The arguments of the SNP and their supporters depend largely on ignoring the difference between the *current* UK, ( England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) which has a responsibility to pay future pensions to all of those entitled, and the future "remaining UK" after independence ( England, Wales and Northern Ireland.)
Perhaps we should be making this distinction clearer at all opportunities, by referring to the remaining nations in full as "England, Wales and Northern Ireland" ?
It's superficially plausible to someone who isn't following the details for the SNP to argue that "the UK has an obligation to pay our pensions".
But the claim is actually that after independence, "taxpayers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will have an obligation to pay our pensions, and taxpayers in Scotland will have no such obligation" - which is much more clearly nonsense.
Second point:
I wonder whether the SNP's intention is to generously announce later that they will protect Scottish pensioners against the wicked Westminster government which wants to steal their pensions, but that they will be pursing a claim post-independence to make Westminster pay for them. And then assume in all of their financial figures that they will win such a claim, to make the spending numbers add up.
Couple of points on this, Blair.
The arguments of the SNP and their supporters depend largely on ignoring the difference between the *current* UK, ( England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) which has a responsibility to pay future pensions to all of those entitled, and the future "remaining UK" after independence ( England, Wales and Northern Ireland.)
Perhaps we should be making this distinction clearer at all opportunities, by referring to the remaining nations in full as "England, Wales and Northern Ireland" ?
It's superficially plausible to someone who isn't following the details for the SNP to argue that "the UK has an obligation to pay our pensions".
But the claim is actually that after independence, "taxpayers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will have an obligation to pay our pensions, and taxpayers in Scotland will have no such obligation" - which is much more clearly nonsense.
Second point:
I wonder whether the SNP's intention is to generously announce later that they will protect Scottish pensioners against the wicked Westminster government which wants to steal their pensions, but that they will be pursing a claim post-independence to make Westminster pay for them. And then assume in all of their financial figures that they will win such a claim, to make the spending numbers add up.
Absolutely agree, the SNP have never had a credible financial plan because there isn’t one but this totally exposes them.
total nonsense, but its what we've come to expect. Project Fear stories do the pro-union cause no good, but keep it up if you must.