AAT Magazine article

Rachetman

I don't know if this is the best place to say this but I was reading
in the recent edition (Jan-Feb 2015) of the Accounting Technician
magazine the article called Scotch Mist (p28-31).
There are some points that need to be made.

One, the author mentions that "around 90% of the UK's oil comes from Scotland",
after mentioning Scots receive an average of £1600 per head in government
expenditure, concluding his article with the assertion that Scotland is getting
subsidised. The author somehow doesn't join the dots and realise that
Scotland subsidises the rest of the UK, with an extra £4.5 billion
(before indyref) in tax revenues to the Treasury from the oil that comes from
Scotland, an extra £900 per head on average. In effect, people in Scotland
cannot be considered as "being subsidised".

Two, the author states "Scottish people already don't pay university tuition
fees, and they get free social care too. The vow guarantees this will
continue - as will the discontent engendered elsewhere." This is
blatantly untrue as education in Scotland is governed by the Scottish Parliament,
; "we" don't get free social care, we get free prescriptions;
the vow DOESN'T guarantee both things mentioned, other than
"extensive new powers for the Parliament" i.e. Scottish Parliament.

Three, the author writes "By the end of November, moves were already announced
to give the Scottish Parliament direct control over £14bn worth of tax."
The scottish Parliament already had direct control of over £14bn worth tax BEFORE
indyref got underway, so what is given is nothing new.

Four, the author neglects to mention the Smith Commission, which was set up
to fulfil the Vow. The report on the Commission's proposals would not lead
to Scotland being financially better off.

Overall, I strongly dislike the tone of the article that paints Scotland and
Scottish people as scroungers, in that "we" somehow are being subsidised
by the UK Parliament, which is untrue. AAT, including the author,
must realise that there are Scottish members who are part of this organisation,
and feel, from reading this article, that they are insignificant, not valued and
being looked down upon.

To me, AAT members should be united to promote the values
inherent to the organisation, regardless of nationality and regardless
if the people of Scotland desire to be independent of UK Parliament control.