you were driving at, but it also underlines that you've entirely missed the point of the original post which was about the impact of demographic flows on the size of the notional fiscal gap under a methodology which tries to separate out expenditure and revenue on a geographical basis within a unitary state. Your comment is more to do with your usual perception of all things Welsh being second rate, of Wales depending on handouts from England, the population being uneducated, and the Welsh language. Please keep to the point.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-85690025307935924832016-04-20T10:54:32.652+01:002016-04-20T10:54:32.652+01:00Anon 10:36:
1. On what basis do you claim that D...Anon 10:36:<br /><br />1. On what basis do you claim that Dan is <i>"largely prohibited by the Welsh government from accessing those public services such as healthcare"</i> That is complete and utter nonsense.<br /><br />2. You seem to be drawing a wholly artificial and invalid distinction between public sector jobs and 'gainful employment'.<br /><br />Debate is welcome here, but this is just assertion based on your own preconceptions.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-69334334035210612402016-04-20T10:46:48.281+01:002016-04-20T10:46:48.281+01:00
Excellent points made here.<br />Excellent points made here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-16583277497475282692016-04-20T10:36:13.567+01:002016-04-20T10:36:13.567+01:00I feel very sorry for Dan. He like so many others ...I feel very sorry for Dan. He like so many others in Wales has paid tax and national insurance for most of his life to England. And yet upon returning to Wales he is largely prohibited by the Welsh government from accessing those public services such as healthcare he has paid for all his working life..<br /><br />It's absolutely disgusting. If you pay tax and NI in England you should be guaranteed access to the English NHS and you should receive a cast iron guarantee that your pension is under the control of the "English' Exchequer.<br /><br />As for Dan being a burden on the Welsh taxpayer I think you'd do well to count up the number of people working in the Welsh public sector simply because there are so many people gainfully employed in England and Scotland. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-5914322792638109792016-04-20T10:20:37.093+01:002016-04-20T10:20:37.093+01:00Absolutely correct. It's not subsidy. It's...Absolutely correct. It's not subsidy. It's fiscal transfer based on where the production of GDP takes place.<br /><br />But tax receipts are generated in the same place as well. <br /><br />What you illustrate is that the main problem for Wales is on the revenue generation side, not the expenditure side.<br /><br />Wales is also bringing in some workers who other countries have paid to have educated; but not nearly enough for our economy. More working age people in Wales equals more prosperity. So does that mean city regions or what?<br /><br />"The question for nationalists is whether we believe that this can ever be achieved under current arrangements or whether independence is in fact, not an impossibility until this problem is resolved but rather a key part of resolving the problem."<br /><br />That is exactly the question but there is alot between current arrangements and independence. Scotland is not an ideal example but is trying to secede from the same state as us. They have improved their economy and finances *before* independence. But their arrangements are not the same as ours.<br /><br />As an example, a properly developed legal sector, which Scotland has prior to independence, would keep several thousand extra graduates in Wales, showing up on our balance sheet (and we need them to help run a justice system).<br /><br />This is the debate we should be having John.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com