Andrew Morrison: One Nation? We got it decades ago, Ed — Labour still doesn’t

Andrew Morrison works as a Chartered Accountant in Lanarkshire, serves as the current Vice-Chairman of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party West of Scotland Regional Council, and stood for election recently at the Local Authority elections in May 2012.

Any party funded by, voted for and populated with people who advance the cause of industrial and class antagonism cannot ever aspire to ‘One Nation’ politics. Ed Miliband may have tried because he sees the value of One Nation politics, but he failed before he even delivered his speech to the Labour Party Conference.  All the silly posturing about the type of school Ed attended, to artificially create a contrast against the Prime Minister of rags-to-riches versus privilege, simultaneously misled the public, created an incorrect impression and thwarted the type of harmony that One Nation politics seeks to advance.

The debate on Ed’s education was not around the quality of the school the Leader of the Opposition attended.  For starters it was amongst the best performing State schools which one tends to find in catchment areas with very expensive homes, thus debarring ordinary people access to a greater extent than schools in the independent sector.  It should be pointed out Ed attended a Comprehensive school not because he originated from an ordinary background — far from it — but rather due to the political dogma of his Marxist father.

Andrew Morrison: The case for more devolved powers for Scotland and England

Andrew Morrison works in Glasgow as qualified accountant, where he is a Conservative candidate for the city council elections.

Recently, the Scottish Parliament – better known as Holyrood – celebrated its tenth year of existence.  Across the board, Scots are content that the establishment remains and the Conservatives have adjusted rather well to devolution in both Scotland and Wales – as the Conservatives’ topping the polls in Wales at the elections for the European Parliament showed.

Professor Kenneth Calman – a very highly respected, unaffiliated figure – chaired the Commission which was set up to redress the problems encountered in the first decade at Holyrood.  The Commission made a strong case for Westminster taking some powers back, devolving some other powers away to Holyrood, and most definitely the case for closer co-operation rather than the ongoing petulance of both Labour and the Scottish Nationalists.

For just about everyone in the Union, the elephant in the room is the funding arrangements and the Barnett Formula.  As a Conservative, I believe an organisation charged with the responsible job of representing the people has the responsibility to show it is spending the people’s money sensibly.  My biggest criticism of the Scottish Parliament – one shared by others in the United Kingdom – is that the policies implemented by Members of the Scottish Parliament has no impact on the tax revenue received by them because it is supported by the UK-wide Treasury.

Likewise, there is no incentive to rejuvenate Scotland’s underperforming economy because that will not translate into a direct boost in tax revenue.  The Economist once compared MSPs to ‘teenagers living on an allowance’ – a comparison I always found rather unfair on teenagers, because at least certain types of behaviour is expected from them for that allowance: nothing can be expected of MSPs for providing them with funds – the money must be handed over no matter what.

Andrew Morrison: Why the cut in VAT is flawed

Andrew Morrison is a chartered accountant based in Glasgow, where he is a Conservative activist and volunteer for Citizens Advice Scotland.

All three main political parties agreed that tax cuts are the answer to mitigating the effects of our current recession.  Where Labour has missed the point, is that tax cuts are beneficial because they remove the need for state planning, which is ultimately flawed in any command economy.  Instead of cutting the tax burden, Alistair Darling merely reconfigures the tax system in a centrally co-ordinated way.  The borrowing figures show what an expensive mistake this is.  Take the jewel in the crown of the Pre-Budget Report: the VAT cut.

What we are crying out for at this point in time is some assistance with the basic necessities, such as groceries, council tax and utility bills.  For a start, the typical shopping basket containing food such as bread, meat, milk, butter and so on, are not charged to VAT because they are known as ‘zero-rated’.  This means the expensive cut in VAT will do nothing to combat the rising cost of the routine supermarket visit.

Domestic electricity and gas supply costs have increased significantly in recent times, which has received extensive press coverage.  What has not received extensive press coverage since the Chancellor’s announcement is that domestic utility supplies are charged to VAT at a reduced rate of 5% - and the lower rate has not been cut.

These essential living expenses are hindering low and middle income families alike.  Cuts in Income Tax would have been effective at helping people when they need it most, for the expenditure they need help with. 

Ultimately though the biggest flaw is how the VAT cut is supposed to trickle-down into consumers pockets.