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Reluctant Hero · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject: Money, Money, Money

Money, Money, Money

This week, amongst other things, we have been talking about money at Our Scotland.

Firstly there was Labour’s opposition to the Scottish Government’s deal with councils in order for them not to increase council tax. Wendy Alexander agreed in principal that ring-fenced funding should be slashed, yet said the cuts agreed went too far. Can she make up her mind about anything?

Secondly there was the issue of the £30bn budget that is due to be voted on in Parliament this week. The Green’s, who seemed awfully friendly with the SNP at the outset of this parliament, indicated that they are unlikely to vote with the SNP. With Labour definitely voting against it and the Lib Dems likely to abstain, it would be all down to the Tories.

And all I am saying is that it must be a sign of the times, that a Scottish Government does a deal with the Tories and nobody says anything. And let’s look at one of the deals that have been done. More police on the streets. It was one of the more laughable aspects in the lead up to the election.

Party X – We are going to put 1,000 more police officers on the streets
Party Y – Well we are going to put 1,001 more police officers on the streets
Party Z – Is that all? We are going to put 1,002 more police officers on the streets

In all honesty, what difference does 1,000 extra police officers on the street make? Maybe this is radical thinking and nobody has thought of it before, although I very much doubt it, but would the money not be better spent on sorting out why the crime is happening in the first place. Maybe it could go into supporting initiatives to stop people re-offending. Maybe it could go into funding activities to keep some teenagers off the streets and out of trouble.

Instead they might as well put their extra funding in my back pocket, because crime is about as likely to go down by doing that as by putting extra police on the streets.

Talking of back pockets Peter Hain and George Osborne are the latest in a long line of MP’s and MSP’s to be spotted with undeclared money poking out of their denims. Surely there should be a review of political funding, because either people have total disregard for the rules governing funding or they just don't have a clue about their obligations.

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agentmancuso · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject:

Generally sensible comment there RH.

It is intriguing - and I think welcome on the whole - to see the SNP having the sense to work this one out with the Tories (and vice versa). But the whole 'we love the police more than you' show is grotesquely populist.
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Liberty does not mean all good things, or the absence of all evils
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Avatar · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject:

I think more police could cut crime, for example if there were a 1000 more police in Glasgow we may get a slight reduction in crime - but a 1000 more spread across the country - I dont think so - its a waste of money, and I agree that money would be better spent on tackling the causes of crime rather than the results.
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"Quite simply, Labour have been caught red-handed so often that no-one believes a word they say any more."