Why is the "United Kingdom" not united on public spending ?

Question

the Scotttish parliament is about to end car parking fees at all hospitals. Wales intend to do the same. They also have free further education, access to universities etc. Elderly people dont have to pay for care in Care Homes. Scotland always seem to get it right when passing laws applying common sense policy. Why do the English tolerate such unfairness when they are heavily taxed. It cost a minimum of £8 to park a car when visiting a sick or dieing person at a hospital, 8 one pound coins, imagine the stress when trying to find 8 coins for the machine ?? this is a tax on so called free healthcare. Thanks for your answers.

Answer 1

Because most of the money is given to the Scottish and Welsh Assembly's!

Answer 2

Just  an old country, romans and countrymen

Answer 3

Devolution provided Scotland with a Parliament of its own with which it is able to legislate on its own internal affairs and has limited powers to alter taxation to within a couple of pence either side of the Westminster-set national standard.

Scotland has always had a distinct set of institutions for its policies - the Scotland Office based primarily in Edinburgh administered most of it, and the legal system was always distinct from the English one - but now it's capable to legislating for itself.

To say that the UK is not 'united' because of this is like saying the the US is not 'united' because it is a federal nation; we are a union state.

An English parliament would in no way resolve this situation, but would lead to the breakup of the UK.

Scotland having its Parliament does not cause problems for the rest of the UK.  What they do with the money allocated to them is Scotland's affairs, as I'm sure you'd also feel that England's money is its own affair.

While Scotland does seem to be getting some good deals on some things, in other areas England does better - but then, why would the media ever publish good news?  The English NHS has made great strides in different technologies and facilities not completely symetric with Scotland's but that's not a bad thing.

Answer 4

Because, thanks to Blaagh, this country is dominated by rich, dumb, public  schoolboys, whereas in Scotland there are still one or two normal people in public life.  I had one doctor ( income, £120K) say to me, 'Why should the hospital pay for you to park?'  What?

Answer 5

How?

Look in the real world.

With lost sense of direction and purpose of life.

At loss and blurred on the mystery of a "United Kingdom"

Luke 10.24

What do you think?

Answer 6

That is the cost of devolution.

We cannot have it both ways.

It is much easier in a small (Subsidised) part of the UK.

Answer 7

As a Scot, I am delighted at this news.  Charging for parking at hospitals is a tax on the sick.  This policy affected not only those visiting sick and dying relatives, but patients attending clinics.

Scotland seems to me to be getting its’ priorities right: educating its' citizens and caring for them when they are sick and elderly.



I note that this brings out the worst of the English moaning minnies – and it’s always the same ones... who  spout the same old propaganda about Scotland being a drain on England, and how English taxes are paying for these policies, without any credible evidence or sources to back up their assertions.

Instead of being envious of the Scots who are benefitting from these policies, the citizens of England should be demanding such things for themselves.  As you rightly point out these things may not cost huge amounts compared to other things, but they can make a significant difference to quality of life.

Answer 8

Because we in England are not allowed our own parliament. the Scottish dictatorship under Blair saw fit to reward their supporters in Scotland and Wales with their own parliament while England is dictated to by a bunch of unrepresentative Scots and Welsh.

This situation will continue while Brown, the greatest failure as a Chancellor of the Exchequer and now Prime Minister is dictating to England from Westminster.

This whole problem is probably part of the EU and continental Europe's continued attempts to remove England from the map, a thing that successive European dictators from the Romans to the Germans have tried to do, and which they are succeeding with the help to these same Scots and Welsh MP's.

the sooner Scotland gets independence and we can sent all these Scots MP's back North of the border the better.