Dear All
Have you ever wondered how the Scottish National Party which is run akin to a ‘Cult’ manufactures grievances?
Some time ago, I said that ‘hate’ was the ‘oil’ that powered the Nationalist machine, yesterday I wrote about how Police Scotland was being failed by unpopular Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon doesn’t have the appetite for governance or proper reform of the Scottish Government.
That is why everything is a shambles!
Police Scotland could be described as being set up to fail, you can’t have failed to noticed that the service is facing budget shortfalls of several millions, although some ‘savings’ have been identified.
One of the areas flagged up in the numerous correspondences between the SNP Government and Westminster was regarding refunding of VAT.
Now do you remember I blogged on how the SNP don’t do law well?
Police and Fire Services used to be funded from local authority budgets so as not to put a disproportionate burden on local authority budgets, the VAT on these services was made refundable.
So let’s look at how the grievance industry works, the SNP screaming that it is unfair to charge VAT to Police Scotland and Scottish National Fire Service, they cite that in other parts of the UK the Police and Fire Service do not pay VAT.
When you listen to this, you can be if you aren’t careful sucked into believing that the SNP are ‘standing up for Scotland’ and righting a wrong, because at a casual glance, you would be tempted to thing, a grave injustice.
But let’s not do the casual glance, let’s get the microscope out and pick up on the fine print, as they say the devil is in the detail.
Police and Fire Services used to be funded from local authority budgets. In order not to put a disproportionate burden on a local authority, it was decided that VAT on these services was made refundable. Until Police Scotland was set up, the Police forces and the fire services used to be Vat exempt.
So, is this unfair?
No.
Why not?
It has to do with UK Government legislation, and in particular Section 33 VAT Refund Scheme, the SNP were as I said made aware of the situation repeatedly, so in effect the SNP deliberately engineered this situation.
In the main, I don’t favour rushing important decisions; the merging of the eight police forces was the right thing to do to save front line officers from being made redundant. Scotland should have had national force years ago but dogma and fiefdoms paralysed innovation and there was no will to do so. One thing is certain; there is no going back from a national force to the regional model.
One of the biggest mistakes by the SNP leadership was to abandon government and then treat it as a part time concern or paid hobby. Police Scotland need not have been rushed through, but Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon were too busy chasing the independence dream along with the rest of the SNP Ministers.
Health, education, law and order, complete pig’s ear!
VAT exemption was for the benefit of local authorities, not the various services, so in order to get the benefit of Section 33 VAT Refund Scheme, it would have been wiser to set up the service using a different financial model. That way it might be possible to access S 33 which was introduced in 1973. The idea of S 33 was that VAT would not become an additional burden on local taxation.
HMRC's published guidance sets out the long-standing criteria for access to the s.33 scheme. Notably, this includes the requirement for an eligible body to be funded directly through local taxation. As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat and I am sure that with a bit of head scratching there must be someway to stay within the law.
As I said the SNP were repeatedly warned and they acknowledged it, but because they were too busy chasing indy, everything was left to slide.
A letter from the Treasury to Kenny McAskill...
"Dear Kenny
Section 33 VAT Refund Scheme
Thank you for your letter of 21 June 2012 regarding the VAT status of the proposed Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
The Section 33 refund scheme (s.33) was introduced together with VAT in 1973, following a Ministerial commitment that VAT would not become an additional burden on local taxation. HMRC's published guidance sets out the long-standing criteria for access to the s.33 scheme. Notably, this includes the requirement for an eligible body to be funded directly through local taxation. The reforms to Scottish police and fire services, which will see responsibility for these services centralised and moved away from local authorities, mean that the new services no longer meet the eligibility criteria for s.33”.
So, there you have it, instead of taking slight longer they just went ahead and rammed it through, now there are still issues re Vat, accountability and transparency.
So, what is unpopular Nicola Sturgeon doing about all of this?
Nothing; head in the sand, fingers in ears and hovering about like she is in an episode of Borgen.
This episode: she is playing the role of concerned citizen towards the English, offering the SNP’s brand of false nirvana, at present the SNP are saying if there is a hung parliament and Labour has the large number of seats, plus they ones they are banking on, they will shut the Conservatives out.
And demand they get a say in writing budgets for the UK.
If they can’t sort out a simple VAT problem despite being repeatedly warned in writing why would anyone in their right mind want to listen to them? Then you start looking at their record over the last eight years and see how they are in fact inept, incompetent and lacking in a sense of public service.
When the SNP do their standard, ‘grudge, grievance and malcontent routine on how Westminster is unfair, grumbling about academy schools in England being VAT exempt when Scottish Police and Fire services are not.
Remember it is the SNP who are responsible by their lack of care and attention to detail.
In a surprise move, it is seems that Stephen House is not going to continue as Chief Constable, apparently unpopular Nicola Sturgeon gave him the 'kiss of death' by saying she had confidence in him, well Nicola, he obviously doesn't have that in himself or else eh wouldn't be baling out.
How many heterosexuals males do that make you have lost now?
Finally, although writing about VAT is a rather dry subject, it is important. Recently Nicola Sturgeon has taken an interest in VAT; this was part of her ‘Tampax Tommy’ stunt. Perhaps when all Police officers go on duty, male or female they should wear a tampon, preferably with wings, that way the Ms. Sturgeon and the SNP will take more of an interest in the service.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
2 comments:
Yet another example of rushed legislation screwing up matters.
I wonder if it was done deliberately in order to produce yet another grievance against Westminster. Before any change you always, always check what the impact and consequences will be. If the ministers did not see the issue with VAT, they are beyond incompetent. If they knew about it, then we're into a sort of financial gerrymandering (if that makes sense!).
Everything was rushed through by the SNP. No oversight from an upper house ensured all the cock ups would be missed. Whatever you think of the House of Lords, they actually do a good job ensuring legislation is fit for purpose.
Today's headlines about Sturgeon telling the French she'd prefer the Tories in Government may be untrue, but you can bet that is what she really wants.
"Today's headlines about Sturgeon telling the French she'd prefer the Tories in Government may be untrue, but you can bet that is what she really wants."
You would have to be a blind man not to see that...
As it will give the SNP the excuse for Indyref 2.
The only reason the SNP are worried about that story, is that it does have the ring of truth to it.
Even though they dare not admit it.
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